1. Identify: Prefix, Suffix, & Root word
Impatient Adventurous
Reread Benefit
Biology Solidify

2. Im patient Adventur ous
[not]-patient adventure-[characterized by]
Re read Bene fit
[again]-read [good/well]- [condition]
Bio logy Solid ify
[life]-[the study of] [not gas or liquid]-[to make/to form into]

3. Prefixes, Suffixes, & Root Words

4. Root Words Most originate from Latin and Greek
Serve as the basis for a new word, and often cannot stand alone
love + -ly = lovely
vs.
bene + volent = benevolent
“bene”= Latin for good

5. Common Latin Roots
Latin Root Definition Examples
ambi both ambiguous, ambidextrous
aqua water aquarium, aquamarine
aud to hear audience, audition
bene good benefactor, benevolent
cent one hundred century, percent
circum around circumference, circumstance
contra/counter against contradict, encounter
dict to say dictation, dictator
duc/duct to lead conduct, induce
fac to do; to make factory, manufacture
form shape conform, reform
fort strength fortitude, fortress
fract to break fracture, fraction
ject throw projection, rejection
jud judge judicial, prejudice

6. Common Greek Roots
Greek Root Definition Examples
anthropo man; human; anthropologist, philanthropy
humanity
auto self autobiography, automobile
bio life biology, biography
chron time chronological, chronic
dyna power dynamic, dynamite
dys bad; hard; dysfunctional, dyslexic
unlucky
gram thing written epigram, telegram
graph writing graphic, phonograph
hetero different heteronym, heterogeneous
homo same homonym, homogenous
hydr water hydration, dehydrate
hypo below; hypothermia, hypothetical
beneath
logy study of biology, psychology
meter/metr measure thermometer, perimeter
micro small microbe, microscope

7. semi- + circle= semicircle
Prefix
A letter or group of letters that is added at the beginning of a word to change its meaning
semi- + circle= semicircle

8. A Few Common Prefixes anti- = opposing, against -- ex. antibiotic
pre- = before in time/place/order– ex. preface, prelude
un- = not or reversal–- ex. unacceptable, unhappy, unplug
re- = again – ex. repaint, redo, reread, repeat
in-/il-/im- = not, without – ex. inappropriate, illegal, impossible
de- = down, reduce – ex. descend, despair, deduct

9. Suffix
A group of letters placed at the end of a word to make a new word. A suffix can make a new word in one of two ways:
Inflectional: the suffix can change a word from singular to plural or can change the tense:
dog  dogs or walk  walked
Derivational: creates new meaning, new word is “derived” from original word:
teach  teacher or care  careful

10. Common Inflectional Suffixes
-s = plural – dog  dogs
-en = plural (irregular) – ox  oxen
-ing = present tense – sleep  sleeping
-ed = past tense – work  worked
-er = comparative – big  bigger
-est = superlative – big  biggest

11. Common Derivational Suffixes
-er = changes to noun – teach  teacher
-ation = changes to noun – explore  exploration
-ness = changes to noun – sad  sadness
-ary = changes to adjective – imagine  imaginary
-y = changes to adjective – ease  easy
-ly = changes to adverb – helpful  helpfully
-ize = changes to verb – terror  terrorize

12. So, why do we need to know this?
Breaking down words can help us understand word meanings
Prefix, suffix, and root word knowledge can be as helpful as using context clues