Using Word Parts To Determine The Meaning of Words: Learning Objectives

Using Word Parts to Determine
the Meaning of Words

Fifth Grade, Sixth Grade Reading, Writing
Give your readers the tools to decipher the meaning of Greek and Latin based words. In this lesson they review
the meaning of commonly used prefixes, suffixes and roots and then practice constructing and deciphering
words.
Learning Objectives
Students will learn how to use word parts (prefixes, suffixes and roots) to help determine the meaning of words.
Materials and preparation Key terms
Class set of the Common Root Words and their prefix

Meanings worksheet suffix
Class set of the Common Prefixes and Their root word
Meanings worksheet
Class set of the Common Suffixes and their
Meanings worksheet
Pencils/pens
Attachments
Common Root Words and their Meanings (PDF)

Common Prefixes and Their Meanings (PDF)
Common Suffixes and their Meanings (PDF)
Introduction (5 minutes)
Write the following word on the board: ANTIDISESTABLISHMENTARIANISM

Ask students if they recognize any word or word parts. Have them share the word parts that they see,
and as they share, underline or circle those word parts.
Example: Anti-dis-establish-ment-arian-ism
Have students practice saying the word on the board, just for fun. Students love this word!
Explain that when you know what each of the word parts means you can use those meanings as clues to
figure out the meaning of the whole word.
Ask students if they have heard of any other words that use any of these word parts (prefixes or suffixes).
Example: Anti → Antiperspirant. Explain that to perspire is to sweat so what might ANTIperspirant
be used for?
Explicit Instruction/Teacher modeling (15 minutes)
Distribute worksheet #1 on roots. Introduce the grid, pointing out the root word column, the meaning
column, and the example column. Have students work in small groups for 10 minutes to see how many
additional examples they can generate using the roots provided.
After 10 minutes, share examples.
Guided Practice (15 minutes)
Distribute worksheet #2 on prefixes. Have students work in small groups for 10 minutes to see how many
additional examples they can generate using the prefixes provided.
Get more lesson plans at https://www.education.com/lesson-plans/
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Independent working time (20 minutes)
Distribute worksheet #3 on suffixes. Have students work individually (or in groups if desired) for 10
minutes to see how many additional examples they can generate using the suffixes provided.
Using the back of one of the sheets from the lesson draw a line splitting the page in half vertically and
horizontally, creating four rectangular sections. Then have students create four nonsense words (using
word parts) and define them, putting one in each box on their sheet. If they finish early they may
illustrate their nonsense word.
Example: reautographer = one who follows around a famous person who is giving autographs and
signs their name again, more neatly.
Related books and/or media
BOOK: Happy Endings: A Story about Suffixes by Lynn Rowe Reed and Robin Pulver
Differentiation
Support: Allow students to use the computer and search “words ending in -XXX” when they are stuck.
Enrichment: Have students think of more than one word in each row.
Technology Integration
It may be helpful to have students use the internet to look up words with certain prefixes, roots and
suffixes if they are struggling.
Assessment (15 minutes)
Give students words with a prefix, root, and suffix and ask them to use what they know about the word
parts to determine the meaning.
Example: autobiography = self + life + writing = when one writes about their own life
Review and closing (10 minutes)
Share nonsense words as a class. Have students guess the meaning of the nonsense words using the
meaning of the roots, prefixes, and suffixes.

Common Root Words
and Their Meanings
Working with classmates, put your brains together to generate examples of words that can
be created using the roots provided.
ROOT (G=Greek; Meaning Examples

L=Latin)
-ast(er)-(G) star asteroid,
-audi- (L) hear audible,
-auto- (G) self automatic,
-bene- (L) good benefit,
-bio- (G) life biography,
-chrono- (G) time chronic,
-dict- (L) say dictate,
-duc- (L) lead, make produce,

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Common Root Words
and Their Meanings
L=Latin)
-gen- (L) give birth generate,
-geo- (G) earth geography,
-graph- (G) write autograph,
-jur-, -jus- (L) law jury,
-man(u)- (L) hand manual,
-mand-, -mend- (L) order demand,
-mis-, -mit- (L) send missile,
-omni- (L) all omnivorous,

Common Root Words
and Their Meanings
L=Latin)
-path- (G) feel empathy,
-phil- (G) love of philosophy,
-phon- (G) sound phonics,
-photo- (G) light photography,
-port- (L) carry export,
-scrib-, -script- (L) write ascribe,
-sens-, -sent- (L) feel resent,
-tele- (G) far off telecast,

Common Root Words
and Their Meanings
L=Latin)
-terr- (L) earth terrain,
-vac- (L) empty evacuate,
-vid-, -vis- (L) see visible,

Name Date Page 1
Nouns, Verbs, and Adjectives:
Common Prefixes
and Their Meanings
Generate examples of words that can be created using the prefix provided.
Prefixes change the meaning of a word when they are added to the beginning of it.
prefix meaning examples
a-, an- without amoral,
ante- before antecedent,
anti- against anticlimax,
auto- self autopilot,
circum- around circumvent,
co- with copilot,
com-, companion,
with
con-
de- off, away from defrost,
en- put into enclose,
ex- out of, former ex-president,
extra- beyond, more than extracurricular,
hyper- over, more hyperactive,

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- 2024
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Name Date Page 2
Common Prefixes
and Their Meanings
il-, im-, illegal, immoral, inconsiderate, irresponsible,

not, without
in-, ir-
in- into insert,
inter- between intersect,
intra- between intravenous,
mono one monocle,
omni- all, every omniscient,
post- after postmortem,
pre-,
before, forward precede, project,
pro-
sub- under submarine,
syn- same time synchronize,
trans- across transmit,
tri- three tricycle,

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Name Date Page 3
Common Prefixes
and Their Meanings
un- not unfinished,
uni- one unicorn,
Bonus! Use the space to illustrate one of the example words you came up with!

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Name Date Page 1
Common Suffixes
and Their Meanings
Generate examples of words that can be created using the suffix provided.
Noun Suffixes These suffixes change other parts of speech into nouns.
suffix meaning examples
-acy state or quality privacy,
-al act or process of refusal,
-ance, maintenance,
state or quality of
-ence
place or
-dom state of being freedom,
-er,
one who trainer,
-or
-ism doctrine, belief communism,
-ist one who chemist,
-ity, activity,
quality of
-it
-ment condition of argument,
-ness state of being heaviness,
-ship position held fellowship,
-sion, state of being transition,

-tion

Name Date Page 2
Common Suffixes
and Their Meanings
Verb Suffixes These suffixes change other parts of speech into verbs.
-ate become eradicate,
-en become enlighten,
-ify, terrify,
make or become
-fy
-ize,
become civilize,
-ise
Bonus! Use the space to illustrate one of the example words you came up with!

Name Date Page 3
Common Suffixes
and Their Meanings
Adjective Suffixes These suffixes change other parts of speech into verbs.
-able, capable of being edible,

-ible
-al pertaining to regional,
-esque reminiscent of picturesque,
-ful notable for fanciful,
-ic, pertaining to musical,

-ical
-ious,
characterized by nutritious,
-ous
-ish having the quality of babyish,
-ive having the nature of creative,
-less without endless,
-y characterized by sleazy,


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Using Word Parts to Determine

the Meaning of Words

Materials and preparation Key terms

Class set of the Common Root Words and their preﬁx

Common Root Words and their Meanings (PDF)

Write the following word on the board: ANTIDISESTABLISHMENTARIANISM

Explicit Instruction/Teacher modeling (15 minutes)

Guided Practice (15 minutes)

Independent working time (20 minutes)

Related books and/or media

Assessment (15 minutes)

Review and closing (10 minutes)

Get more lesson plans at https://www.education.com/lesson-plans/

ROOT (G=Greek; Meaning Examples

-audi- (L) hear audible,

-auto- (G) self automatic,

-bene- (L) good benefit,

-bio- (G) life biography,

-chrono- (G) time chronic,

-dict- (L) say dictate,

-duc- (L) lead, make produce,

Get more lesson plans at https://www.education.com/lesson-plans/

-geo- (G) earth geography,

-graph- (G) write autograph,

-jur-, -jus- (L) law jury,

-man(u)- (L) hand manual,

-mand-, -mend- (L) order demand,

-mis-, -mit- (L) send missile,

-omni- (L) all omnivorous,

Get more lesson plans at https://www.education.com/lesson-plans/

-phil- (G) love of philosophy,

-phon- (G) sound phonics,

-photo- (G) light photography,

-port- (L) carry export,

-scrib-, -script- (L) write ascribe,

-sens-, -sent- (L) feel resent,

-tele- (G) far off telecast,

Get more lesson plans at https://www.education.com/lesson-plans/

-vac- (L) empty evacuate,

-vid-, -vis- (L) see visible,

Get more lesson plans at https://www.education.com/lesson-plans/

Nouns, Verbs, and Adjectives:

prefix meaning examples

a-, an- without amoral,

ante- before antecedent,

anti- against anticlimax,

auto- self autopilot,

circum- around circumvent,

co- with copilot,

de- off, away from defrost,

en- put into enclose,

ex- out of, former ex-president,

extra- beyond, more than extracurricular,

hyper- over, more hyperactive,

Get more lesson plans at https://www.education.com/lesson-plans/

Nouns, Verbs, and Adjectives:

prefix meaning examples

il-, im-, illegal, immoral, inconsiderate, irresponsible,

in- into insert,

inter- between intersect,

intra- between intravenous,

mono one monocle,