rootas and affixes

a-/an-

not, without (e.g., amoral – without morals)

ab-

away from (e.g., abduct – take away by force)

ad-

to, toward (e.g., advance – move toward)

ante-

before (e.g., antecedent – something that comes before)

anti-

against (e.g., antidote – remedy against poison)

auto-

self (e.g., autobiography – story of one’s own life)

bene-

good (e.g., benevolent – kind, well-meaning)

bi-

two (e.g., bilingual – speaks two languages)

circum-

around (e.g., circumnavigate – sail around)

co-/com-/con-

with, together (e.g., collaborate – work together)

de-

down, away from (e.g., descend – go down)

dis-

not, opposite (e.g., disapprove – not approve)

en-/em-

cause to (e.g., empower – give power to)

ex-

out of, former (e.g., exhale – breathe out)

extra-

beyond (e.g., extraordinary – beyond ordinary)

hetero-

different (e.g., heterogeneous – diverse, mixed)

homo-

same (e.g., homogeneous – same kind)

hyper-

over, excessive (e.g., hyperactive – overly active)

hypo-

under, below (e.g., hypodermic – under the skin)

in-/im- (not)

not (e.g., invisible – not visible)

in-/im- (into)

into (e.g., insert – put into)

inter-

between (e.g., international – between nations)

intra-

within (e.g., intramural – within a group)

mal-

bad (e.g., malicious – intending harm)

mis-

wrong (e.g., mislead – lead wrongly)

mono-

one (e.g., monologue – one speaker)

multi-

many (e.g., multilingual – speaks many languages)

neo-

new (e.g., neoclassical – new classical)

non-

not (e.g., nonsense – makes no sense)

omni-

all (e.g., omniscient – all-knowing)

post-

after (e.g., postwar – after the war)

pre-

before (e.g., preview – view before)

pro-

forward, in favor of (e.g., promote – support)

re-

again (e.g., return – come again)

retro-

backward (e.g., retrospect – looking back)

sub-

under (e.g., submarine – underwater)

super-/supra-

above (e.g., superhuman – above human)

syn-/sym-

together (e.g., synchronize – at the same time)

trans-

across (e.g., transport – carry across)

un-

not (e.g., unhappy – not happy)

act

do (e.g., action – the act of doing)

aud

hear (e.g., audible – can be heard)

bene

good (e.g., benefit – good result)

bio

life (e.g., biology – study of life)

chron

time (e.g., chronological – time order)

cred

believe (e.g., credible – believable)

dict

say (e.g., dictate – speak aloud)

duc/duct

lead (e.g., conduct – to guide)

fac/fec/fic

make, do (e.g., manufacture – to make)

gen

birth, kind (e.g., generation – people born at same time)

graph

write (e.g., autograph – written signature)

junct

join (e.g., junction – where things meet)

loc

place (e.g., relocate – move to another place)

log/logue

word (e.g., dialogue – conversation)

luc/lum

light (e.g., illuminate – to light up)

man

hand (e.g., manual – done by hand)

mand

order (e.g., command – an order)

mort

death (e.g., mortal – subject to death)

path

feeling (e.g., empathy – shared feeling)

phon

sound (e.g., symphony – harmony of sounds)

port

carry (e.g., transport – to carry)

rupt

break (e.g., disrupt – break apart)

scrib/script

write (e.g., describe – to write about)

sens/sent

feel (e.g., sentiment – emotional view)

spect

see (e.g., inspect – to look closely)

struct

build (e.g., construct – to build)

tact/tang

touch (e.g., tangible – can be touched)

tele

far (e.g., telephone – sound from afar)

vid/vis

see (e.g., video – something seen)

voc/vok

call (e.g., evoke – call forth)

vol

will (e.g., volunteer – by one’s will)

-able/-ible

capable of (e.g., readable – can be read)

-al

relating to (e.g., natural – relating to nature)

-ance/-ence

state of (e.g., resistance – state of resisting)

-ant/-ent

performing (e.g., agent – one who acts)

-dom

state of being (e.g., freedom – being free)

-er/-or

one who (e.g., teacher – one who teaches)

-ful

full of (e.g., thoughtful – full of thought)

-ic

relating to (e.g., poetic – relating to poetry)

-ion/-tion

act or state of (e.g., celebration – act of celebrating)

-ism

belief (e.g., realism – belief in reality)

-ist

one who practices (e.g., artist – one who makes art)

-ity/-ty

quality of (e.g., creativity – being creative)

-ive

having the quality of (e.g., active – full of action)

-less

without (e.g., careless – without care)

-logy

study of (e.g., psychology – study of the mind)

-ment

result of (e.g., development – result of developing)

-ness

state of (e.g., kindness – being kind)

-ous/-ious

full of (e.g., gracious – full of grace)

-ship

skill, condition (e.g., leadership – ability to lead)