Instruction 1-2

Idioms, Analogies, Metaphors and Similes | Roots and Affixes | Word Meanings | Summary

Pre-Test		Post-Test
Q&A	Syntax Guide	Q&A

Now that you know a little about how words are used, it's time to learn a little about how words are made. Many of our words come to us from Greek or Latin, the languages of ancient Greece and Rome. They don't come to us complete; they come in parts. Those parts are called roots and affixes. There are two different kinds of affixes: prefixes and suffixes.

In this instruction you're going to learn about word parts. If you can understand one part of a word, you can often figure out what the whole word means.

Here's how it usually works: The part at the beginning of a word is the prefix.  The part in the middle is the root.  And the part at the end is the suffix.

Prefixes
https://www.msu.edu/~defores1/gre/roots/gre_rts_afx1.htm

In the original Greek or Latin, prefixes were words that stood alone. In English, they are usually adverbs or prepositions that can't be used alone. Here is a list of some common prefixes and how they combine with roots to make words:

Prefix	Meaning	Example
a	without	agnostic (without knowledge)
ab*	away from	abnormal (away from normal)
ad	to	adhere (to stick to)
ambi	both	ambidextrous (using both hands)
auto	self	autotoxin (self poisoning)
con	with	consent (with agreement)
epi	on	epidermis (outer layer of skin)
infra	below	infrastructure (below a structure)
*  ab is also sometimes considered a word root

Roots

When it comes to figuring out unfamiliar words, it's often the root that gives you the best clue. Take the word epidermis, for example "epi," as the list above shows, is a prefix meaning "on." "Derm" is a root which means "skin." So the word epidermis means "on the skin" or "the outer layer of skin." Here's a brief list of some other word roots:

Root	Meaning	Word Example
anthrop	man	anthropology (the study of man)
auto	self	autotoxin (self poisoning)
brev	short	abbreviate (to shorten)
chthon	earth	chthonic (Greek myth: Underworld)
omni	all	omnipotent (all powerful)
pedo	child	pediatrician (children's doctor)
pnea	respiration	dyspnea (shortness of breath)
psyche	mind, soul	psychology (study of the mind)
tox	poison	toxic (poisonous)

Suffixes

Suffixes come at the end of words, usually joined to roots by connecting vowels. Here are some common suffixes: 

Put it All Together

Put prefixes, suffixes and roots together and you end up with words. Keep in mind that not all words have three word parts. Some words have just a root and prefix. Others have a root and suffix. Others are made up of two roots. Sometimes a root stands alone. And, of course, a lot of our words don't even come from Greek or Latin. Many have Anglo-Saxon origins.

Just for fun, let's take one big, weird, wonderful word and divide it into all its word parts.

"Anthropomorphism." We can break it apart like this:

anthrop - o - morph - ism

• As you saw on the list, the root "anthrop" means "man."
• Next there's a connecting vowel - "o."
• Then another root: "morph," which means "change into."
• And finally, "ism," a suffix which means "the manner or condition of."

Using the definitions of each word part you can define anthropomorphism as: "the manner or condition of giving nonhuman things a human form or characteristic." Like when a robot car turns into an action figure. Or when you insist that your dog can talk or smile.

For useful  information on word parts and how they go together, check out the web sites on the links page. And don't forget the word's best friend -- your dictionary!

Video Instruction
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• Prefix Root Suffix

for Students, Parents and Teachers

Now let's do Practice Exercise 1-2 (top).

Next Page:  Word Meanings (top)