NSHS English Department | Vocabulary Stems Curriculum
Lists for 9 Grade
Lists for 10 Grade
Lists for 11 Grade
1-6 (60 stems)
7-12 (90 stems)
13-18 (120 stems)
th
th
th
List 7
Stem
Definition
Sample Words
alter
other
alternator, alteration, alter ego, alternative, altruism, altercation
chron
time
chronological, synchronize, chronic, anachronism, chronicle
cogn
know
recognize, cognizant, incognito, cognoscenti, cognate, cognition
contra
against
contradict, contrary, contrast, contraband, contravene
demo
people
democracy, demography, democratic, democratize, demographic
dorm
sleep
dormitory, dormant, dormer, dormancy, dormitive
dyna
power
dynamic, dynamo, dynamite, dynasty, dinosaur
geo
earth
geography, geothermal, geology, geophysics, geometry, geode
ject
throw
eject, reject, conjecture, dejected, inject, subject, projection, interject
meter
measure
thermometer, millimeter, octameter, pentameter, odometer
nov
new
novel, nova, novice, Nova Scotia, innovation, renovate
pater
father
pond
weight
paternalistic, patronize, paternity, patriarch, patriarchy, expatriate,
paterfamilias
ponderous, ponder, preponderance, pound, imponderable, compound
pop
people
popular, populist, populate, population, popularize, populous
put
think
reputation, putative, impute, dispute, computer, disreputable
List 8
Stem
Definition
Sample Words
calli
beautiful
calligraphy, calliope, kaleidoscope, calypso
clam
cry out
clamorous, exclamation, clamor, exclamatory, declaim
clud
close
exclude, include, preclude, exclusive, occlude, conclude, cloister
curr / curs
run
dign
worthy
current, undercurrent, currently, recurrent, currency, incur, curriculum,
cursory, discursive, cursor
dignify, dignity, dignitary, undignified, indignation
greg
group
gregarious, egregious, segregate, congregate, aggregate
gyro
turn
gyration, gyre, gyrate, gyro, gyroscope
junct
join
junction, conjunction, juncture, injunction, adjunct
liber
free
liberate, liberty, liberal, libertine, deliberate
mar
sea
marine, marina, maritime, mariner, marinate, submarine
migr
wander
migrate, migrant, migratory, emigrant, immigrant
scope
look
telescope, microscope, periscope, horoscope
se
apart
secede, secret, sedition, seduce, segregate, select, sedulous, separate
son
sound
soph
wisdom
sonar, unison, sonorous, song, sonnet, dissonance, resonant, supersonic,
sonic
sophomore, sophomoric, sophisticated, sophistry, philosophy
List 9
Stem
Definition
Sample Words
acr
sharp
acrimonious, acerbic, acrid, acrimony, lacerate
acro
high
acrobat, acronym, acropolis, acrophobia
agog
leader
demagogue, pedagogue, synagogue, pedagogy
brev
short
brevity, abbreviation, brief
dia
across
diagonal, diameter, dialogue, dialect, diatribe, diaphanous, dialectic
ego
I
egomaniac, egocentric, egotistical, egotist, egoism
il
not
illegal, illiterate, illicit, ill-mannered, illogical, illegible
pac
peace
pacify, pacific, pacifist, pacifier, pacifism, Pax Romana, pacification
per
through
perception, perforation, percolate, perambulate, peregrination
polis
city
metropolis, megalopolis, police, polite, policy, acropolis, necropolis
prim
first
prime, primary, primate, primeval, prima donna
rupt
break
erupt, disrupt, rupture, corrupt, abrupt
tang
touch
tangible, tangent, tangle, tango, tangential, intangible
tempor
time
temporal, contemporary, temporarily
trans
across
transfer, translate, transmit, translucent, transcend
List 10
Stem
Definition
Sample Words
anim
mind
equanimity, animal, animated, animosity, magnanimous, animadversion
cur
care for
cure, curator, curative, cure-all, sinecure, secure, curate
gest
carry
gestation, digest, ingest, suggest, congestion, gesticulate, gesture
leg
read
legible, legend, illegible, legendary, legibility, alleged
man
hand
mir
wonder
manual, manicure, manipulate, manacled, amanuensis, mandate, mandatory,
manufacture, manuscript, manage
miracle, mirage, mirror, admire, admiral
ocul
eye
binocular, monocular, ocular, oculist
pugn
fight
pugnacious, repugnant, pugilist, impugn
rect
right
retro
backward
correct, rectitude, direct, direction, rectangle, rectify, rector, rectory, erect,
rectum
retroactive, retrogress, retrospection, retrofit, retrospective, retrograde
rid / ris
laugh
ridicule, deride, derision, risibility, ridiculous
sed
sit
spir
breathe
sedentary, sediment, sedan, sedative, sedate, supersede, assiduous,
insidious
inspire, respiration, perspiration, expire, spirit, aspire, conspire
urb
city
urban, urbane, suburbs
volv
roll
revolve, involve, devolve, convoluted, revolution, evolve, evolution
List 11
Stem
Definition
Sample Words
a-, analt
cad
fid
graph
hetero
lat
meta
nym
path
sanct
sci
sens
tort
tract
not
high
fall
faith
write
different
side
change
name
feeling
holy
know
feel
twist
pull
amoral, amorphous, atheist, apolitical, apathy, anorexia, anarchy
altitude, alto, altimeter, altar
cascade, cadaver, cadence, cadenza, cadaverous, decadent
infidel, fidelity, confidence, diffident, bona fide, fiduciary, perfidy
bibliography, photograph, autograph, polygraph, stenography
heterodox, heterogeneous, heterosexual
bilateral, unilateral, multilateral, collateral, latitude, translate
metamorphosis, metaphor, metaphysics, metastasize, metabolism
homonym, acronym, pseudonym, anonymous, patronymic, anomaly
sympathy, pathetic, pathos, telepathy, empathy, apathy
sanctity, sanctimonious, sacrosanct, sanctuary, unsanctioned, sanctify
science, conscience, prescience, omniscience
sense, sensitive, sensation, sensory, insensate
contorted, torture, tortuous, retort, distort, torturous, tort
tractor, detract, retraction, attractive, protracted, contract, traction
List 12 (Antigone Stems List)
Stem
Definition
Sample Words
ad
to
archy
culp
dict
government
blame
say
gen
hum
im
origin
earth
not
in
in or not
loqu
pro
rat
rogat
sol
sub
talk
forward
think
ask
alone
under
ver
true
adversity, adhesive, adapt, addendum, addition, adherent, addict, advent,
advocate
anarchy, monarchy, oligarchy, hierarchy, matriarchy, patriarchy
culprit, culpable, exculpate, inculpate, exculpatory
verdict, dictionary, predict, malediction, dictation, addict, interdict,
contradict
degenerate, genetics, progeny, engender, gene, ingenuous, genesis
inhumanity, humus, exhume, posthumous, humble, humiliate, human
impasse, impiety, impossible, impassable, improbable, imperfect,
immobile, impecunious
infallible, inscrutable, instigator, inexhaustible, insolence, inscribe,
insane, infidel, indefinite, incorrigible, insomnia
eloquence, loquacious, circumlocution, soliloquy, somniloquy, dialogue
prophecy, provide, pronounce, prognosticate, prospect, prognosis, prolixity
irrational, rational, ratio, ratiocinate, rationalize, irate
interrogate, abrogate, derogatory, arrogate
desolate, solitude, solitary, soliloquy, solipsism, consolidate
subordinate, subterranean, subtract, submarine, subterfuge, subvert,
suburb
perverted, verify, veracity, veritable, verdict, verisimilitude, aver, cinéma
vérité
NSHS English Department | Vocabulary Stems | Prefixes and Suffixes
Prefixes
Stem
polyreultrauni-
Definition
many
again
beyond
one
Suffixes
Stem Definition
-a
plural
-ar
relating to
-be
life
ard
always
ate
cause
cle
small
cracy
government
ess
female
fy
make
i
plural
ician
specialist
ics
art
ine
nature of
ish
like
ism
doctrine
ist
one who
itis
inflammation
ize
make
lent
full of
less
without
logy
science
lys
break down
mania madness
mony condition
ness
quality
nomy law
oid
appearance
osis
condition
ous
full of
sis
condition
tion
act or state
tude
state of
Sample Words
polytechnic, polygamy, polychrome
return, review, retouch, reiterate, retail, revive, regenerate, regurgitate
ultramarine, ultraconservative, ultraviolet
unicycle, universe, united, union, uniform, unison, unique, unicorn
Sample Words
data, phenomena, bacteria, phyla, effluvia, trivia
pulsar, stellar, lunar, solar, secular, columnar, linear, circular
microbe, aerobe, anaerobe
drunkard, coward, braggart, laggard, dullard, sluggard
domesticate, implicate, create, procreate, insinuate, placate, dominate
molecule, corpuscle, follicle, minuscule, ventricle, particle, vesicle
autocracy, democracy, aristocracy, plutocracy, meritocracy
lioness, empress, princess, baroness, seamstress, governess
fortify, rectify, horrify, solidify, reify, transmogrify, sanctify, pacify
bacilli, fungi, nuclei, alumni, magi, octopi, Gemini, homunculi, literati
technician, musician, beautician, physician, statistician, clinician
politics, economics, aesthetics, graphics, ethics, calisthenics
porcine, crystalline, saturnine, canine, ursine, vulpine, bovine
squeamish, greenish, smallish, outlandish, snobbish, ghoulish, mannish
Marxism, capitalism, Imagism, Cubism, nihilism, pluralism, tribalism
artist, somnambulist, anthropologist, solipsist, centrist, atheist, sophist
appendicitis, tonsillitis, bursitis, arthritis, gastroenteritis, colitis
victimize, harmonize, temporize, mobilize, fossilize, polarize, bowdlerize
corpulent, virulent, turbulent, excellent, succulent, insolent, indolent
fruitless, hopeless, motherless, bootless, pointless, hapless, feckless
biology, anthropology, geology, entomology, philology, mythology
hemolysis, electrolysis, electrolyte, analysis, dialysis, lysis
kleptomania, egomania, pyromania, dipsomania, megalomania
matrimony, acrimony, harmony, ceremony, simony, parsimony
softness, politeness, kindness, darkness, vagueness
astronomy, economy, Deuteronomy, taxonomy, heteronomy, nomothetic
android, anthropoid, asteroid, adenoid, xyloid, haploid
neurosis, psychosis, ichthyosis, erythroblastosis, thrombosis, meiosis
luminous, glorious, loquacious, vivacious, garrulous, anomalous, zealous
arteriosclerosis, osmosis, mitosis, meiosis, catharsis, symbiosis
completion, reaction, devastation, production, creation, transition
pulchritude, multitude, solitude, turpitude, rectitude, aptitude, similitude