SAT Mastermind Program
Megan T. Dorsey
READING
GUESSING USING ROOT WORDS / PRE–FIXES / SUFFIXES
Educated guesses are always better than blind, random guesses. If you are comparing a
few remaining choices full of words you don’t know, you might try looking for roots, prefixes,
or suffixes to help define the answers.
Roots, prefixes, and suffixes can be helpful when working with unfamiliar words, but use
caution. What you think might be a root or prefix may actually be part of another, unrelated
word. Knowing that the prefix “a–“ means “not” can be helpful with words like “atypical”, but
not every word beginning in “a–“ means not; for example, “apple” does not mean “not –pple".
Knowing the meaning of the word parts can be a helpful tool, but use it with caution.
Similarly, you may be able to use your knowledge of other languages to guess about the
meaning of a word. Many words in Spanish, Italian, or French come from the same Latin root as
the English equivalent. “Amigo” in Spanish and “ami” in French both offer clues to help define
words such as amiable or amity which deal with friendship. Again, remember to use this strategy
with caution. Not all similarly sounding words share common roots. For example, the Spanish
word “embarazada” sounds very similar to the English “embarrassed”, but the definitions are not
similar! Embarazada means pregnant!
KEY STRATEGY
Roots, prefixes, and suffixes can help you make educated guesses,
but remember you are still guessing!
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SAT Mastermind Program
Megan T. Dorsey
PREFIXES, SUFFIXES, AND ROOTS
PREFIXES
PREFIX
MEANING
EXAMPLES
a
not
atypical, asexual, amoral
anti
opposite, against
antidote, antifreeze
auto
self
autobiography, autograph
bio
life, of living things
biology, biography
contra (counter)
against
counterproductive, contradictory
ex
out, former
extract, expatriate, export
extra
outside, beyond, more than
extraordinary, extra
hyper
overly
hyperactive, hyperbole
in (im, il, ir)
not
independent, impossible, illogical, irreverent
micro
small
microscope, microbiotic
mis
wrong, error, lack of
mistake, misread
mono
one
monologue, monopoly, monogamous
multi
many
multigrain, multiple
non
not
noncompliant, nonsense
poly
many
polytheistic, polygamy
post
after
postdate, postscript, postgraduate
pre
before
preschool, pretest, preview
retro
back, behind, backwards
retrofit, retrospect
sub
beneath
submarine, subway, substandard
super
over, more than
superstar, superstitious
tri
three
tricycle, tricolor, trilogy
ultra
beyond, very much
ultramodern, ultraviolet
un
not, removal from
unmade, unhappy, undo, unsettled
ab
from
abduct, abstract
ad
to, towards
advocate, advance
You probably know. . .
You may not know. . .
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SAT Mastermind Program
Megan T. Dorsey
PREFIXES (CONT.)
PREFIX
MEANING
EXAMPLES
ambi
both
ambivalent, ambidextrous
ante
before, in front of
antecedent, antedate
bi
having two
bilingual, bipolar
co (col, con, com)
with, together
collate, companion, compatriate
cosmo
universe
cosmos, cosmopolitan
de
away from, reverse
detour, detach, defoliate, deplete
dis (di)
not, apart
divergent, disconnect
inter
between
interstate, interview
intro (intra)
within, inside of
introspection, introduce
mal
bad
malfunction, malpractice
omni
all
omnipotent
per
fully, through
pervasive, perceive
peri
around, about
perimeter, periscope
philo
love
philanthropy, philosophy
pro
for, favoring, before
proponent, prologue
re
again, back
rewind, return, reinforce
semi
half, partially
semiprecious, semicircle
syn
together, with
synthesis, synonym
tele
far off, distant
telegram, telephone
trans
beyond, across
transform, transit
KEY STRATEGY
Roots, prefixes, and suffixes can help you make educated guesses,
but remember you are still only guessing!
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SAT Mastermind Program
Megan T. Dorsey
ROOTS
ROOT
MEANING
EXAMPLES
amor
love
amorous
anthro
human
anthropology, anthropomorphic
aqua
water
Aqua Man, aquarium, aquatic
audio
to hear
auditory, auditorium
bene
good, well
benevolent, benefit, beneficial
brevis
short
brevity, brief
chrom
color
monochromatic
cide
kill
homicide, suicide, regicide
cycle
circle, wheel
bicycle, cyclical
dominus
master
domineering, dominion
duo
two
duet, duality, dual
ego
self, I
egocentric, egotistical
fact
to make
manufacture, factory
finis
end
finish, final
frater
brother
fraternity, fraternal
graph (gram) write, record
telegraph, photograph, cardiogram, telegram
liber
free
liberty, liberation
locus
place
location, locality
magni
great, large
magnify, magnificent
mal
bad
malicious, malfeasance, malevolent
mater
mother
maternity, matriarch
mobile
movable
automobile
mort, mors
death
morbid, mortuary, morgue
navis
ship
navy, navigation
novus
new
novice, novel
nox, noctis
night
nocturnal, equinox
pater
father
patriarch, paternity
pes, pedis
foot
pedestrian, pedometer
plex, plic
tangle, fold
perplex, complex
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Megan T. Dorsey
ROOTS (CONT.)
ROOT
MEANING
EXAMPLES
scend
go
transcend, descend, ascend
solus
alone
solo, soliloquy
spect
look
spectacle, introspective
terra
land, earth
terrain, terrarium
uni
one
unicycle, unique, unity, unit
view
look
review
visio
to see
visible, television, visual
SUFFIX
MEANING
EXAMPLES
able, ible
capable of being
usable, remarkable
an, ian
one who, belonging to
American, musician
ance
state of being
importance, endurance
ary
pertaining to
literary, military
active, ive
like, pertaining to
creative, argumentative
ee
one who is
trainee, employee, payee
er, eer
one who does
trainer, employer, volunteer
ence
state or quality
intelligence, reverence
ful
full of
colorful, helpful
ic
like, made of
synthetic, scientific
ier
one who does
carrier
ism
action, practice, state
favoritism, communism
less
without
worthless, penniless, restless
ology
study of
anthropology, biology, geology
ose, ous
full of
joyous, verbose
tion, ation
condition or quality
reception, hesitation
tude, itude
state of being, condition
attitude
SUFFIXES
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