Common Roots

Root Meaning Example
act do activity
aud hear audible
aqua water aquarium
astro, aster star astronaut
bell war, fight rebel
bene good benefit
bibli, biblio book bibliography
bio life biology
capt, cept, ceive take, hold capture
ced, cede, cess go proceed
chrom color monochrome
chron time chronology
clud, clus close conclusion
dict speak, say dictate
duc, duct lead conductor
dur hard, lasting durable, duration
dyn power dynamic
form shape deform
fract, frag break fracture, fragment
geo earth geography
grad, gress step gradual, progress
graph write autograph
hydr, hydro water hydrate
ject throw eject
junct join conjunction
luc, lum light lucid
loc place location
log, logo word dialogue
mal bad, evil malicious
mers, merg plunge, dip immerse, submerge
metr, meter measure thermometer
miss send missile
mot, mov motion locomotive, movement
mut change mutation
nav ship navy
ped foot pedestrian
phil love of philosophy
phon sound telephone
phot, photo light photosynthesis
port carry transport
rupt break rupture
scop, scope see, look at microscope
scrib, script write describe
spec, spect see inspect
struct build construct
tele far telescope
temp time temporary
therm heat thermostat
tract pull attract
ver truth verify
vid, vis see vision
volv turn revolve

Common Prefixes

Prefix Meaning Example
a- without, not atypical
ab- away absent
ab- without, not abnormal
ad- to, forward advance
ante- before antecedent
anti- against antibiotic
auto- self autograph
bi- two bicycle
circum- around circumference
com-, con-, co- together company
contra-, counter- against contradict
de- down, off, not descend
di- two dioxide
dis- not disagree
e- out of eject
en- cover enclose
ex- out of extract
hyper- over, above hyperbole
il- not illegal
im- not impossible
in- in involve
in- not ineligible
infra- below infrared
inter- between, among international
intra- within intramural
ir- not irresponsible
mis- wrong mistake
mono- one monologue
non- not nonfiction
ob- against obstruct
per- through permeate
post- after postscript
poly- many polygon
pre- before preview
pro- forward progress
multi- many multimedia
re- again, back return
trans- across transport
sub- under submarine
super- above superior
sym-, syn- together sympathy
un- not unusual

Common Suffixes

Suffix Meaning Example
-able, -ible capable of readable
-acy state, quality accuracy
-age state, condition of courage
-ance, -ence state, quality brilliance, absence
-ant one who does assistant, pollutant
-ant state, quality fragrant
-ar relating to circular
-ary place where library
-ate make accumulate
-dom place, state of being freedom
-en made from golden
-en make or become brighten
-ent state, quality efficient
-er, -or person who teacher, actor
-ful full of joyful
-id state, condition fluid
-ify make or become beautify
-ious characterized by nutritious
-ism action, process, doctrine journalism, feminism
-ist one who does or practices artist
-ity state, quality security
-ive having the nature of active
-ize make, cause, become organize
-less without hopeless
-ment result or process development
-ness state or quality happiness
-ology study of biology
-ory place for laboratory
-ory relating to sensory
-ous full of perilous
-phobia fear of claustrophobia
-scope instrument for viewing microscope
-tion, -sion act or state creation
-tude condition solitude
-ward direction toward