Name _____________________ Date ______________ Class _____________
Using Root Words to expand your vocabulary
A root word is a component of a whole word which gives meaning to the word. Knowing these,
along with prefixes and suffixes, can help you to break down unfamiliar vocabulary and also, to
expand your own vocabulary,
Root word
Meaning
Words using this root
AmiAquaArch-
Love (French)
Amiable, Amicable, Amino, Amity
Water (Latin)
Aquarium, Aquatic, Aqueduct
Chief,
leader,
rules (Greek
Archangel, monarch, archaic, archenemy, archduke
BioCap-
Life (Greek)
Biography, autobiography, biology, antibiotic, biochemical
Take,
(French)
seize
Time (Greek)
ChronColour (Greek)
ChromBelieve (Latin)
CredDemoDicDuc/DuctEgoEquFacGeoHydroMinMot/mob/movMutNovNym/OnymPaterPathPel/PulsPendPortScent/scendSciScrib/scriptSens/sentSimilSophSpirTherm-
Capture, captivate, capacity, capable
Chonicle, Chronology, Chronometer, Sychronise
Chromatic, monochrome, polychrome, chromatography
Credible, credulous, credibility, credit, credo