Prefixes, Suffixes, Roots
Root, Prefix or Suffix Meaning Examples
a, ac, ad, af, ag, al, an, ap, as, at to, toward, near, in addition to ,by aside ,accompany ,adjust ,aggression ,allocate, annihilate ,affix ,associate, attend, adverb
a, an not, without apolitical, atheist, anarchy, anonymous, apathy, aphasia, anemia
ab, abs away from, off absolve, abrupt, absent
act, ag: do, act, drive active, react, agent, active, agitate
am, ami love, like amorous, amiable, amicable
ambul to walk ambulatory, amble, ambulance, somnambulist
anim mind, life, spirit, anger animal, animate, animosity
ann, annu, enni yearly annual, annual, annuity, anniversary, perrenial
ante before anterior, anteroom, antebellum, antedate, antecedent antediluvian
anti, ant against, opposite antisocial, antiseptic, antithesis, antibody, antichrist, antinomies, antifreeze, antipathy
auc, aug, aut to originate, to increase augment , author, augment, auction
aud, audi, aur to hear audience, auditory, audible, auditorium, audiovisual, audition, auricular
auto self automobile, automatic, automotive, autograph, autonomous, autoimmune
-acy, -cy Noun: state or quality privacy, nfancy, adequacy, intimacy, supremacy
-age Noun: activity, or result of action courage, suffrage, shrinkage, tonnage
-al Noun: action, result of action referral, disavowal, disposal, festival
-an Noun: person artisan, guardian, historian, magician
-ance, -ence Noun: action, state, quality or process resistance, independence, extravagance, fraudulence
-ancy, -ency Noun: state, quality or capacity vacancy, agency, truancy, latency
-ant, -ent Noun: an agent, something that performs the action disinfectant, dependent, fragrant
-ate Noun: state, office, fuction candidate, electorate, delegate
-ation Noun: action, resulting state specialization, aggravation, alternation
-ate Verb: cause to be graduate, ameliorate, amputate, colligate
-able, -ible Adjective: worth, ability solvable, incredible
-al, -ial, -ical Adjective: quality, relation structural, territorial, categorical
-ant, -ent, -ient Adjective: kind of agent, indication important, dependent, convenient
-ar, -ary Adjective: resembling, related to spectacular, unitary
-ate Adjective: kind of state inviolate
bene good, well, gentle benefactor, beneficial, benevolent, benediction, beneficiary, benefit
bi, bine two biped, bifurcate, biweekly, bivalve, biannual
bio, bi life biography, biology
bibli, biblio book bibliophile, bibliography
brev short abbreviate, brevity, brief
cad, cap, cas, ceiv, cept, capt, cid, cip to take, to seize, to hold receive, deceive, capable, capacious, captive, accident, capture, occasion, concept
cat, cata, cath down, with catalogue, category, catheter
ceas, cede, ceed, cess to go, to yield succeed, proceed, precede, recede, secession, exceed, succession
cent hundred centennial, century, centipede
centr center eccentricity, centrifugal, concentric
chron time chronology, chronic, chronicle chronometer, anachronism
cide, cis to kill, to cut fratricide, suicide, incision, excision, circumcision
circum around circumnavigate, circumflex, circumstance, circumcision, circumference, circumorbital, circumlocution, circumvent, circumscribe, circulatory
clam, claim shout acclaim, clamor, proclaim, exclaim
clin lean, bend decline, aclinic, inclination
clud, clus claus to close, shut include, exclude, clause, claustrophobia, enclose, exclusive, reclusive, conclude
co, cog, col, con, com, cor with, together cohesiveness, cognate, collaborate, convene, commitment, compress, contemporary, converge, compact, confluence, convenient, concatenate, conjoin, combine, correct
com, con fully complete, compel, conscious, condense, confess, comfirm
cogn, gnos know to know recognize cognizant diagnose agnostic
contra, counter against, opposite contradict, counteract, contravene, contrary, counterspy, contrapuntal
corp body corporate, corpse, corpulent, incorporate
cour, cur, curr, curs run, course occur, excursion, discourse, courier, course
cort correct escort, cortage
cre, cresc, cret, crease grow create, crescent, accretion, increase
cred to believe credo, credible, credence, credit, credential, incredible, credulity, incredulous
cycl circle, wheel bicycle, cyclical, cycle, encliclical
de from, down, away, to do the opposite, against detach, deploy, derange, decrease, deodorize, devoid, deflate, degenerate, deice
dec ten decimal, decade, decalogue, decimate
dec, dign suitable decent decorate dignity
dei, div God divinity, divine, deity, divination, deify
demo people democracy, demagogue, epidemic
di two divide, diverge, diglycerides
dia through, across, between diameter, diagonal, dialogue dialect, dialectic, diagnosis, diachronic
dic, dict, dit say, speak predict, verdict, malediction, dictionary, dictate, dictum, diction, indict
dit give
dis, dys, dif away, not, negative, opposite of, separate dismiss, differ, disallow, disperse, dissuade, divide, disconnect, dysfunction, disproportion, disrespect, distemper, distrust, distaste, disarray, dyslexia
doc, doct teach, prove docile, doctor, doctrine, document
dog, dox thought, idea dogma, orthodox, paradox
duc, duct to lead, pull produce, abduct, product, transducer, viaduct, aqueduct, induct, deduct, reduce, induce
-dom Noun: place, state of being wisdom
ecto outside, external ectomorph, ectoderm, ectoplasm
endo inside, withing endotoxin, endoscope, endogenous
equi equal equidistant, equilateral, equilibrium, equinox, equitable, equation, equator
e, ex, ef, es, ec out, away, from, fully emit, expulsion, exhale, exit, express, exclusive, enervate, expel ,exceed, explosion
en, em put into, make enamor, empower
epi upon, beside, over epilogue
ev, et time, age medieval, eternal
exter, extra outside of, beyond external, extrinsic, exterior extraordinary, extrabiblical extracurricular, extrapolate, extraneous
-er, -or Noun: person or thing that does something porter, collector
-ed Verb: past tense attained
-en Verb: to cause to become moisten
-er, -or Verb: action ponder, clamor
-ed Adjective: having the quality of terraced
-en Adjective: material silken
-er Adjective: comparative brighter
-est Adjective: superlative strongest
fa, fess speak fable, fabulous, fame, famous, confess, profess
fac, fact, fec, fic, fas, fea make do, do difficult, fashion, feasible, feature, factory, fact, effect
femto quadrillionth femtosecond
fer bear, carry fertile, infer, refer
fic, feign, fain, fit, feat shape, make, fashion fiction, faint, feign
fid belief, faith confide, diffident, fidelity
fig shape, form figurem, effigy, figure, figment
flect, flex to bend flexible, reflection, deflect, circumflex
flict strike affliction, conflict, inflict
flu, fluct, flux flow effluence, influence, effluvium, fluctuate, confluence, reflux, influx, fluid
for, fore before forecast, fortune, foresee
form shape format, formulate
fort strength effort, forte, fortifiable
fract, frag, frai break frail, fracture, fragment
fuge flee subterfuge, refuge, centrifuge
fuse pour
-ful Noun: an amount or quanity that fills mouthful
-ful Adjective: having, giving, marked by fanciful
-fold Adverb: in a manner of, marked by fourfold
-fy make
gen, gin to give birth, kind generate, generally, gingerly, indigenous
geo earth geography
giga billion gigabyte, gigaflop
gor to gather, to bring together category, categorize
grad, gress, gree to gather, to bring together grade, degree, progress
graph, gram, graf to write, draw polygraph, grammar, biography, graphite, telegram, autograph, lithograph, historiography, graphic
hale brathe
her, hes to stick adhere, hesitate
hetero other heterodox, heterogeneous, heterosexual, heterodyne
hex, ses, sex six hexagon, hexameter, sestet, sextuplets
homo same homogenized, homosexual, homonym, homophone
hyper over, above hyperactive, hypertensive, hyperbolic, hypersensitive, hyperventilate, hyperkinetic
in, im, il, ir not illegible, irresolute, inaction, inviolate, innocuous, intractable, innocent, impregnable, impossible, imposter
in, im, (il) in, into, on, near, toward instead, import
infra beneath infrared, infrastructure
inter between, among international, intercept, interject, intermission, internal, intermittent,
intro into, within interoffice, introvert, introspection, introduce
it go
-ian, an Noun: related to, one that is pedestrian, human
-ia Noun: names, diseases phobia
-iatry Noun: art of healing psychiatry
-ic, ics Noun: related to the arts and sciences arithmetic, economics
-ice Noun: act malice
-ing Noun: material made for, activity, result of an activity flooring, swimming, building
-ion Noun: condition or action abduction
-ism Noun: doctrine, belief, action or conduct formalism
-ist Noun: person or member podiatrist
-ite Noun: state or quality graphite
-ity, ty Noun: state or quality lucidity, novelty
-ive Noun: condition native
-ify Verb: cause specify
-ing Verb: present participle depicting
-ize Verb: cause fantasize
-ic Adjective: quality, relation generic
-ile Adjective: having the qualities of projectile
-ing Adjective: activity cohering
-ish Adjective: having the character of newish
-ive, -ative, -itive Adjective: having the quality of festive, cooperative, sensitive
jac, ject to throw reject, eject, project, trajectory, interject, dejected, inject, ejaculate
judice judge
jug, junct, just to join junction, adjust, conjugal
labor work
lex, leag, leg law legal, college, league
lect, leg, lig choose, gather, select, read collect, legible, eligible
lide strike
loc place, area location, locally
log say, speech, word, reason, study logic
luc, lum, lust: light translucent, illuminate, illustrate
lude play
-less Adjective: without, missing motiveless
-ly Adverb: in the manner of fluently
mal bad, badly malformation, maladjusted, dismal, malady, malcontent,malfunction, malfeasance, maleficent
man, manu hand, make, do manage, management
main bide
metr admeasure
mega great, million megaphone, megaton, megaflop, megalomaniac, megabyte, megalopolis
mem recall, remember memory, commemorate
ment mind mental, mention
min little, small minute, minor, minuscule
meso middle mesomorph, mesoamerica, mesosphere
meta beyond, change metaphor, metamorphosis, metabolism, metahistorical, metainformation
micro millionth microgram, microvolt
mill, kilo thousand millennium, kilobyte, kiloton
milli thousandth millisecond, milligram, millivolt
mis wrong, bad, badly misconduct, misinform, misinterpret, mispronounce, misnomer, mistake, misogynist
mit, miss to send transmit, permit, missile, missionary, remit, admit, missive, mission
mob, mov, mot move motion, remove, mobile
mono one monopoly, monotype, monologue, mononucleosis, monorail, monotheist,
morph shape polymorphic, morpheme, amorphous
multi many multitude, multipartite, multiply, multipurpose
-ment Noun: condition or result document
nano billionth nanosecond, nanobucks
nasc, nat, gnant, nai to be born nascent, native, pregnant, naive
nom, nym name nominate, synonym
non nine nonagon
non not nonferrous, nonsense, nonabrasive, nondescript
nov new novice, novelty
-ness Noun: state, condition, quality kindness
oct eight octopus, octagon, octogenarian, octave
ob, oc, of, op toward, against, in the way oppose, occur, offer, obtain
omni all omnipotent, omnivorous, omniscient
oper work operate, opus
over excessive, above overwork, overall, overwork
-or Noun: condition or activity valor
-ory Noun: place for, serves for territory
-ous, -eous, -ose, -ious Adjective: having the quality of, relating to adventurous, courageous, verbose, fractious
pair, pare arrange
pat, pass, path feel, suffer patient, passion, sympathy, pathology
para beside paradox, paraprofessional, paramedic, paraphrase, parachute
ped, pod foot impede, pedestal, podium, pedestrian
pel, puls drive, push repel, pulse
pend, pond, pens to hang, weigh suspend, append
per through, intensive persecute, permit, perspire, perforate, persuade
peri around periscope, perimeter, perigee, periodontal
phan, phas, phen, fan, phant, fant show, make visible phantom, fantasy
phe speak
phil love philosopher
phon sound telephone, phonics, phonograph, phonetic, homophone, microphone
phot light photograph, photosynthesis, photon
pico trillionth picofarad, picocurie
pict paint, show, draw picture, depict
pli, ply fold reply, implicate, ply
plore weep
poly many polytheist, polygon, polygamy, polymorphous
pon, pos put, place postpone, position, posture
port to carry porter, portable, report, transportation, deport, import, export
post after, behind postpone, postdate
pre, pur before precede
prim, prin first
pro for, foward propel
psych mind psychology
pute think
quat, quad four quadrangle, quadruplets
quint, penta five quintet, quintuplets, pentagon, pentane, pentameter
quip ship
quir, quis, quest, quer seek, ask query, inquire, exquisite, quest
re back, again report, realign, retract, revise, regain
retro backwards retrorocket, retrospect, retrogression, retroactive
rupt break rupture, corrupt, interrupt
sanct holy sanctify, sanctuary, sanction, sanctimonious, sacrosanct
sci, scio to know conscious, science
scrib, script to write inscription, prescribe, proscribe, manuscript, conscript, scribble, scribe
se apart, move away from secede
sect, sec cut intersect, transect, dissect, secant, section
sent, sens feel, think sentiment, sensation
semi half semifinal, semiconscious, semiannual, semimonthly, semicircle
sept seven septet, septennial
serve keep
sequ, secut, sue follow sequence, consecutive, ensue
sist to withstand, make up insist
soci to join, companions sociable, society
sol alone solitary, isolate
solv, solu, solut loosen, explain solve, absolute, soluble
spect, spec, spi, ****, to look, see inspect, spectator, circumspect, retrospect, prospect, spectacle
sper hope
spir breath, soul respiration, inspire
stand, stant, stab, stat, stan, sti, sta, st, stead stand stature, establish, stance
strain, strict, string, stige bind, pull constrict, restrain, stringent, prestige
stru, struct, stroy, stry build destroy, misconstrue, obstruct
sub, suc, suf, sup, sur, sus under, below, from, secretly, instead of sustain, survive, support, suffice, succeed, submerge, submarine, substandard, subnormal, subvert
super, supra over, above superior, suprarenal, superscript, supernatural, superimpose, supercede
syn, sym together, at the same time sympathy, synthesis, synchronous, syndicate
-ship Noun: status, condition relationship
-ster person
tact, tang, tig, ting touch tactile, tactilely, tangible, contiguous, contingent
tain, ten, tent, tin hold, keep, have retain, continue, content, tenacious
tect, teg cover detect, protect, tegular, tegument
tele distance, from afar television, telephone, telegraph, telemetry
tend, tens, tend stretch contend, extensive
tera trillion terabyte, teraflop
term end, boundary, limit exterminate, terminal
terr earth territory, terrain
test see, witness attest, testify
tire draw, pull
theo, the God theology, theist, polytheist
therm heat thermometer, thermal
tor, tors, tort twist torsion, torment, contort
tract, trai, treat to drag, draw , pull attract, tractor, traction, extract, retract, protract, detract, subtract, contract, intractable
trans across, beyond, change transform, transoceanic, transmit, transport, transducer
tri three tripod, triangle, trinity, trilateral
tribute give
un not, against, opposite unceasing
uni one uniform, unilateral, universal, unity, unanimousone, unite, unison
unti before
-ure Noun: act, condition, process, function exposure, conjecture
vac empty vacant, vacuum
vade go
veh, vect to carry vector, vehicle, convection, vehement
ven, vent come convene, invent, prevent
ver true verify
verb, verv word verify, veracity, verbalize, verve
vert, vers to turn, change convert, revert, advertise, versatile, vertigo, invert, reversion, extravert, introvert
vi way
vid, vie, vis see visible, video, review, indivisible
vit, viv life vital, vitality, vitamins, revitalize, revive
voc, voke call vocal, revoke
volv, volt, vol roll, turn revolve, revolt, evolution
with against
-ward Adverb: in a direction or manner homeward
-wise Adverb: in the manner of, with regard to timewise
-y Noun: state, condition, result of an activity society, victory
-y Adjective: marked by, having hungry