Roots and Stuff

Prefixes, Suffixes, and Roots Common on SAT

a-, an-

Not, without (e.g., amoral, anarchy)

ab-, abs-

Away, from (e.g., abstain, abnormal)

ad-

To, toward (e.g., adhere, admit)

ante-

Before (e.g., antecedent, anteroom)

anti-

Against (e.g., antibiotic, antidote)

auto-

Self (e.g., autobiography, automatic)

bene-

Good, well (e.g., beneficial, benevolent)

bi-

Two (e.g., bilingual, bicycle)

circum-

Around (e.g., circumference, circumvent)

co-, com-, con-

With, together (e.g., cooperate, compress, convene)

contra-, counter-

Against (e.g., contradict, counteract)

de-

Down, away (e.g., descend, deactivate)

dis-

Not, apart (e.g., disagree, disprove)

en-, em-

Cause to (e.g., enable, empower)

ex-, e-

Out, from (e.g., exit, emit)

hyper-

Over, excessive (e.g., hyperactive, hypersensitive)

hypo-

Under, below (e.g., hypothermia, hypodermic)

in-, im-, il-, ir-

Not (e.g., inactive, impossible, illegal, irregular)

inter-

Between (e.g., interact, international)

intra-

Within (e.g., intramural, intravenous)

mal-, mis-

Bad (e.g., malfunction, misinterpret)

mono-

One (e.g., monologue, monochrome)

multi-

Many (e.g., multitask, multilingual)

non-

Not (e.g., nonsense, nonverbal)

omni-

All (e.g., omniscient, omnipresent)

post-

After (e.g., postpone, postwar)

pre-

Before (e.g., preview, precede)

pro-

Forward, for (e.g., progress, promote)

re-

Again, back (e.g., return, revise)

sub-

Under (e.g., submarine, subordinate)

super-

Above, beyond (e.g., superhuman, supernatural)

trans-

Across (e.g., transport, transfer)

un-

Not (e.g., uncertain, unaware)

uni-

One (e.g., unify, unilateral)

aqua

Water (e.g., aquatic, aquarium)

bio

Life (e.g., biology, biography)

chron

Time (e.g., chronological, synchronize)

cred

Believe (e.g., credible, incredible)

dict

Say (e.g., dictate, contradict)

duc, duct

Lead (e.g., conduct, educate)

geo

Earth (e.g., geography, geology)

graph

Write (e.g., autograph, biography)

log, logy

Study of (e.g., biology, logic)

man

Hand (e.g., manual, manufacture)

path

Feeling, suffering (e.g., sympathy, pathology)

port

Carry (e.g., transport, export)

scrib, script

Write (e.g., describe, manuscript)

spect

See (e.g., inspect, spectator)

struct

Build (e.g., construct, infrastructure)

vid, vis

See (e.g., video, vision)

-acy

State, quality (e.g., democracy, literacy)

-al

Act, process (e.g., refusal, proposal)

-ance, -ence

State, quality (e.g., performance, persistence)

-dom

Place, state (e.g., freedom, kingdom)

-er, -or

One who (e.g., teacher, actor)

-ism

Doctrine, belief (e.g., capitalism, realism)

-ist

One who practices (e.g., artist, biologist)

-ity, -ty

Quality of (e.g., clarity, unity)

-ment

Action, process (e.g., movement, achievement)

-ness

State of being (e.g., happiness, kindness)

-ship

Position, state (e.g., leadership, friendship)

-tion, -sion

Act, process (e.g., revolution, decision)

-ate

To make (e.g., activate, regulate)

-en

To make (e.g., strengthen, widen)

-ify, -fy

To make (e.g., justify, simplify)

-ize, -ise

To make (e.g., realize, organize)

-able, -ible

Capable of (e.g., capable, flexible)

-al

Relating to (e.g., natural, practical)

-esque

Style of (e.g., picturesque, statuesque)

-ful

Full of (e.g., hopeful, joyful)

-ic, -ical

Relating to (e.g., scientific, historical)

-ious, -ous

Full of (e.g., gracious, cautious)

-ive

Tending toward (e.g., active, creative)

-less

Without (e.g., careless, fearless)

-y

Characterized by (e.g., happy, sleepy)

-ly

In a certain way (e.g., quickly, slowly)

-ward, -wards

Direction (e.g., forward, backwards)

-wise

In relation to (e.g., clockwise, otherwise)

-cious, -uous

Abounding in (e.g. vivacious, volumptuous)

Acu

sharp (e.g acupuncture, acute)

Agri

Farming (e.g. agriculture, agrarian)

Alb

White (e.g albino, albacore)

Amb

Both (e.g. ambivalent)

Ambul

Walk, move (e.g. amble, ambulance)

Amic

Friendly (e.g. amicable, dynamic)

Ana

Back (e.g. anachronism)

Arche (archi)

Primitive, origin (e.g. archaic, archive)

Bel

War, fight (rebel, antebellum)

Cata

Intensive, according to (e.g. cataclysm, catastrophic, catalog)

Cede (cess, ced)

Go, withdraw (e.g. recede, exceed)

Ceive

Take (e.g. receive, perceive)

Cent

Hundred (e.g. percent, century)

Cerebr

Brain (e.g. cerebral, cerebrate)

Cert

Sure (e.g. certain, certify)

Clam (claim)

Shout, speak (e.g. exclaim, clamor)

Clar

Clear (e.g clarify, declare)

Clud (clus)

Close (e.g. conclusion, conclude)

Clin (cline)

Lean (e.g. incline, recline)

Cog

Know (e.g. cognitive, incognito)

Corp

Body (e.g. corporation, corpse)