Cheatsheet!
Confused or confuzzled about
different root words, prefixes, suffixes and what they all mean? If
you're a beginner in English, or even a veteran of the language, it
can be hard to keep everything in check. There are many in each
category, but in this lesson we'll try to sort out at least a few
of the most common ones.
| The root is the most primary unit of a word. It carries the significant aspects of a word's context and forms the base of more complex words. It cannot be reduced, however can be expanded with the use and combination of prefixes and suffixes. |
Common
Root Words and Root Origins
| Root | Meaning | Word Examples |
| ann or enni | year | anniversary, annual, bicentennial, perennial |
| arch | a chief, leader, to rule | architecture, archenemy, monarchy, anarchy |
| aud | sound | audible, audio cassette, auditorium |
| cap | to take, seize | capture, captivate, capitalize |
| demo | people | demography, demonstration, democracy |
| equ | equal | equality, equation, equity |
| leg or lec | read or to choose | legible, lecture, election, legitimate |
| Prefixes are also known as affixes which are added to the beginning of root words. They change the meaning of the root word and add an extended context. |
Common
Prefixes
| Preffix | Meaning | Word Examples |
| a or an | without / not | alone, asocial, affluent |
| apo | from or away from | apologize, apologetic, appropriate |
| con and com | with, together | communal, communion, connect, communication, confidence, configure |
| de | down or away | descend, defend, defence, demand |
| em or en | in | emphasize, empathy, encourage, enrage |
| intra | within | intrastate, intramural, intransitives |
| pseudo | false | pseudonym, pseudoscience |
| Suffixes, also known as a postfix or ending is placed at the end of a root word. In a grammatical case, they form a conjugation that changes or extends the meaning of a word. Suffixes also carry grammatical information or lexical information that changes a word's context. |
Common
Suffixes
| Suffix | Meaning | Word Examples |
| ectomy | cutting, having to do with surgery | appendectomy, hysterectomy, tonsillectomy |
| ics | things having to do with | optics, bionics, physics, gymnastics |
| sis | act, state, condition of | analysis, psychosis, hypnosis |
| phobia | exaggerated fear | xenophobia, technophobia, claustrophobia |
| or or er | one or person who takes part in | spectator, viewer, responder, auditor |
| ism | the belief in | socialism, realism, communism, pacifism |
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