W HAT IS A ROOT?

A root, as its name suggests, is a

word or word part from which
other words grow, usually
through the addition
of prefixes and suffixes.
The root of the word vocabulary,
for example, is voc, a Latin root
meaning "word" or "name."
 E XAMPLES :
ROOT MEANING EXAMPLES

asteroid,
-ast(er) star
astronomy
audible,
-audi- hear
audience
automatic,
-auto- self
autopsy
benefit,
-bene- good
benign
 E XAMPLES :
ROOT MEANING EXAMPLES

biography,
-bio- life
biology

chronic,
-chrono- time
synchronize

-dict- say dictate, diction

deduce,
-duc- lead, make
produce
-gen- give birth gene, generate
 W HAT ARE ?

A word element – usually a

prefix or suffix--that can
be attached to a root to
form a new word.
Etymology:
From the Latin Figere, "fasten"
M AIN TYPES OF
 P REFIX
A letter or group of letters attached
to the beginning of a word that
partly indicates its meaning.
Common prefixes include anti-
(against), co- (with), mis- (wrong,
bad), and trans-(across).
Etymology:
 From the Latin Praefixum, "to
fasten in front"
 T YPES OF
Prefixes do not normally alter
the word class of the base
word; that is, a prefix is
added to a noun to form a
new noun with a different
meaning.
COMMON P REFIXES
Prefix Meaning Example
a-, an- without amoral
ante- before antecedent
anti- against anticlimax
auto- self autopilot
circum- around circumvent
co- with copilot
companion,
com-, con- with
contact
COMMON P REFIXES
contra- against contradict
de- off, away from devalue
dis- not disappear
en- put into enclose
extract, ex-
ex- out of, former
president
beyond, more
extra- extracurricular
than
hetero- different heterosexual
homo- same homonym
COMMON P REFIXES
intra- between intravenous
macroeconom
macro- large
ics
micro- small microscope
mono- one monocle
non- not, without nonentity
omni- all, every omniscient
post- after postmortem
before, precede,
pre-, pro-
forward project
COMMON P REFIXES
sub- under submarine
syn- same time synchronize
trans- across transmit
tri- three tricycle
un- not unfinished
uni- one unicorn
 S UFFIX
A letter or group of letters added to
the end of a word (i.e.,
a base form), serving to form a
new word or functioning as
an inflectional ending.
Etymology:
 From the Latin Suffixum, “to
fasten underneath”
 T YPES OF
Suffixes, on the other hand,
usually change both the
meaning and the word class;
that is, a suffix is often added
to a verb or adjective to form a
new noun with a different
meaning.
E XAMPLE :
adjective: dark / suffixed
noun: darkness
verb: agree / suffixed
noun: agreement
noun: friend / suffixed
noun: friendship
C OMMON N OUN S UFFIXES
Suffix Meaning Example
-acy state or quality privacy
act or process
-al refusal
of
state or quality maintenance,
-ance, -ence
of eminence
place or state of freedom,
-dom
being kingdom
trainer,
-er, -or one who
protector
-ism doctrine, belief communism
C OMMON N OUN S UFFIXES

-ist one who chemist

-ity, -ty quality of veracity
-ment condition of argument
-ness state of being heaviness
-ship position held fellowship

concession,
-sion, -tion state of being
transition
C OMMON V ERB S UFFIXES

-ate become eradicate

-en become enlighten

make or
-ify, -fy terrify
become

-ize, -ise become civilize

C OMMON A DJECTIVE S UFFIXES
-able, -ible capable of being edible, presentable
-al pertaining to regional
-esque reminiscent of picturesque
-ful notable for fanciful
-ic, -ical pertaining to musical, mythic

-ious, -ous characterized by nutritious, portentous

-ish having the quality of fiendish

-ive having the nature of creative

-less without endless
-y characterized by sleazy
TASK 1: F ILL THE BLANKS WITH
APPROPRIATE PREFIXES TO MAKE IT
OPPOSITE IN MEANING USING NON , IN ,
IM AND UN .
____ 1. possible ____ 6. able
____ 2. proper ____ 7. sense
____ 3. fortunate ____ 8. native
____ 4. capable ____ 9. visible
____ 5. complete ____ 10. secure
TASK 2: C HANGE THESE WORDS INTO
ADJECTIVES BY USING THE SUFFIXES – IC ,
- ISH , OR – IVE .
 brown
 girl
 product
 act
 self