20 Common Root Words

Root Word = mor, mort Meaning = death Related words = mortal, immortal, mortality, mortician, mortuary Sentence = Vampires may be immortal; but the rest of us will eventually die.

Root Word = magn Meaning = great, big Related words = magnify, magnificent, magnate, magnification, magnificence Sentence = I used a magnifying glass to see the tiny petals of the flower.

Root Word = hypno or dorm Meaning = sleep Related words = hypnosis, hypnotist, hypnotism, hypnophobia, dormitory, dormant Sentence= When in college, students often live and sleep in a dormitory.

Root Word = bibl Meaning = book Related words = Bible, bibliography, bibliomania, (in Spanish bibliotheca = library, a building that holds books), Sentence = My teacher wanted me to include a bibliography at the end of my essay.

Root Word = ced, ceed, cede, cess Meaning = move, yield, go, surrender Related words = procedure, proceed, cede, concede, recede, precede, success Sentence = You may not proceed to the bathroom without a pass.

Root Word = dict Meaning = to speak Related words = dictionary, dictator, contradict, indictment, diction, verdict Sentence= Hitler and Castro were famous dictators who told their people what to do.

Root Word = spec Meaning = to see or look Related words = circumspect, perspective, respect, retrospective, spectacle, spectacles, inspect Sentence= You should always respect your elders even if you do not agree with them.

Root Word = bio Meaning = life Related words = biology, biological, biologist, biography, autobiography, neurobiology, antibiotic, biosphere, symbiosis, Sentence= In my biology class we learned about live animals and people.

Root Word = ject Meaning = to throw Related words = dejected, trajectory, projectile, eject, reject, subject, injection, projector Sentence= I ejected the DVD from my DVD player.

Root Word = graph Meaning = to write Related words = autograph, bibliography, paragraph, phonograph, photograph, seismograph, homograph, biography, autobiography Sentence = My teacher wants me to write a 100 page autobiography by tomorrow!

Root Word = ben, bene, bon Meaning = good, positive Related words = benediction, benefactor, benefit, beneficial, benevolent, benign, bona fide, bon voyage, bonus Sentence= I hope my boss gives me a bonus tomorrow.

Root Word = man (manu) Meaning = hand Related words = manual, manuscript, manufacture, emancipate, manacles, mandate, manipulate, manicure Sentence = I got a manicure at the nail salon.

Root Word = mit, miss Meaning = to send Related words = remit, submit, omit, emit, admit, mission, missile, intermission, dismiss Sentence= My teacher said that the class was dismissed.

Root Word = ped (pod) Meaning = foot Related words = quadruped, biped, centipede, millipede, pseudopod, tripod, pedestrian Sentence – I used a tripod to hold my camera as I took a picture.

Root Word = port Meaning = to carry Related words = deport, report, export, import, transport, portable, porter, portfolio, support Sentence= The United States imports and exports many goods.

Root Word = script Meaning = write Related words = manuscript, inscription, postscript, prescription, subscription, transcribe Sentence = The author wrote his manuscript using his computer.

Root Word = geo Meaning = earth Related words = geology, geographer, geography, geode, geothermal, geometry Sentence = I took a geography class and learned where all the countries are located on a map.

Root Word = astro Meaning = star Related words = astronomy, astronaut, asterisk, asteroid, disaster, astrophysicist Sentence = Little kids often want to be an astronaut when they grow up.

Root Word = thermo Meaning = heat Related words = thermometer, thermal, hypothermia, thermodynamic, thermos, thermostat, endothermic, exothermic Sentence = My thermos keeps my coffee hot all day.

Root Word = hydro Meaning = water Related words = hydroponics, hydrated, dehydrated, hydrogen, hydraulic, hydroplane Sentence= I got dehydrated because I did not drink water all day long.