Roots, Prefixes, & Suffixes [SAT]

Must know to understand vocab section of SAT 2026

a (prefix)

without

(apathy, amoral)

ab (prefix)

away

(absent, abduct)

-cious, -uous (suffix)

abounding in

(vivacious)

acu (root)

sharp

(acute, acupuncture)

agri (root)

farming

(agriculture)

alb (root)

white

(albino)

amb (prefix)

both

(ambidextrous)

ambul (root)

walk, move

(amble, ambulance)

amic (root)

friendly

(amicable, dynamic)

ana (prefix)

back

(anachronism)

anti/ant (prefix)

against, opposite

(antagonist, antidote)

arche/archi (root)

primitive, origin

(archaic, archive)

auto (root)

self

(autopilot, autonomous)

bel (root)

war, fight

(rebel, antebellum)

bene (root)

good

(benefit, benign)

bi (prefix)

two

(bicycle, biceps)

cata (root)

intensive, according to

(cataclysm)

cede/cess/ced (root)

go, withdraw

(recede, exceed)

ceive (suffix)

take

(receive, perceive)

cent (root)

hundred

(century, percent)

cerebr (root)

brain

(cerebral)

cert (root)

sure

(certain, certify)

chron (root)

time

(chronicle, anachronism)

cide (root)

kill

(genocide)

circum (root)

around

(circumference)

clam/claim (root)

shout, speak

(exclaim, clamor)

clar (root)

clear

(clarify, declare)

clud/clus (root)

close

(conclusion, seclude)

clin/cline (root)

lean

(inclination, recline)

co (prefix)

with, together, joint

(coauthor, cosign, collaborate)

cog (root)

know

(cognitive, cognition)

con (prefix)

together, common

(connect, convention, concur)

contra (prefix)

against

(contraband, contrary)

corp (root)

body

(corporation, corpse)

counter (prefix)

opposing, contrary

(counteract)

cracy/crate (suffix)

rule

(democracy, democrat)

cred (root)

believe

(incredible, credit)

crypt (root)

hidden, secret

(cryptic, encrypt)

culp (root)

blame, fault

(culprit, culpable)

cumul (root)

mass, heap

(accumulate, cumulative)

dem (root)

people

(democracy)

di (prefix)

twice, two

(dilemma, diverse, dioxide)

dia (prefix)

across, through

(dialogue, diameter)

domin (root)

master

(dominate)

don (root)

give

(donate, pardon)

dorm (root)

sleep

(dormitory, dormant)

dur (root)

harden, long lasting

(durable, duration, endure)

dyn (root)

power, energy

(dynamite, dynamic)

ence/ance (suffix)

state, condition

(performance, conference, insurance)

esth/aesth (root)

beauty, feeling

(aesthetic)

ethn (root)

nation, race

(ethnicity, ethnology)

eu (prefix)

good, well

(euphemism, euphoria)

ex (prefix)

out, former

(exit, ex-girlfriend)

extra (prefix)

beyond

(extraordinary)

fer (suffix)

carry, bring

(transfer, ferry, confer)

fid (root)

trust

(confidence, fidelity)

flect/flex (root)

bend

(reflect, flexible)

fore (root)

in front of, previous

(before, therefore)

fusc (root)

dark

(obfuscation)

ger (root)

old age

(geriatrics)

grad/gress (root)

to step, to go

(digress, gradual)

gyn (root)

woman

(gynecology, androgynous)

homo/homeo (prefix)

same, alike

(homogeneous, homosexual)

hyper (prefix)

over, beyond

(hyperactive)

hypo (prefix)

under

(hypothermia, hypothesis)

ian (suffix)

related to

(librarian, historian)

idio (root)

peculiar, distinct

(idiotic)

infra (prefix)

beneath

(infrastructure, infrared)

inter (prefix)

between

(interview, international)

ir (prefix)

not

(irrational, irredeemable)

iso (prefix)

equal

(isobar, isometric)

lab (root)

work

(elaborate, laboratory)

lat (root)

broad, wide

(dilate, latitude)

laud (root)

praise

(laudably, applause)

lex (root)

word, law

(dyslexic)

loq (root)

speech

(eloquent)

luc (root)

light

(lucid, translucent)

macro (prefix)

large, great

(macroeconomics)

mal (root)

bad, evil

(malignant)

medi (root)

middle

(mediocre, medium)

melan (root)

black, dark

(melancholy, melanoma)

meta (prefix)

change, beyond, after

(metaphysics, metamorphosis)

micro (prefix)

small

(microscope)

migr (root)

move

(immigrant, migrate)

min (prefix)

small

(minimum, miniature)

mis (prefix)

wrong, bad

(mistake, misinterpret)

miss/mit (root)

send, cast

(dismiss, missle, emit)

mono (prefix)

one

(monotheism)

mort (root)

death

(mortuary, immortal)

nat (root)

born

(innate, natural)

neg (root)

no

(negate, negative)

neo (prefix)

new

(neophyte)

nov (root)

new

(novice, renovate)

null (root)

none

(nullify)

ob/op (prefix)

in the way, against

(object, opposition)

omni (prefix)

all

(omniscient)

opt (root)

best

(optimal, optimize)

ous (suffix)

having

(adventurous, hazardous)

oxy (root)

sharp

(oxymoron, oxidize)

paleo (root)

ancient

(paleontologist)