Prefix-Suffix-Root List by Grade Level

(Generally, prefixes and suffixes change the meanings of roots, but it is usually the suffix that denotes the part of speech.)

1st Grade Prefix Suffix Definition Examples Origin Additional Information -s,-es plural, more than one hats, pigs, boxes, Anglo-Saxon wishes -ing action/ process helping, skipping, Anglo-Saxon Present participle of running, seeing, verb thinking -ed past tense jumped, helped Anglo-Saxon Past tense verb nd 2 Grade (Please review affixes from prior grade.) Prefix Suffix Definition Examples Origin Additional Information un- not/ opposite unlock, unsafe Anglo-Saxon re- again/ back reread, rewrite, Latin return dis- not/ opposite of dislike, distrust Latin -er person connected teacher, writer, Anglo-Saxon with/ comparative baker, bigger, degree colder, taller -est superlative degree biggest, coldest, Anglo-Saxon Usually an adjective tallest 3rd Grade (Please review affixes from prior grades.) Prefix Suffix Definition Examples Origin Additional Information dis- not/ opposite of dislike, distrust Latin in- not inactive, insane, Latin

1 inexpensive -ful full of beautiful, painful Anglo-Saxon Usually an adjective -less without careless, helpless Anglo-Saxon -y characterized by/ like cloudy, fishy Anglo-Saxon -ly characteristic of badly, friendly, Anglo-Saxon Usually an adverb quickly th 4 Grade (Please review affixes from prior grades.) Prefix Suffix Definition Examples Origin Additional Information under- too little/ below underfed, Anglo-Saxon underground over- too much/ above overdone, overhead Anglo-Saxon non- not nonfat, nonsense Latin pre- before preplan, pretest Latin bi- two bicycle, binocular Latin tri- three tricycle, triangle Latin/ Greek quad- four quadrilateral, Latin quadrant oct- eight octagon, octopus Latin/ Greek -ion, –ation act of/ state of/ attention, vision, Anglo-Saxon Noun –sion, -tion result of invitation (See 6th grade for explanation) -ness condition/ state of darkness, fairness Anglo-Saxon Usually a noun -ly characteristic of badly, friendly, Anglo-Saxon Usually an adverb quickly -ment act/ process enjoyment, Latin replacement -er, -or one who/ that which baker, boxer, Latin Usually a noun conductor, survivor Use –or with Latin roots for nouns (inventor, elevator) Use –er with Anglo-Saxon roots (heater, swimmer)

2 th 5 Grade (Please review affixes from prior grades.) Prefix Suffix Root Definition Examples Origin Additional Information semi- half semicircle, Latin semicolon super- above/ on top superfine, Latin of/ beyond superhuman, supersonic multi- many/ much multicolor, Latin multifamily poly- many/ much polygon, Greek polysyllable tele- distant/far Television, Greek telephone mis- bad or badly/ misbehave, Latin wrong or misread, wrongly misspell inter- between intercept, Latin interview, interstate mid- middle midnight, Anglo-Saxon midweek sub- under, beneath, subway, subsoil, Latin below/ substitute secondary deca- deci- ten decathlon, Latin/ Greek decade, decimal, decimeter kilo- 1,000 kilogram, Greek kilowatt milli- mille- 1,000 millennium, Latin millimeter

3 centi- 100 centimeter, Latin centipede -able, -ible can be done enjoyable, Latin -able ending words sensible, likable have roots that can stand alone. enjoyable -ible ending words have roots that can not stand alone. sensible -ian, -an one having a electrician, Latin Usually a noun certain skill/ magician, relating to/ American, belonging to suburban -ship condition of/ championship, Anglo-Saxon Usually a noun skill friendship, hardship, leadership -ist one who does a artist, tourist Latin/ Greek Usually a noun specific action -logy, -ology science of/ biology, Greek study of chronology -ism act/ belief/ patriotism, Latin/ Greek Usually a noun practice of idealism, absenteeism,

-ence, -ance act/ condition persistence, Latin Usually a noun of excellence, -ence and –ance assistance, sound alike because importance of the schwa. –ence is used somewhat more often than – ance. -ess feminine actress, lioness Latin/ Greek Usually a noun

4 max(i) great maximum, Latin maximize meter, metr measure diameter, Greek odometer, metric, perimeter photo light photograph, Greek telephoto, photocopy port to carry portable, Latin transport phobia, irrational fear aquaphobia, Greek There are names for phobic, or hatred/ one claustrophobic more than 500 phobe who fears/ technophobe phobias, most of hates which come from the field of medicine. rupt break/ burst bankrupt, Latin FYI: Erupt means to rupture, explode. (The disruptive volcano erupted.) Irrupt means to rush or burst in. (The police irrupted into the hideout.) scrib, script to write describe, Latin Verbs usually use manuscript scribe, as in prescribe; nouns usually use script, as in prescription. gram, graph written/ drawn autograph, Greek paragraph, telegram dict to say/ tell diction, dictator Latin ject to throw inject, objection Latin

5 spect, spec to see/ watch/ prospect, Latin observe respect, specimen th 6 Grade (Please review affixes and roots from prior grades.) Prefix Suffix Root Definition Examples Origin Additional Information en-, em- to cause to be/ encounter, Latin to put into or enable, employ, onto/ to go into embark, encircle or onto fore- before/ earlier forearm, Anglo-Saxon foreword de- reduce down/ defeat, deform, Latin away from decrease trans- across/ change/ transformation, Latin through transportation, transfer anti- opposite/ antibiotic, Greek against antifreeze di-, dia- two/ through/ digraph, Greek across dialogue, diagonal ex- out of/ away extract, exhale, Latin/ Greek from extend auto- self autograph, Greek automatic in- (il-, im-, ir-) not inability, Latin il- used before roots impatient, beginning with l irregular, illegal illegible im- used before roots beginning with b, m, p immature, imbalance, impatient

6 ir- used before roots beginning with r irregular in- (il-, im-, ir-) in/ on/ toward infer, illustrate, Same prefix usage is improve, irrigate applied as above bio- life biography, Greek biological mini- small miniature, Latin From the Latin word minimum miniature… Modern generations shortened miniature to mini-. micro- small/ minute microbiology, Greek microscope uni- one/ single unicorn, Latin unicycle, uniform -en made of/ to wooden, Anglo-Saxon make dampen, tighten -dom condition of boredom, Anglo-Saxon Usually a noun freedom, kingdom -ity state of/ quality prosperity, Latin Usually a noun of equality -al, -ial related to/ colonial, Latin Usually an adjective characterized biennial, dental, by betrayal -ion, -ation act of/ state of/ tension, Anglo-Saxon The real suffix is –sion, -tion result of attention, –ion. Putting s or t in elevation, union front of –ion is simply determined by the spelling of the root. Usually a noun -ish relating to/ childish, foolish Anglo-Saxon Usually an adjective characteristic

7 of -ent, -ant an action/ student, Latin Often a noun condition contestant, The suffix –ant often immigrant indicates a person noun. -ent, -ant causing a obedient, Latin Often an adjective specific action absorbent, -ent and –ant sound abundant, alike because of the elegant schwa. –ent is used somewhat more often than –ant. -hood the state/ the boyhood, Anglo-Saxon Usually a noun condition/ the likelihood History of the suffix quality –hood  Old English: -had  Middle English: - hod  Modern English: -hood aqua water aquarium, Latin aquamarine act put in motion/ action, react, Latin process of transact doing mit to send emit, transmit Latin anni, annu, year anniversary, Latin Usually a noun enni semiannual, millennium arch chief/ ruler archenemy, Greek matriarch duct, duc lead induce, conduct Latin geo earth/ ground/ geography, Greek soil geology man hand manicure, Latin manually

8 nym, onym name/ word antonym, Greek synonym phon voice/ sound telephone, Greek symphony therm heat thermometer, Greek thermostat tox poison toxic, Latin toxicology scope to watch/ see horoscope, Greek microscope, telescope th 7 Grade (Please review affixes and roots from prior grades.) Prefix Suffix Root Definition Examples Origin Additional Information ante- in front of/ antecedent, Latin Fun information – before antebellum antepenultimate means next to the next to the last…this word can usually be found on the SAT. ab- from/ away absent, absorb, Latin abnormal a- on/ in/ to across, aboard, Anglo-Saxon/ aside Latin a- without/ not atypical, amoral, Anglo-Saxon/ asocial Latin co-, con-, com- together/ with cooperate, Latin Concrete – meaning concede, to harden or to grow combine together pro- forward/ proceed, Latin/ Greek Some words with before/ in pronoun, pro- as a prefix are support of prohibit often hyphenated, so be sure to check the dictionary.

9 intra- within intranet, Latin intramural mega- great/ huge megabyte, Greek megaphone post- after/ following postpone, Latin postwar -ous, full of/ adventurous, Latin Usually an adjective -ious, characterized nervous, -eous by mysterious, courteous

-ive, inclined/ festive, Latin Words that end with -itive, tending toward talkative, active, –de (intrude) change -ative an action sensitive the –de to s then add –ive (intrusive). Words that end with silent e (create) drop the e then add –ive (creative). -ic relating to/ energetic, Latin/ Greek Usually an adjective characterized historic by -ize to make/ to fertilize, Latin/ Greek Usually a verb cause to criticize, become apologize -fy, -ify to make satisfy, magnify Latin Usually a verb -age result of an manage, Latin action/ drainage, collection acreage -some characterized awesome, Anglo-Saxon Primarily used with by a specified lonesome Anglo-Saxon base quality, words. condition, or action chron time chronology, Greek

10 synchronize temp time temporary, Latin temperature aer, aero air aerial, aerospace Greek cede, ceed to go/ yield/ proceed, secede, Latin surrender precede, concede cept, ceive to take/ catch/ accept, deceive Latin Additional roots with seize/ hold/ same definition: receive cap (captive) ceit (conceit) cep (concept) cip (municipal) fract, frag to break fracture, Latin fraction, fragment gen race, kind, or gender, genetics, Latin species/ birth genesis grat thanks/ congratulations, Latin pleasing gratify liber free liberty, liberate Latin leg, lect, lig law/ to choose/ legend, legal, Latin The roots lect, lect, to pick/ to read/ intelligent, elect, and lig are related to to speak lecture the Greek combining form logos, meaning speech or word. mater, matr, mother maternal, Latin matri matrimony, matriarch pater, patr father paternal, patriot Latin mot, mob to move motivate, Latin mobilize opt eye/ to make a optometry, Latin choice optic, optional ped, pod foot pedal, Latin

11 pedestrian, tripod ped child pediatrician Greek urb city urban, suburban Latin Exurb: a modern word meaning large cities that directly surround a major city (Arlington is an exurb of Dallas.) pop people population, Latin popular tract to draw/ pull attract, distract, Latin retract form to shape conform, Latin reform, transform pend to hang/ weigh suspend, Latin pendulum th 8 Grade (Please review affixes and roots from prior grades.) Prefix Suffix Root Definition Examples Origin Additional Information hyper- over/ above/ hyperactive, Greek excessive hypercritical hypo-, hyp- below/ less hypothermia, Greek than normal hypnosis omni- all omnipresent, Latin omniscient homo- same homogeneous, Latin homonym hetero- different/ other heterochromatic, Greek Heteronyms: words heterogeneous with the same spelling, but different meanings (dove – the bird;

12 dove – did dive) ultra- beyond in ultramarine, Latin degree/ ultraviolet extreme -cide kill germicide, Latin Usually a noun pesticide -ery relating to/ imagery, Anglo-Saxon Usually a noun quality/ place pottery, bakery where -ary relating to/ dictionary, Latin Noun/ adjective place where/ infirmary one who cautionary, dietary, missionary -ium chemical helium, Greek Usually a noun element/ group aquarium -tude condition/ altitude, Latin Usually a noun state/ quality of gratitude aud to hear/ listen audible, audition Latin cred to believe credit, Latin incredible archae, arche, primitive/ archaeologist, Greek archi ancient archives, achetype belli war belligerent, Latin bellicose claim, clam to declare/ call exclaim, Latin out/ cry out clamorous crat, cracy rule/ strength/ democrat, Greek power aristocracy hemo, hema blood hematology, Greek hemophilia luna moon lunar, lunatic Latin mar sea maritime, Latin submarine

13 mort death mortuary, Latin mortality path feeling/ apathetic, Greek suffering/ pathology disease pel to drive/ push expel, propeller Latin struc, struct to build construct, Latin See Affix Matrix for instructor the root struct on final page of this document. vis, vid to see vision, evidence Latin voc, voke to call advocate, Latin revoke

cogn to know cognition, Latin recognize loc, loqu to speak/ talk/ colloquial, Latin say ventriloquist, loquacious th 9 Grade (Please review affixes and roots from prior grades.) Prefix Suffix Root Definition Examples Origin Additional Information bene well/ good benediction, Latin beneficial cardi heart cardiac, Latin cardiology ego self egocentric, Latin egoism don, donat give/ gift donate, donation Latin luc, lum light translucent, Latin illuminate mania madness/ maniac, Greek frenzy/ kleptomania abnormal

14 desire/ obsession nate, nat born native, innate Latin neg no/ deny negative, negate Latin neo new neonatal Greek nov new novice Latin phys nature physics, Greek physical psych mind/ soul psychic, Greek psychopath reg guide/ rule regime, regent Latin sci to know/ learn science, Latin conscience sol alone solitary, Latin soliloquy tact, tang to touch contact, tangible Latin terr land terrain, territory Latin vac empty vacate, evacuate Latin ver, veri true/ genuine verdict, Latin veritable

15 References

Ebbers, Susan M. Vocabulary Through Morphemes. Longmont, CO: Sopris West. 2003.

Henry, Marcia K. Unlocking Literacy. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing. 2003.

Terban, Marvin. Building Your Vocabulary. New York: Scholastic Inc. 2002.

The American Heritage High School Dictionary.Fourth Edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. 2002

Affix Matrix

re con s de ed ing ive ly de struct or s in s ob ion ism sub ist super s infra ure ed ing al ly

Add one or more of the above affixes to the root struct. Example: destructively (Try to create at least 60 words.)

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