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 nd 2 Grade Prefix Suffix Definition Examples -s,-es plural, more than one -ing action/ process -ed past tense hats, pigs, boxes, wishes helping, skipping, running, seeing, thinking jumped, helped Suffix dis-er -est disin- Additional Information Anglo-Saxon Anglo-Saxon Present participle of verb Anglo-Saxon Past tense verb (Please review affixes from prior grade.) unre- 3rd Grade Prefix Origin Definition Examples not/ opposite again/ back unlock, unsafe reread, rewrite, return dislike, distrust teacher, writer, baker, bigger, colder, taller biggest, coldest, tallest not/ opposite of person connected with/ comparative degree superlative degree Origin Additional Information Anglo-Saxon Latin Latin Anglo-Saxon Anglo-Saxon Usually an adjective Origin Additional Information (Please review affixes from prior grades.) Suffix Definition Examples not/ opposite of not dislike, distrust inactive, insane, 1 Latin Latin -ful -less -y -ly 4th Grade Prefix inexpensive beautiful, painful careless, helpless cloudy, fishy badly, friendly, quickly full of without characterized by/ like characteristic of Anglo-Saxon Anglo-Saxon Anglo-Saxon Anglo-Saxon Usually an adjective Origin Additional Information Usually an adverb (Please review affixes from prior grades.) Suffix Definition Examples under- too little/ below Anglo-Saxon overnonprebitriquad- too much/ above not before two three four oct-ion, –ation –sion, -tion eight act of/ state of/ result of underfed, underground overdone, overhead nonfat, nonsense preplan, pretest bicycle, binocular tricycle, triangle quadrilateral, quadrant octagon, octopus attention, vision, invitation -ness -ly condition/ state of characteristic of darkness, fairness badly, friendly, quickly act/ process Anglo-Saxon Anglo-Saxon -ment -er, -or one who/ that which baker, boxer, conductor, survivor 2 Anglo-Saxon Latin Latin Latin Latin/ Greek Latin Latin/ Greek Anglo-Saxon enjoyment, replacement Latin Noun (See 6th grade for explanation) Usually a noun Usually an adverb Latin Usually a noun Use –or with Latin roots for nouns (inventor, elevator) Use –er with Anglo-Saxon roots (heater, swimmer) 5th Grade Prefix (Please review affixes from prior grades.) Suffix Definition Examples semi- half Latin super- above/ on top of/ beyond multi- many/ much poly- many/ much tele- distant/far semicircle, semicolon superfine, superhuman, supersonic multicolor, multifamily polygon, polysyllable Television, telephone mis- mid- middle sub- deca- deci- under, beneath, below/ secondary ten misbehave, misread, misspell intercept, interview, interstate midnight, midweek subway, subsoil, substitute Latin inter- bad or badly/ wrong or wrongly between Latin/ Greek kilo- 1,000 milli- mille- 1,000 decathlon, decade, decimal, decimeter kilogram, kilowatt millennium, millimeter Root 3 Origin Latin Latin Greek Greek Latin Anglo-Saxon Latin Greek Latin Additional Information centi- 100 -able, -ible can be done -ian, -an one having a certain skill/ relating to/ belonging to condition of/ skill -ship -ist -logy, -ology -ism one who does a specific action science of/ study of act/ belief/ practice of centimeter, centipede enjoyable, sensible, likable Latin electrician, magician, American, suburban championship, friendship, hardship, leadership artist, tourist Latin -able ending words have roots that can stand alone. enjoyable -ible ending words have roots that can not stand alone. sensible Usually a noun Anglo-Saxon Usually a noun Latin/ Greek Usually a noun biology, chronology patriotism, idealism, absenteeism, Greek Latin/ Greek Usually a noun Usually a noun -ence and –ance sound alike because of the schwa. –ence is used somewhat more often than – ance. Usually a noun Latin -ence, -ance act/ condition of persistence, excellence, assistance, importance Latin -ess feminine actress, lioness Latin/ Greek 4 max(i) great maximum, maximize diameter, odometer, metric, perimeter photograph, telephoto, photocopy portable, transport aquaphobia, claustrophobic technophobe Latin meter, metr measure photo light port to carry phobia, phobic, phobe irrational fear or hatred/ one who fears/ hates rupt break/ burst bankrupt, rupture, disruptive Latin scrib, script to write describe, manuscript Latin gram, graph written/ drawn Greek dict ject to say/ tell to throw autograph, paragraph, telegram diction, dictator inject, objection 5 Greek Greek Latin Greek Latin Latin There are names for more than 500 phobias, most of which come from the field of medicine. FYI: Erupt means to explode. (The volcano erupted.) Irrupt means to rush or burst in. (The police irrupted into the hideout.) Verbs usually use scribe, as in prescribe; nouns usually use script, as in prescription. spect, spec 6th Grade Prefix to see/ watch/ observe prospect, respect, specimen Latin (Please review affixes and roots from prior grades.) en-, em- foredetrans- antidi-, dia- ex- Suffix Root Definition Examples to cause to be/ to put into or onto/ to go into or onto before/ earlier encounter, Latin enable, employ, embark, encircle reduce down/ away from across/ change/ through Latin opposite/ against two/ through/ across auto- out of/ away from self in- (il-, im-, ir-) not 6 forearm, foreword defeat, deform, decrease transformation, transportation, transfer antibiotic, antifreeze digraph, dialogue, diagonal extract, exhale, extend autograph, automatic inability, impatient, irregular, illegal Origin Additional Information Anglo-Saxon Latin Greek Greek Latin/ Greek Greek Latin il- used before roots beginning with l illegible im- used before roots beginning with b, m, p immature, imbalance, impatient in- (il-, im-, ir-) in/ on/ toward bio- life mini- small micro- small/ minute uni- -en -dom -ity -al, -ial -ion, -ation –sion, -tion -ish infer, illustrate, improve, irrigate biography, Greek biological miniature, Latin minimum microbiology, microscope one/ single unicorn, unicycle, uniform made of/ to wooden, make dampen, tighten condition of boredom, freedom, kingdom state of/ quality prosperity, of equality related to/ colonial, characterized biennial, dental, by betrayal act of/ state of/ tension, result of attention, elevation, union Greek relating to/ characteristic Anglo-Saxon 7 childish, foolish ir- used before roots beginning with r irregular Same prefix usage is applied as above From the Latin word miniature… Modern generations shortened miniature to mini-. Latin Anglo-Saxon Anglo-Saxon Usually a noun Latin Usually a noun Latin Usually an adjective Anglo-Saxon The real suffix is –ion. Putting s or t in front of –ion is simply determined by the spelling of the root. Usually a noun Usually an adjective of an action/ condition -ent, -ant student, contestant, immigrant Latin -ent, -ant causing a specific action obedient, absorbent, abundant, elegant Latin -hood the state/ the condition/ the quality boyhood, likelihood Anglo-Saxon aqua water Latin act put in motion/ process of doing to send year aquarium, aquamarine action, react, transact emit, transmit anniversary, semiannual, millennium archenemy, matriarch induce, conduct geography, geology manicure, manually Latin Latin mit anni, annu, enni arch chief/ ruler duct, duc geo lead earth/ ground/ soil hand man 8 Often a noun The suffix –ant often indicates a person noun. Often an adjective -ent and –ant sound alike because of the schwa. –ent is used somewhat more often than –ant. Usually a noun History of the suffix –hood Old English: -had Middle English: hod Modern English: -hood Latin Greek Latin Greek Latin Usually a noun 7th Grade Prefix nym, onym name/ word phon voice/ sound therm heat tox poison scope to watch/ see antonym, synonym telephone, symphony thermometer, thermostat toxic, toxicology horoscope, microscope, telescope Greek Greek Greek Latin Greek (Please review affixes and roots from prior grades.) Suffix Definition Examples ante- in front of/ before antecedent, antebellum Latin ab- from/ away Latin a- on/ in/ to a- without/ not co-, con-, com- together/ with pro- forward/ before/ in support of absent, absorb, abnormal across, aboard, aside atypical, amoral, asocial cooperate, concede, combine proceed, pronoun, prohibit Root 9 Origin Anglo-Saxon/ Latin Anglo-Saxon/ Latin Latin Latin/ Greek Additional Information Fun information – antepenultimate means next to the next to the last…this word can usually be found on the SAT. Concrete – meaning to harden or to grow together Some words with pro- as a prefix are often hyphenated, so be sure to check the dictionary. intra- within intranet, intramural great/ huge megabyte, megaphone after/ following postpone, postwar full of/ adventurous, characterized nervous, by mysterious, courteous Latin Latin Usually an adjective -ive, -itive, -ative inclined/ tending toward an action festive, talkative, active, sensitive Latin -ic relating to/ characterized by to make/ to cause to become to make result of an action/ collection characterized by a specified quality, condition, or action time energetic, historic Latin/ Greek Words that end with –de (intrude) change the –de to s then add –ive (intrusive). Words that end with silent e (create) drop the e then add –ive (creative). Usually an adjective fertilize, criticize, apologize satisfy, magnify manage, drainage, acreage awesome, lonesome Latin/ Greek Usually a verb Latin Latin Usually a verb Anglo-Saxon Primarily used with Anglo-Saxon base words. chronology, Greek megapost-ous, -ious, -eous -ize -fy, -ify -age -some chron 10 Greek Latin temp time aer, aero cede, ceed air to go/ yield/ surrender cept, ceive to take/ catch/ seize/ hold/ receive fract, frag to break synchronize temporary, temperature aerial, aerospace proceed, secede, precede, concede accept, deceive Latin Greek Latin Latin fracture, fraction, fragment race, kind, or gender, genetics, species/ birth genesis thanks/ congratulations, pleasing gratify free liberty, liberate law/ to choose/ legend, legal, to pick/ to read/ intelligent, elect, to speak lecture Latin mater, matr, matri mother Latin pater, patr mot, mob father to move opt eye/ to make a choice foot gen grat liber leg, lect, lig ped, pod 11 maternal, matrimony, matriarch paternal, patriot motivate, mobilize optometry, optic, optional pedal, Additional roots with same definition: cap (captive) ceit (conceit) cep (concept) cip (municipal) Latin Latin Latin Latin Latin Latin Latin Latin The roots lect, lect, and lig are related to the Greek combining form logos, meaning speech or word. 8th Grade Prefix pedestrian, tripod pediatrician urban, suburban ped urb child city pop people tract to draw/ pull form to shape pend to hang/ weigh population, popular attract, distract, retract conform, reform, transform suspend, pendulum Examples omni- over/ above/ excessive below/ less than normal all homo- same hetero- different/ other hyperactive, hypercritical hypothermia, hypnosis omnipresent, omniscient homogeneous, homonym heterochromatic, heterogeneous hypo-, hyp- Exurb: a modern word meaning large cities that directly surround a major city (Arlington is an exurb of Dallas.) Latin Latin Latin Latin (Please review affixes and roots from prior grades.) Definition hyper- Greek Latin Suffix Root 12 Origin Additional Information Greek Greek Latin Latin Greek Heteronyms: words with the same spelling, but different meanings (dove – the bird; dove – did dive) ultra- beyond in degree/ extreme kill -cide -ery ultramarine, ultraviolet Latin germicide, pesticide imagery, pottery, bakery Latin Usually a noun Anglo-Saxon Usually a noun dictionary, infirmary cautionary, dietary, missionary chemical helium, element/ group aquarium condition/ altitude, state/ quality of gratitude to hear/ listen audible, audition to believe credit, incredible primitive/ archaeologist, ancient archives, achetype war belligerent, bellicose to declare/ call exclaim, out/ cry out clamorous rule/ strength/ democrat, power aristocracy blood hematology, hemophilia moon lunar, lunatic sea maritime, submarine Latin Noun/ adjective Greek Usually a noun Latin Usually a noun relating to/ quality/ place where relating to/ place where/ one who -ary -ium -tude aud cred archae, arche, archi belli claim, clam crat, cracy hemo, hema luna mar 13 Latin Latin Greek Latin Latin Greek Greek Latin Latin 9th Grade Prefix mort death mortuary, mortality apathetic, pathology Latin path pel struc, struct feeling/ suffering/ disease to drive/ push to build expel, propeller construct, instructor Latin Latin vis, vid voc, voke to see to call vision, evidence advocate, revoke Latin Latin cogn to know Latin loc, loqu to speak/ talk/ say cognition, recognize colloquial, ventriloquist, loquacious Greek See Affix Matrix for the root struct on final page of this document. Latin (Please review affixes and roots from prior grades.) Suffix Root Definition Examples bene well/ good cardi heart ego self don, donat luc, lum give/ gift light mania madness/ frenzy/ abnormal benediction, beneficial cardiac, cardiology egocentric, egoism donate, donation translucent, illuminate maniac, kleptomania 14 Origin Latin Latin Latin Latin Latin Greek Additional Information nate, nat neg neo nov phys desire/ obsession born no/ deny new new nature psych mind/ soul reg sci guide/ rule to know/ learn sol alone tact, tang terr vac ver, veri to touch land empty true/ genuine 15 native, innate negative, negate neonatal novice physics, physical psychic, psychopath regime, regent science, conscience solitary, soliloquy contact, tangible terrain, territory vacate, evacuate verdict, veritable Latin Latin Greek Latin Greek Greek Latin Latin Latin Latin Latin Latin Latin 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 de con de in ob sub super infra s ed ing struct ive or ly s s ism ist s ed ing ion ure al Add one or more of the above affixes to the root struct. 16 ly Example: destructively (Try to create at least 60 words.)