Prefixes, Suffixes, & Roots

https://www.readingrockets.org/topics/spelling-and-word-study/articles/root-words-suffixes-and-prefixes

Anti-

Against (ex: antihero)

De-

Opposite (ex: devalue)

Dis-

Not; opposite of (ex: discover)

En-, em-

Cause to (ex: enact, empower)

fore-

Before; front of (ex: foreshadow, forearm)

In-, im-

In (ex: income, impulse)

In-, im-, il-, ir-

Not (ex: indirect, immoral, illiterate, irreverent)

Inter-

Between; among (ex: intermolecular)

Mid-

Middle (ex: midfield)

Mis-

Wrongly (ex: misspell)

Non-

Not (ex: nonviolent)

Over-

Over; too much (ex: overeat)

Pre-

Before (ex: preview)

Re-

Again (ex: rewrite)

Semi-

Half; partly; not fully (ex: semifinal)

Sub-

Under (ex: subway)

Super-

Above; beyond (ex: superhuman)

Trans-

Across (ex: transmit)

Un-

Not; opposite of (ex: unusual)

Under-

Under; too little (ex: underestimate)

-able, -ible

Is; can be (ex: affordable, sensible)

-al, -ial

Having characteristics of (ex: universal, facial)

-ed

In the past (past tense verbs; adjectives, ex: the dog walked)

-en

Made of (ex: golden)

-er, -or

One who; person connected with (ex: teacher, professor)

-er

More (ex: taller)

-est

The most (ex: tallest)

-ful

Full of- (ex: helpful)

-ic

Having characteristics of (ex: poetic)

-ing

Happening now (present verb form, ex: sleeping)

-ion, -tion -ation, -tion

Act; process (ex: submission, motion, relation, edition)

-ity, -ty

State of (ex: activity, society)

-ive, -ative, -itive

Adjective form of noun (ex: active, comparative, sensitive)

-less

Without (ex: hopeless)

-ly

How something is (ex: lovely)

-ment

State of being; act of (ex: contentment)

-ness

State of; condition of (ex: openness)

-ous, -eous, -ious

Having qualities of (ex: ritous, courageous, gracious)

-s, -es

More than one (ex: trains, trenches)

-y

Characterized by (ex: gloomy)

Ambi

Both (ex: ambidextrous)

Aqua

Water (ex: aquarium)

Aud

To hear (ex: audience)

Bene

Good (ex: benevolent)

Cent

One hundred (ex: century)

Circum

Around (ex: circumference)

Contra/Counter

Against (ex: contradict, encounter)

Dict

To say (ex: dictation)

Duc/Duct

To lead (ex: conduct, induce)

Fac

To do; to make (ex: factory)

Form

Shape (ex: conform)

Fort

Strength (ex: fortress

Fract

To break (ex: fracture)

Ject

Throw (ex: projection)

Jud

Judge (ex: judicial)

Mal

Bad (ex: malevolent)

Mater

Mother (ex; maternity)

Mit

To send (ex: transmit)

Mort

Death (ex: mortal)

Multi

Many (ex: multiple)

Pater

Father (ex: paternal)

Port

To carry (ex: transportation)

Rupt

To break (ex: bankrupt)

Scrib/Scribe

To write (ex: inscription, prescribe)

Sect/sec

To cut (ex: section)

Sent

To feel; to send (ex: consent, resent)

Spect

To look (ex: inspection)

Struct

To build (ex: destruction)

Vid/Vis

To see (ex: video, televise)

Voc

Voice; to call (ex: vocalize, advocate)

Anthropo

Man; human; humanity (ex: anthropology)

Auto

Self (ex: autobiography)

Bio

Life (ex: biology)

Chron

Time (ex: chronological)

Dyna

Power (ex: dynamic)

Dys

Bad; hard; unlucky (ex: dyslexic)

Gram

Thing written (ex: telegram)

Graph

Writing (ex: graphic)

Hetero

Different (ex: heterogeneous)

Homo

Same (ex: homogenous)

Hydr

Water (ex: hydration)

Hypo

Below; beneath (ex: hypothermia, hypothetical)

logy

Study of (ex: biology)

Meter/Metr

Measure (ex: thermometer, metrics)

Micro

Small (ex: microscope)

Mis/Miso

Hate (ex: misogyny)

Mono

One (ex: monologue)

Morph

Form; shape (ex: morphing)

Nym

Name (ex: antonym)

Phil

Love (ex: philosophy)

Phobia

Fear (ex: claustrophobia)

Photo/Phos

Light (ex: photograph, phosphorous)

Psuedo

False (ex: pseudonym)

Psycho

Soul; spirit (ex: psychology, psychic)

Scope

Viewing instrument (ex: microscope)

Techno

Art; science; skill (ex: technique)

Tele

Far off (ex: telephone)

Therm

Heat (ex: thermal

Root Words

Hold the most basic meaning of a word

Prefixes & Suffixes

Creates a meaningful word when added to the root word