Common Roots, Prefixes, and Suffixes
Root
1. act
2. aero
3. agr
4. alt
5. alter
6. ambul
7. amo, ami
8. ang
9. anim
10. ann, enn
11. anthro
Meaning
do
air
field
high
other
walk, go
love
bend
life, spirit
year
man
12. apt, ept
13. ast
14. aud
15. belli
16. biblio
17. bio
18. brev
19. cad; cas
20. cam
21. cap
22. cardi
23. cede, ceed
24. ceive, cept
25. centr
26. cert
27. chron
28. cip
29. claim, clam
30. clar
31. cline
32. clud
33. cogn
34. cord
35. cosm
36. crat
37. cred
38. cred
39. cur
40. cur
suitable
star
hear
war
book
life
shorten
fall
field
head
heart
go, yield
take, receive
center
sure
time
take, receive
shout
clear
lean
shut
know
heart
universe
rule
believe
believe
care
run
Examples
action, actor, react, transact, enact
aerobics, aerodynamics, aeronautics, aerate
agriculture, agrarian, agronomy
altitude, altimeter, alto
alternate, alternative, altercation
ambulance, amble, ambulatory, preamble
amiable, amorous, amity
angle, angular, rectangle, triangle
animate, animosity, animal
annual, anniversary, annuity, biennial
anthropology, anthropoid, misanthrope,
philanthropist
adept, apt, aptitude, inept
astronaut, astronomy, disaster, asterisk
audience, auditorium, audible, audition
bellicose, belligerent, rebellion
Bible, bibliography, bibliophile
biology, biography, biopsy
abbreviate, abbreviation, brevity
cadaver, cadence, cascade, decadence
camp, campus, campaign, encamp
cap, captain, capital, decapitate
cardiac, cardiology
concede, exceed, proceed, succeed
accept, conception, exception, receive, reception
central, eccentric, egocentric
ascertain, certain, certify, certificate
chronic, chronicle, chronological, synchronize
incipient, participate, recipe, recipient
acclaim, clamor, exclaim, proclaim
clarify, clarity, declaration, declare
decline, inclination, incline, recline
conclude, exclude, include, preclude, seclude
cognate, cognition, incognito, recognize
accord, concord, cordial, discord
cosmonaut, cosmos, cosmopolitan, microcosm
aristocrat, autocratic, bureaucracy, democrat
credit, discredit, incredible, credulous
credit, credulous, discredit, incredible
curable, cure, manicure, pedicure
concur, current, excursion, occur, recur
Root
41. cycle
42. dem
43. dic
44. div
45. doc
46. don
47. duc
48. fac
49. fer
50. fic
51. fig
52. firm
53. flect
54. form
55. fug
56. gen
57. grad
58. gram
59. graph
Meaning
circle
people
speak
divide, part
teach
give
lead, carry
do, make
bear, carry
make
form
tightly fixed
bend
shape
flee
birth
step
letter
write
60. grat
61. greg
62. hab, hib
63. hosp, host
64. hydr
65. imag
66. init
67. jud, jur, jus
68. junct
69. lab
70. lat
71. loc
72. log
73. luc, lum
74. lust
75. man
76. mar
77. mem
78. merge, mers
79. meter
80. migr
81. mim
82. miss, mit
83. mob
pleasing
gather
hold
host
water
like, likeness
beginning
law
join
work
carry
place
word
light
shine
hand
sea
mindful of
dip
measure
move
small
send
move
Examples
cycle, cyclone, bicycle, recycle
democrat, demagogy, epidemic
dictate, predict, contradict, verdict, diction
divide, dividend, division, divorce
docile, doctor, doctrine, document
donate, donation, donor, predominate
aqueduct, conduct, deduct, duct, educate, induct
benefactor, factory, facsimile, manufacture
conifer, ferry, infer, refer, transfer
efficient, proficient, sufficient
configuration, disfigure, effigy, figment, figure
affirm, confirm, firmly, firmament, reaffirm
deflect, inflection, reflection
deform, form, reform, transformation, uniformity
centrifuge, fugitive, refuge, refugee
generate, generation, genealogy
grade, gradual, graduation
diagram, epigram, grammar, monogram
autograph, paragraph, phonograph, photograph,
telegraph
congratulations, grateful, gratitude, ungrateful
aggregate, congregation, gregarious, segregation
exhibit, habit, habitat, habitual, prohibit
hospice, hospital, hospitality, hostess, host
dehydrate, hydrant, hydrogen
image, imagine, imaginary, imagery, imagination
initial, initiate, initiative
judge, jury, justice
adjunct, conjunction, injunction, juncture
collaborate, elaborate, labor, laboratory
collate, relate, translate
allocate, dislocate, locate, location
apology, dialogue, eulogy, monologue, prologue
elucidate, lucid, translucent, illuminate, luminescent
illustrate, illustrious, luster
manual, manufacture, manuscript, manipulate
marine, maritime, mariner, submarine
commemorate, memory, memorial, remember
emerge, merge, merger, submerge, immerse
barometer, centimeter, diameter, thermometer
emigrate, immigrate, immigrant, migrate
mini, minimize, minor, minute
dismiss, missile, mission, remit, submit
automobile, mobile, mobilize, mobility
Root
84. mort
85. mot
86. mut
87. narr
88. neo
89. not
90. noun, nun
91. nov
92. onym
93. opt
94. opt
95. ord
96. path
97. ped
98. pel
99. pend
100. phon
101. phys
102. plex, plic
Meaning
death
move
change
tell
new
mark
declare, state
new
name
eye
best
row, lined up
feeling
foot
drive
hang
sound
nature
fold
103.
104.
105.
106.
plur
pod
poli
pon, pos
more
foot
city
place
107.
108.
109.
110.
111.
pop
port
pug
pul
quer, ques,
quir
ras
rect
reg
rid
rupt
san
scend
sci
scop
people
carry
fight
urge
ask
Examples
immortal, mortal, mortician
demote, motion, motor, promote
commute, immutable, mutual, mutation
narrate, narrative, narrator
neonatal, neophyte, neoclassic
denote, notable, notation, notice
announce, denounce, enunciate, pronounce
innovate, nova, novel, novelty, novice
antonym, homonym, pseudonym, synonym
optic, optician, optical, optometrist
optimal, optimist, optimize, optimum
extraordinary, order, ordinary, ordinal, ordinance
antipathy, empathy, pathology, sympathy
pedal, pedestrian, pedestal
compel, expel, propel, repel
append, appendix, pendulum, suspend
microphone, phonics, phonograph, symphony
physical, physician, physique
complex, duplex, perplex, complicate, duplicate,
implicate
plural, pluralism, plurality, pluralistic
podiatrist, podium, tripod
cosmopolitan, metropolis, police, political
exponent, opponent, postpone, proponent, compose,
depose, deposit, position
population, popular, populace
import, export, portable, porter, transport
impugn, pugnacious, pugilist, repugnant
compulsion, compulsory, expulsion, repulse
query, inquiry, inquest, quest, question, request
scrape
straight
guide
laugh
bradk
health
climb
know
see
abrasive, erase, rasp, razor
correct, direct, direction, director, erect, rectify
regal, regent, regulate, regulatory
deride, derisive, ridicule, ridiculous
abrupt, bankrupt, erupt, interrupt, rupture
insane, insanity, sane, sanitary, sanitarium
ascend, descent, descendent, transcend
conscience, conscious, omniscient, science
microscope, periscope, scope, stethoscope, telescope
write
describe, inscribe, prescribe, scribe, descript, script,
transcript
dissect, intersect, sect, section
112.
113.
114.
115.
116.
117.
118.
119.
120.
121. scribe,
script
122. sect
cut
Root
123. sed
Meaning
settle
Examples
sedate, sedative, sedentary, sediment
124. sens, sent
feel
125.
126.
127.
128.
129.
130.
131.
132.
133.
134.
135.
136.
serv
sign
sim
sist
sol
solve
soph
spec
spir
sta
strict
struct
save
mark
like
stand
alone
loosen
wise
see
breathe
stand
make tight
build
137.
138.
139.
140.
141.
142.
143.
144.
145.
146.
147.
148.
149.
150.
151.
152.
153.
154.
155.
156.
157.
sum
surg, surr
tact
tain
ten
term
tex
the
therm
tort
tract
trib
trud, trus
turb
urb
vac
var
ven
ver
vid
vik
highest
rise
touch
hold
stretch
end
weave
god
heat
twist
pull, drag
give
push
confusion
city
empty
different
come
truth
see
will
sensation, sense, sensitive, sensible, sensory, assent,
consent, dissent, sentimental
conserve, preserve, reserve, reservoir
insignia, signal, significant, signature
similar, simile, simulate, simultaneous
assist, consist, resist, subsist
desolate, solitary, soliloquy, solo
absolve, dissolve, resolve, solve, solvent
philosopher, sophisticated, sophomore
inspect, respect, spectacle, spectator, suspect
conspire, conspirator, inspire, perspire, respiration
stagnate, station, stationary, statue, status
constrict, restrict, strict
construct, destruct, destruction, instruct, instruction,
structure
sum, summary, summit, summons
insurgent, resurgent, surge, insurrection, resurrect
contact, intact, tact, tactile
attain, contain, detain, retain
tendency, tense, tension, tent
determine, exterminate, term, terminal, terminate
context, text, textile, texture
atheism, monotheism, polytheism, theology
thermal, thermometer, thermos
contort, retort, tort, torture
attract, detract, contract, subtract, traction, tractor
attribute, contribute, tribute
intrude, intruder, protrude, abstruse, intrusive
disturb, perturb, turbulent
urban, suburb, suburban
evacuate, vacate, vacant, vacation, vacuum
invariable, variant, variety, vary
advent, convent, convene, convention, invent, venue
aver, veracity, verdict, verify
evidence, video, provide, providence
benevolent, malevolent, volition, voluntary,
volunteer
advocate, convocation, evocation, vocal
evolve, involve, revolve, revolver, revolution
carnivorous, herbivore, omnivore, voracious
158. voc
159. volve
160. vor
voice
roll
eat
Prefix
1. ad2. amphi3. an4. auto5. co6. de7. dis8. for9. il10. im11. im-
Meaning
to
both, around
not
self
together
opposite
opposite
not
not
into
not
12. in-
not
13. ir14. mal-
not
bad
15. pro16. pro17. re18. re19. sub-
before
forward
again
back
under
20. trans21. un-
across
not
Examples
adapt, addict, adhere, admit
amphibian, amphitheater
anarchy, anesthesia, anorexia, anonymous
automobile, automatic, autograph, autobiography
coauthor, cognate, coincide, cooperate, coordinate
deactivate, deform, degrade, deplete, descend
disagree, disarm, discontinue, disgust, dishonest
forbid, forget, forego
illegal, illegible, illegitimate, illiterate, illogical
immediate, immerse, immigrate, implant, import
imbalance, immaculate, immature, immobilize,
impossible
inaccurate, inactive, inadvertent, incognito,
indecisive
irregular, irreconcilable, irredeemable, irresponsible
maladjusted, malaise, malevolent, malfunction,
malice
prognosis, progeny, program, prologue, prophet
proceed, produce, proficient, progress, project
redo, rewrite, reappear, repaint, relive
recall, recede, reflect, repay, retract
subcontract, subject, submarine, submerge,
subordinate, subterranean
transatlantic, transcend, transcribe, transfer, translate
unable, uncomfortable, uncertain, unhappy
Suffix
1. –ade
2. –age
3. –ant
4. –cle
5. –dom
6. –ent
7. –ful
8. –ic
9. –less
10. –let
11. –ly
12. –ly
13. –ment
14. –ment
15. –ment
16. –or
Meaning
action or process
action or process
one who
small
state or quality of
one who
full of
relating to
without
small
resembling
every
action or process
action or quality of
product or thing
one who
Examples
blockade, escapade, parade
marriage, pilgrimage, voyage
assistant, immigrant, merchant, servant
corpuscle, cubicle, particle
boredom, freedom, martyrdom, wisdom
resident, regent, superintendent
careful, fearful, joyful, thoughtful
comic, historic, poetic, public
ageless, careless, thoughtless, tireless
islet, leaflet, owlet, rivulet, starlet
fatherly, motherly, scholarly
daily, weekly, monthly, yearly
development, embezzlement, government
amusement, amazement, predicament
fragment, instrument, ornament
actor, auditor, doctor, donor