Building Vocabulary: Prefixes, Roots, and Suffixes

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Building Vocabulary: Prefixes, Roots, and Suffixes

Many studies show the importance of building childrens vocabulary. One study has shown that a set of 20 prefixes and 14 roots, and knowing how to use them, will unlock the meaning of over 100,000 words. A similar study showed that a set of 29 prefixes and 25 roots will give the meaning to over 125,000 words. Imagine adding suffixes! Below are lists of prefixes, suffixes, and roots with their meanings and example words. Reviewing these also can help many ELL students to see relationships between and among languages. Many prefixes have a basis in Latin also the basis for Spanish, French, and Italian or Greek.

Table 1: 32 Prefixes Prefix Meaning

a, ab, abs ad, a, ac, af, ag, an, ar, at, as anti bi, bis circum, cir com, con, co, col de dis, dif, di epi equ, equi ex, e, ef in, il, ir, im, en in, il, ig, ir, im away from to, toward against two around with, together away from, down, the opposite of apart upon, on top of equal out, from in, into not absent abscond adapt adhere annex attract antifreeze antisocial bicycle biannual biennial circumscribe circle combine contact collect co-worker depart decline dislike dishonest distant epitaph epilogue equalize equitable exit eject exhale inject impose inactive ignoble irreversible irritate

Example words and meanings

not to be present, away abscond to run away to fit into to stick to to add or join to draw near a substance to prevent freezing refers to someone whos not social two wheeled cycle twice each year every two years to draw around a figure that goes all around to bring together to touch together to bring together co-worker to go away from to turn down not to like not honest away writing upon a tombstone speech at the end, on top of the rest to make equal fair, equal to go out to throw out to breathe out to put into to force into not active not noble not reversible to put into discomfort

This document revised from Gary Grubers work on increasing childrens test scores: Dr. Gary Gruber's Essential Guide to Test Taking for Kids, Grades 3, 4, & 5. (1986); Dr. Gary Gruber's Essential Guide to Test Taking for Kids, Grades 6, 7, 8, & 9. (1986); and Gruber's Complete Preparation for the SAT (9th Edition, 2001) -- all published by Collins, New York City. Developed by Judith Wilde, PhD for Beta Group Albuquerque, NM and Arlington, VA (rev 8/06). Reprinted by NCELA with permission. Multiple copies permitted for educational purposes and with this credit line.

Building Vocabulary: Prefixes, Roots, and Suffixes

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Prefix
inter mal, male mis

Meaning
between, among bad, ill, wrong wrong, badly international interpose malpractice malfunction mistreat mistake misplace monopoly monotone monologue monosyllable nonsense nonprofit obstacle obvious obviate omnipresent omnipotent pervade perceive polysyllable polygon postpone postmortem preview prehistoric preface proceed prowar promote retell recall recede secede seclude submarine subway subliminal superstar superimpose transverse unidirectional unanimous unilateral uninterested unhelpful unethical

Example words and meanings

among nations to put between bad practice fail to function, bad function to treat badly to get wrong to put in wrong place one ownership one note speech by one person one syllable not making sense not making a profit something that stands in the way of right in front of, apparent to do away with, make unnecessary always present, everywhere all powerful to pass through, to spread through to become aware through sight many syllables figure with many sides to do after after death a viewing earlier than another before written history a statement before an article or book to go forward supporting the war to raise or move forward to tell again to call back to go back to withdraw, become apart to stay apart from others under water a path or way to move under ground below the level of consciousness a start greater than other stars to put over something else across the continent to lie or go across having one direction sharing one view having one side not interested not helpful not ethical

mono non ob omni per poly post pre pro re se sub super trans un, uni un

one, alone, single not, the reverse of in front, against, in front of, in the way of everywhere, all through many after before, earlier than forward, going ahead of, supporting again, back apart under, less than over, above, greater across one not

transcontinental

Developed by Judith Wilde, PhD for Beta Group Albuquerque, NM and Arlington, VA (rev 8/06). Reprinted by NCELA with permission. Multiple copies permitted for educational purposes and with this credit line.

Building Vocabulary: Prefixes, Roots, and Suffixes

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Table 2: 27 Roots Root

act, ag apert bas cap, capt, cip, cept, ceive ced, cede, ceed, cess cred, credit curr, curs, cours dic, dict duc, duct equ fac, fact, fic, fect, fy fer, ferr graph mit, mis par plic pon, pos, posit, pose scrib, script sequ, secu spec, spect, spic sta, stat, sist, open low

Meaning
Agent Activity Aperture Basement Basement Captive Receive Capable Recipient Precede Access Proceed Credible Incredible Credit Current Precursory Recourse Dictionary Indict Indicate Induce Conduct Aqueduct Equality Equanimity Facile Fiction Factory Affect Defer Referral Monograph Graphite Admit Missile Parity Disparate Complicate Implicate Component Transpose Compose Deposit Describe Transcript Subscription Sequence Sequel Consecutive Specimen Aspect Constant

Example words & meanings

One who acts as a representative Action An opening Something that is low, at the bottom A room that is low One who is held To take Able to take hold of things One who takes hold or receives To go before Means of going to To go forward Believable Not believable Belief, trust Now in progress, running Running (going) before To run for aid A book explaining words (sayings) To say or make an accusation To point out or say by demonstrating To lead to action To lead or guide Pipe that leads water somewhere Equal in social, political rights Evenness of mind, tranquility Easy to do Something that is made up Place that makes things To make a change in To carry away Bring a source for help/information A writing on a particular subject A form of carbon used for writing To send in Something sent through the air Equality No equal, not alike To fold (mix) together To fold in, to involve A part placed together with others A place across To put many parts into place To place for safekeeping To write about or tell about A written copy A written signature or document In following order A second, following, book One that follows another An example to look at One way to see something Standing with

to do, to act

to take, to hold, to seize

to go, to give in to believe to run to say to lead equal, even to make, to do to carry, bring write to send equal to fold, to bend, to turn to place

to write to follow to appear, to look, to see to stand, or make stand

Developed by Judith Wilde, PhD for Beta Group Albuquerque, NM and Arlington, VA (rev 8/06). Reprinted by NCELA with permission. Multiple copies permitted for educational purposes and with this credit line.

Building Vocabulary: Prefixes, Roots, and Suffixes

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Root
stit, sisto

Meaning
Status Stable Desist Contact Tactile Tenable Retentive Maintain Extend Tension Attract Contract Convene Advent Avert Revert Reverse

Example words & meanings

Social standing Steady (standing) To stand away from To touch together To be able to be touched Able to be held, holding Holding To keep or hold up To stretch or draw out Stretched To draw together An agreement drawn up To come together A coming To turn away To turn back To turn around

tact ten, tent, tain tend, tens, tent tract ven, vent ver, vert, vers

to touch to hold to stretch to draw to come to turn

Table 3: 23 Suffixes Suffix

able, ible, ble acious, cous, al ance, ancy ant, ent, er, or able to

Meaning
Edible Salable Nocturnal Vivacious Performance Truancy Occupant Respondent Teacher Creator Ocular Beneficiary Existence Fearful Cardiac Civil Infantile Acidic Correction Patriotism Artist Unity Shifty Showy Active Heartless Biology Retirement Eagerness Laboratory

Example words & meanings

Able to be eaten Able to be sold Of the night Having the quality of being lively The act of performing The act of being truant One who occupies One who responds or answers One who teaches One who creates Related to the eye Connected with one who receives benefits The act of existing or being Full of fear Pertaining to the heart Pertaining to citizens Pertaining to infants Like acid The act of correcting Support of ones country One who creates art The state of being one State of shifting around State of always showing oneself Having the nature of acting or moving Without a heart The study of life processes State of being retired The quality of being eager A place where work is done

like, having the quality of the act of, a state of being one who

ar, ary ence ful ic, ac, il, ile ion ism ist ity, ty, y ive less logy ment ness ory

connected with, related to quality of, act of full of of, like, pertaining to the act or condition of the practice of, support of one who makes, does the state of, character of having the nature of lacking, without the study of the act of, the state of the quality of having the nature of, a place or thing for

Developed by Judith Wilde, PhD for Beta Group Albuquerque, NM and Arlington, VA (rev 8/06). Reprinted by NCELA with permission. Multiple copies permitted for educational purposes and with this credit line.

Building Vocabulary: Prefixes, Roots, and Suffixes

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Suffix
ous, ose ship some tude y

Meaning
full of, having the art or skill of, the ability to full of, like the state of quality of, the ability to Full of, somewhat, somewhat like Dangerous Verbose Leadership Troublesome Aptitude Musty Chilly Willowy

Example words & meanings

Full of danger Full of words, or wordy The ability to lead Full of trouble The ability to do Having a stale oror Somewhat cold Like a willow

Table 4: Taking words apart Word Prefix

Concurrence Exaggerate Irreversible Malediction Precursor Unity Untenable con: with ex: out ir: not re: again male: bad pre: before uni: one un: not

Root
curr: run ag: to do, act vers: turning dict: to say curs: to run --ten: holding ---

Suffix
ence: act of ible: able to --or: one who ty: state of able: able to

Meaning
Act of running with, happening at same time To act out Not able to turn back To say bad things, a negative statement Something that comes before State of being one, a single thing or being Not able to hold on

Developed by Judith Wilde, PhD for Beta Group Albuquerque, NM and Arlington, VA (rev 8/06). Reprinted by NCELA with permission. Multiple copies permitted for educational purposes and with this credit line.