Prefixes, Suffixes and Root Words Commonly used in Science Terms and
Scientific Names
Roots
 A group of letters to which _____________ and ______________ can be added to change its
_________________
Prefixes
 A group of letters added to the _______________ of a word that change the _____________
of the word
Suffixes
 A group of letters added to the _______________ of a word that change the _____________
of the word
Three Rules for Breaking Down Words into their Parts
Rule #1
 Use the _________________ prefix, suffix or root you can
 Example:
o For the word “anthropomorphic”, use the prefix ________________ not the prefix
_________
Rule #2
 You _______________ add letters to your word in order to make a prefix, suffix or root work
 Example:
o For the word “fracas”, you cannot add a ______ to use the prefix _______________
Rule #3
 Leftover __________________ in your word are OK
 Example:
o For the word “dinosaur”, you would use the prefix _____________ and the suffix
____________ leaving the ____ in the middle leftover
Practice Words
Word
pachyderm
aquarium
psychology
flexible
hexagon
pterodactyl
aerodynamic
Meaning
Prefix/Suffix/Root
a-; anab-able
ac-aceous
acou-; acousacutadaeetus
adenadipaeroagri-al; -ar
albalg-; -algia
altoambiameb-; amoebamniamphi-; amphoamylanaandroangi-annuanteanterantho-; -anthus
antianthropoapo-; apaquarborarchae-; archaeo-
-arium; -ary
arteriarthr-ase
aster-; astr-ate
ather-ation
atmoaudiauraureus
australauto-
Meaning
not; without; lacking; deficient
away from; out from
capable of
to; toward
of or pertaining to
hear
sharpened; pointed
to; toward
eagle
gland
fat
air
field; soil
having the character of
white
pain
high
both
change; alternation
fetal membrane
both; of both kinds
starch
up; back; again
man; masculine
blood vessel; duct
year
before; ahead of time
front
flower
against; opposite
man; human
away from
water
tree
primitive; ancient
a place for
artery
joint; articulation
enzyme
star
verb form - the act of...
fatty deposit
noun form - the act of...
vapor
hear
ear
golden
southern
self
Prefix/Suffix/Root
avi-; ave
barbbarobathbenebibi-; bio-blastboreabrachibrachybrady-brevbronchbrun-; brunncalorcanicanus
capitcarcincardicarncarpcarpalcatacaud-caul
-cellcen-; -cene
centicentr-cephal-; -ceps
cerat-; -cerous
cerebrcervicchemchlorchondrchrom-; -chrome
chron-chym-cid-; -ciscirca-; circumcnidco-; concocccoel-cola
coll-
Meaning
bird; flight
beard
weight
depth; height
well; good
(Latin) two; twice
(Greek) life; living
sprout; germ; bud
northern
arm
short
slow
short
windpipe
brown
heat
dog
grey
head
cancer
heart
meat; flesh
fruit
wrist
breakdown; downward
tail
stem
chamber; small room
now; recent
hundredth
center
head; capped
horn
brain
neck
dealing with chemicals
green
cartilage
color
time
juice
cut; kill; fall
around; about
nettle; sting
with; together
seed; berry
hollow
dweller
glue
Prefix/Suffix/Root
conicontracorax
-coroncorpcort-; corticcosmocotylcountercranicrasscresc-; cretcrypt-cul-; -cule
cumulcuticyan-cycle; cycl-cystcyt-; -cyte
dactyldedecadeci-delphdemidendrdentdermdi-; dipldi-; diadiadigitdin-; deindisdolichodomestdormdorsdu-; duo-dulc-duc; -duct
dynamdysecechin-; echidecoecto-edul-
Meaning
cone
against
crow; raven
ring; crown
body
outer layer
world; order; form
cup
against
skull
thick
begin to grow
hidden; covered
small; diminutive
heaped
skin
blue
ring; circle
sac; pouch; bladder
cell; hollow container
finger
away from; remove
ten
tenth
brother
half
tree
tooth
skin
(Latin) two; double
(Greek) through; across; apart
(Latin) day
finger; toe
terrible
apart; out
elongated; long
house
sleep
back
two
sweet
lead
power
bad; abnormal; difficult
out of; away from
spiny; prickly
house; environment
outside of
edible
Prefix/Suffix/Root
elatelectr-elle; -ella; -ette
-emia
en-; endo-; ent-en
enantiencephalennea
ensi; ensis
enterentom-eous
epierect
erioeros-errerythro-escent
esoeuexextrafeli-; felis
-ferferrofibr-fid; fiss-flect; -flexflorfolifract-gamgastrgeo-gen; -gine
-gene-gestglabr-globglossgluc-; glycglutgnath-gon
-grad-gram
-graph
Meaning
taller
electric; amber colored
small; female
blood
in; into; within
made of
opposite
brain
nine
from the area of
intestine; gut
insects
nature of; like
upon; above; over
upright
wool; wooly
indented; jagged; serrated
wander; go astray
red
becoming
inward; within; inner
well; good; true; normal
out of; away from
beyond; outside
cat
bear; carry; produce
iron
fiber; thread
split; divided into
bend
flower
leaf
break
marriage
stomach
land; earth
producer; former
origin; birth
carry; produce; bear
smooth; hairless
ball; round
tongue
sweet; sugar
buttock
jaw
angle; corner
step
graph record; writing
picture; group of letters
Prefix/Suffix/Root
grav-gross-gularis
gymnogyngyr-hal-; -hale
halo-; hali-; halio-
haplhectohedra-; -hedrheli-; heliohelic-; helix-helminthhemhemihepar-; hepatherbherpet-; herpheterohexhibernhipphirsuthistholohomo-; homeohorthydr-; hygrhyperhyphhypnohypohyster-ia
-iac
-iasis
-ible
-ic
ichthyignin-; il-; im-; ir-ine
infrainterintra-ism
iso-ist
Meaning
heavy
thick
throat
naked; bare
female
ring; circle; spiral
breathe; breath
salt; sea
simple; single
hundred
seat; facet
sun
spiral; twist
worm
blood
half
liver
grass; plants
reptiles and/or amphibians
different; other
six
winter
horse
hairy
tissue
entire; whole
(Latin) human; (Greek) same
garden
water; moist; wet
above; beyond; over
weaving; web
sleep
below; under; less
womb; uterus
having the character of
person afflicted with disease
disease; abnormal condition
capable of
(makes the word an adjective)
fish
fire
not
of or pertaining to
below; beneath
between
within; inside
a state or condition
equal; same
person who deals with...
Prefix/Suffix/Root
-itis
-ium
-karykelkeratkilokinelachrylactlat-less
leuc-; leuklinlinguliplith-; -lite
loc-log-logist
-logy
-luminlup-, lupus
-lys-; -lyt-; -lyst
macr-; macromamm-mania
marmargmaurmax-; maximedmeg-; megamela-; melan-mer
mes-; mesomet-; metametab-; metabo-meter; -metry
micromillimin-; mini-;
mismitomolemonomort-motmorphmulti-
Meaning
inflammation; disease
refers to a part of the body
cell nucleus
tumor; swelling
horn
thousand
move
tear
milk
side
without
white; bright; light
line
tongue
fat
stone; petrifying
place
word; speech
one who studies...
study of...
light
wolf
decompose; split; dissolve
large
breast
obsession with
sea; ocean
border; edge
black; dark
large; largest
middle
million; great
black; dark
part
middle; half; intermediate
between; along; after
change
measurement
small; millionth
thousandth
small; smallest
wrong; incorrect
thread
mass
one; single
death
move
shape; form
many
Prefix/Suffix/Root
mutmymycmycel-mysnasnecrnematneonephro-nerneurnoct-; nox-node
-nom-; -nomy
nonnotnucoboccidentoculoctodont-oid
olfoligo-oma
omnioncoo-opsis
opt-; opthalmorborient-orium; -ory
ornithorthoscu-ose
-osis
osteoto-ous
ovoxypachypaleopalmpan-
Meaning
change
muscle
fungus
threadlike
mouse
nose
corpse; dead
thread
new; recent
kidney
moist; liquid
nerve
night
knot
ordered knowledge; law
not
back
center
against
west
eye
eight
tooth
form; appearance
smell
few; little
abnormal condition; tumor
all
mass; tumor
egg
face
eye
circle; round; ring
east
place for something
bird
straight; correct; right
mouth
sugar
abnormal condition
bone
ear
full of
egg
sharp; acid; oxygen
thick
old; ancient
broad; flat
all
Prefix/Suffix/Root
par-; parapath-; -pathy
-pedpelagpentperperipermeapetr-phagpheno-phil-phobe; -phobia
phon-; -phone
-phore; pherphotophrenphycphyl-phyll
physiphyt-; -phyte
pinopinni-; pennplasm-; -plastplatypleurpneumo-pod
polyporportpostpompreprimproprotopseudopsychpterpulmopulspunctpyrquadrquinradire-
Meaning
beside; near; equal
disease; suffering
foot (Latin); child (Greek)
open sea
five
through
around
pass; go
stone; rock
eat
show
loving; fond of
aversion to; fear of
sound
bear; carry
light
mind; diaphragm
seaweed; algae
related group
leaf
nature; natural qualities
plant
drink
feather
form; formed into
flat
lung; rib; side
lungs; air
foot; leg
many; several
opening
carry
after; behind
fruit
before; ahead of time
first
forward; favoring; before
first; primary; primitive
false; deceptive; fake
mind
having wings or fins
lung
drive; push
spotted
heat; fire
four
five
ray
again; back
Prefix/Suffix/Root
rectrenrepandreptretrhag-; -rrhage
rhe-; -rrhea
rhinrhizrhodorhyti-rostris; -rhyncos
rotorub-; rubr-; rufus
saccharsangsapien
saprsarcsativsaurschis-; schiz-scop-scribe; -script
semisept-septic
sesssexsilvestris
-sis
solsolvsom-; somat-
somnsonspec-; spicspecios-spermsphen-spherspir-; -spire
-sporstat-; -stasis
stellstenstereosternstom-; -stome
Meaning
right; correct
kidney
curved or turned upwards
creeping; crawling
net; made like a net
burst forth
flow
nose
root
rose
wrinkled; folded
bill; beak
wheel
red
sugar
blood
wise; knowing
rotten
flesh
sown; cultivated
lizard
split; divide
look; device for seeing
write
half; partly
partition; seven
infection; putrefaction
sit
six
wild; from the woods
condition; state
sun
loosen; free
body
sleep
sound
look at
showy; fancy
seed
wedge
ball; round
breathe
seed
standing; placed; staying
stars
narrow
solid; 3-dimensional
chest; breast
mouth
Prefix/Suffix/Root
stratstriatstrictsubsuper-; sursym-; syntachy-tard-; -tarditarsotaxteletelo-tenuterrtetr-thermtoxicotoptrachetranstritrich-trop-trophturb-ule
ultrauniur-ura
-var-; -varivasvectveloven-; ventventrver-verge
vernvir-; viro;
vit-; vivvolv-vorvulgarxanthxylzo-; -zoa
zygzym-
Meaning
layer
stripe; striped
drawn tight
under; below
over; above; on top
together
quick; swift
slow; late
ankle
arrange; put in order
far off; distant
end
fine; thin; slender
earth; land
four
heat
poison
place
windpipe
across
three
hair
turn; change
nourishment; one who feeds
whirl
diminutive; small
beyond
one
urine
of the tail
change
vessel
carry
speed; swift
come
belly; underside
true; genuine
turn; slant
spring (the season)
poisonous
life
roll; wander
devour; eat
common
yellow
wood
animal
joined together
yeast