Root words provide the essential part of a word’s meaning. Discover our list of root words and create more sophisticated prose.
We have created a list of root words to help you develop your writing skills. Once you know a few, you will see how frequently they occur. Over 60% of words in the English language are of Greek and Latin origin, and many have German, French, and Spanish origins, which in turn have Latin roots.
Learning root words will improve your vocabulary and help you understand the origins of the English language.
There are many other ways to improve your command of the English language. Check out our article on how to improve your vocabulary.
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What are Root Words?
Root words are our building blocks. They have a meaning and cannot be further divided into smaller words with alternative meanings. They are basic grammatical units or primary morphemes.
Each grammatical unit can be one of the following:
- Free morpheme – a word that can stand alone
- Bound morpheme – an affix (prefix or a suffix). Bound morphemes can form words when combined with other morphemes.
For example, the word “graph” is a Greek root word, a free morpheme. It means writing or recording. Now try adding the bound morpheme or prefix “tele” (meaning far off), and you have the new word “telegraph,” a system for transmitting messages along a wire.
If you add the bound morpheme or suffix “ology” to the root word “graph,” you have the new word “graphology,” which means the study of handwriting.
Incidentally, the suffix “ology” means the science of something, such as psychology, physiology, ecology, and zoology.
What’s the Difference Between a Base Word and a Root Word?
Base words and root words are similar but not interchangeable terms. A base word is a word that can be used by itself and can also create another word with the addition of a suffix or prefix. For example, the word “help” makes sense by itself and becomes “helpless” when the suffix “less” is added.
A root word is also used to form other words, but the root isn’t always a standalone word. For example, “lect” is a root word in “collect,” but the word “lect” by itself doesn’t make sense.
List of Root Words Printable
Examples of Root Words
| Behave – Behavior | Mal (Bad) – Malignant | Hydr (Water) – Dehydrate |
| Break – Breaking | Marine (Sea) – Submarine | Logy (Discipline, Field of study, List of) – Psychology |
| Care – Careful | Mater (Mother) – Maternity | Micro (Small) – Microscope |
| Employ – Unemployment | Memor (Remember) – Memoir | Meter (A measure) – Kilometer |
| Friend – Friendly | Multi (Much, Many) – Multiple | Morph (Shape) – Morphing |
| Form – Formulating | Norm (Rule, Pattern) – Paranormal | Narc (Sleep) – Narcolepsy |
| Heat – Reheat | Pater (Father) – Paternal | Nym (Name, Word) – Synonym |
| Play – Player | Port (Carry) – Transport | Phobia (Fear) – Claustrophobia |
| View – Preview | Place (Spot) – Replace | Photo (Light) – Photography |
| Want – Wanted | Rupt (Burst) – Disruption | Pseudo (False, Lying) – Pseudonym |
| Act (To do) – Actor | Sect (Cut) – Dissect | Psycho (Soul, Mind, Breath, Spirit) – Psychopath |
| Aqua (Water) – Aquamarine | Sent (Feel) – Consent | Scope (See) – Stethoscope |
| Aud (Hear) – Audience | Spect (To look at) – Spectator | Techno (Skill, Art) – Technological |
| Annu (Year) – Annual | Struct (Build, Assemble) – Restructure | Tele (Far off) – Telegram |
| Appear (Come into sight) – Appearance | Ten (Hold) – Maintenance | Therm (Heat) – Thermometer |
| Ardu (Difficult) – Arduous | Terra (Earth) – Extraterrestrial | Ambi (Both) – Ambiguous |
| Bene (Well) – Beneficial | Tim (Fear) – Timid | Anthrop (Human) – Philanthropy |
| Bi (Two) – Bilingual | Use (Skill, Habit) – Misuse | Astro (Star) – Astronaut |
| Bon (Good) – Bonus | Vac (Empty) – Evacuate | Cardio (Heart) – Cardiovascular |
| Circ (Round) – Circle | Voc (Call) – Advocate | Cent (Hundredth) – Century |
| Circum (Around) – Circumstances | Vot (Promise) – Devoted | Dyna (Power) – Dynasty |
| Contra (Against) – Contrary | Vid (See) – Video | Equi (Equal) – Equity |
| Cred (Believe) – Credibility | Viv (Live) – Survive | Extra (Outer) – Extraordinary |
| Crypt (Hidden) – Cryptic | Aero (Air) – Aeroplane | Fract (Part of) – Fraction |
| Dict (Say) – Dictate | Allos (Another) – Allegory | Fort (Strong) – Fortress |
| Don (Give) – Donate | Anth (Flower) – Anthesis | Fum (Smoke) – Fumes |
| Ego (I) – Egomaniac | Anti (Against) – Antisocial | Gastr (Stomach) – Gastrointestinal |
| Fact (Made) – Factory | Arachn (Spider) – Arachnophobia | Grav (Heavy) – Gravity |
| Fin (End) – Final | Arch (Rule) – Anarchy | Homo (Same) – Homogenous |
| Frat (Brother) – Fraternity | Arithm (Count, Number) – Arithmetic | Hypo (Under) – Hypothermia |
| Hal (Breathe) – Exhale | Auto (Self) – Automatic | Kind (Nature, Race) – Kindness |
| Intra (Within) – Intramural | Bio (Life) – Biology | Love (Care) – Lovely |
| Ject (Throw) – Reject | Botan (Plant) – Botanical | Mis (Wrongly) – Misspell |
| Jud (Judge) – Judicial | Chron (Time) – Chronological | Omni (All) – Omnipotent |
| Jur (Law) – Jury | Dem (People) – Democracy | Pack (Bundle) – Packing |
| Lect (Gather) – Collect | Dyna (Power) – Dynamite | Read (Interpet, Consult) – Reading |
| Legal (Law) – Illegal | Geo (Earth) – Geography | Scrib (Writes) – Prescribes |
| Lev (Lift) – Levitate | Gno (Know) – Knowledge | Sen (Old) – Senior |
| Nav (Ship) – Naval | Graph (Write) – Graphic | Worth (Valuable) – Unworthy |
| Magn (Great) – Magnificent | Hetero (Another) – Heterosexual | Zoo (Animal) – Zoophobia |
Most English words have a Latin and Greek foundation. It’s the reason they’re called “traditional root words.” Traditional root words, in particular, often need to be attached to another word or affix to be a complete word, but this isn’t always the case.
Below are some examples of English, Latin, and Greek root words to help you become more familiar with them.
English Root Words
Many modern English root words are derived from Old English (spoken from around 450 until 1100) and Middle English (spoken from approximately 1100 to 1500).
As language continuously evolves, much of the old vocabulary is no longer spoken, but the facets that endured helped form the basis of English as we know it today.
Here are some examples of modern root words and how to use them as part of another English word:
- Behave – Behavior
He’s only getting a lot of attention because of his bad behavior.
- Break – Breaking
Breaking the fourth wall is a great way to connect with your audience.
- Care – Careful
She always reminds her son to be careful wherever he goes.
- Employ – Unemployment
Last month, America recorded a 3.5% unemployment percentage, which is still within the ideal unemployment rate of 3% to 5%.
- Friend – Friendly
Everyone likes her because she’s a very friendly person.
- Form – Formulating
Formulating a new design for this project in the short period they allotted us was challenging.
- Heat – Reheat
Instead of buying hot food, she prefers to reheat her leftovers to save money.
- Play – Player
Dennis is such an exceptional player that the head coach told him he should pursue a professional career out of it.
- View – Preview
Her favorite band shared a preview of their upcoming album.
- Want – Wanted
All I ever wanted was to feel like I belonged; is that too much to ask?
Check out this list of er words.
Traditional Root Words: Latin
Although the English language is not directly descended from Latin the same way Romantic languages like Spanish and Italian are, a significant amount of English vocabulary was borrowed from Latin.
Some linguists estimate that almost 50% of the words found in a standard English dictionary are of Latin descent. Below are some common Latin root words:
- Act (To do) – Actor
William was hailed as the best actor in the stage play competition.
- Aqua (Water) – Aquamarine
Cleo’s new aquamarine hair suits her very much; it makes her look like she just came out of a movie about mermaids.
- Aud (Hear) – Audience
You need to shock the audience so they don’t easily forget your performance.
- Annu (Year) – Annual
Are you nervous about our annual employee review?
- Appear (Come into sight) – Appearance
She worries so much about her appearance that it’s starting to affect her mental health.
- Ardu (Difficult) – Arduous
Running a marathon is an arduous task.
- Bene (Well) – Beneficial
Daily morning exercises are beneficial to one’s health.
- Bi (Two) – Bilingual
Kevin is bilingual because he speaks English and Spanish.
- Bon (Good) – Bonus
We got a generous employee bonus this year.
- Circ (Round) – Circle
The class must sit around in a circle.
- Circum (Around) – Circumstances
Unfortunately, her current circumstances don’t let her keep her children.
- Contra (Against) – Contrary
Contrary to everyone’s expectations, James wins the competition.
- Cred (Believe) – Credibility
Lying cost him all credibility.
- Crypt (Hidden) – Cryptic
You will need a guide to solve that cryptic crossword.
- Dict (Say) – Dictate
Don’t let other people dictate your life, do what you want.
- Don (Give) – Donate
She’s very generous; she will always donate money to charity.
- Ego (I) – Egomaniac
Being an egomaniac, everything had to be about him.
- Fact (Made) – Factory
Her mother has worked at the shoe factory for over five years.
- Fin (End) – Final
Don’t make me call your parents; this is your final warning.
- Frat (Brother) – Fraternity
The initiation process makes joining a fraternity in college off-putting.
- Hal (Breathe) – Exhale
Hold your breath for a few seconds and exhale slowly.
- Intra (Within) – Intramural
Kenneth wants to participate in this year’s intramural, but he can’t decide what sport he wants to join.
- Ject (Throw) – Reject
Apple pickers carefully choose good apples and reject the bad ones.
- Jud (Judge) – Judicial
The victim’s attorney is seeking judicial review of the decision.
- Jur (Law) – Jury
The jury will deliberate after hearing all the evidence.
- Lect (Gather) – Collect
Mildrid likes to collect stamps.
- Legal (Law) – Illegal
He believes downloading pirated copies of movies from the internet should not be illegal.
- Lev (Lift) – Levitate
I don’t know how the magician made his assistant levitate above the audience.
- Nav (Ship) – Naval
John is a retired naval officer.
- Magn (Great) – Magnificent
The fireworks display was magnificent.
- Mal (Bad) – Malignant
The doctor explains that the old lady’s cancer is malignant; they can’t do anything about it anymore.
- Marine (Sea) – Submarine
I’m frightened and intrigued by a submarine‘s mechanisms.
- Mater (Mother) – Maternity
Nurse Angela likes to work in the hospital’s maternity unit.
- Memor (Remember) – Memoir
I would love to write a memoir about my life.
- Multi (Much, Many) – Multiple
The Mona Lisa’s popularity hangs on her smile; experts argue that it has multiple meanings.
- Norm (Rule, Pattern) – Paranormal
They want to hire a paranormal expert to solve this supernatural case.
- Pater (Father) – Paternal
Because his father died when he was young, Kean always wonders what paternal love feels like.
- Port (Carry) – Transport
He prefers public transport even if he has a car since it’s cheaper.
- Place (Spot) – Replace
Her employer promised to replace her if she didn’t change her attitude.
- Rupt (Burst) – Disruption
The bombing strikes are causing massive disruption in the country.
- Sect (Cut) – Dissect
Aya proudly says that she knows how to dissect a frog.
- Sent (Feel) – Consent
Parents must sign a consent form declaring they permit their children to participate in the summer camp.
- Spect (To look at) – Spectator
I didn’t take part; I was just a spectator.
- Struct (Build, Assemble) – Restructure
He wants to restructure their house to eliminate clutter and make it look more inviting.
- Ten (Hold) – Maintenance
A neat garden requires constant maintenance.
- Terra (Earth) – Extraterrestrial
E.T. was an extraterrestrial being.
- Tim (Fear) – Timid
A mouse is a timid creature.
- Use (Skill, Habit) – Misuse
When rulers misuse their power, the whole kingdom suffers.
- Vac (Empty) – Evacuate
You must evacuate the building if there is a fire.
- Voc (Call) – Advocate
She’s an advocate for anyone with visual or auditory impairment, pushing laws requiring public establishments to offer suitable support.
- Vot (Promise) – Devoted
He was a devoted husband and father.
- Vid (See) – Video
There’s a CCTV video that captured the bank robbery.
- Viv (Live) – Survive
A domesticated dog would never survive in the wild.
Traditional Root Words: Greek
Although Greek wasn’t as influential in the development of the English language as Latin, it still played a big role. Around 13% of the words found in an English dictionary come from Greek. See our list of English words with Greek roots below to use them in teaching or writing correctly:
- Aero (Air) – Aeroplane
Timmy has never traveled via aeroplane before.
- Allos (Another) – Allegory
A “sinking ship” is an allegory for something going wrong.
- Anth (Flower) – Anthesis
The period a flower blooms for is called the anthesis.
- Anti (Against) – Antisocial
An antisocial personality disorder is a severe condition where the person disregards other people’s rights and feelings.
- Arachn (Spider) – Arachnophobia
Arachnophobia is the fear of spiders.
- Arch (Rule) – Anarchy
The classroom descended into anarchy without a teacher present.
- Arithm (Count, Number) – Arithmetic
Bobby excelled in arithmetic in elementary school.
- Auto (Self) – Automatic
Cecile and her father are arguing whether automatic cars are better than manual cars.
- Bio (Life) – Biology
Biology is an exciting subject with many subbranches explaining living things’ origins, behaviors, and classes.
- Botan (Plant) – Botanical
I love seeing interesting plants at the botanical gardens.
- Chron (Time) – Chronological
The new employee likes to put the files in chronological order.
- Dem (People) – Democracy
We each get a vote: we live in a democracy.
- Dyna (Power) – Dynamite
No one has the right to use dynamite when fishing.
- Geo (Earth) – Geography
We learned about volcanoes in geography class today.
- Gno (Know) – Knowledge
To my knowledge, he wasn’t at the party.
- Graph (Write) – Graphic
Henry is an excellent graphic artist, and he’s good at exceeding his client’s expectations.
- Hetero (Another) – Heterosexual
I still believe that gay and lesbian pairs will one day have the same rights as heterosexual couples.
- Hydr (Water) – Dehydrate
Fevers can quickly dehydrate your body, so you must drink lots of water.
- Logy (Discipline, Field of study, List of) – Psychology
She is studying psychology to understand herself and other people better.
- Micro (Small) – Microscope
You need to carefully put the specimen under the microscope if you don’t want the slides to break.
- Meter (A measure) – Kilometer
There’s a total of 1,000,000 millimeters per kilometer.
- Morph (Shape) – Morphing
The film shows the leading actor morphing into a giant wolf.
- Narc (Sleep) – Narcolepsy
Narcolepsy is a difficult condition to live with.
- Nym (Name, Word) – Synonym
A synonym refers to words that have the same or similar meanings.
- Phobia (Fear) – Claustrophobia
Her severe claustrophobia prevents her from using any elevator.
- Photo (Light) – Photography
Jake wants to enroll in photography classes this semester.
- Pseudo (False, Lying) – Pseudonym
She writes her excellent stories under a pseudonym.
- Psycho (Soul, Mind, Breath, Spirit) – Psychopath
Excessive use of alcohol and drugs can turn an individual into a psychopath.
- Scope (See) – Stethoscope
The doctor uses a stethoscope to listen to the heart’s murmur.
- Techno (Skill, Art) – Technological
Because of financial issues, Lino’s parents ask him to enroll in a technological institute instead of a university.
- Tele (Far off) – Telegram
His grandfather has a stack of old telegrams containing Morse code and other important information.
- Therm (Heat) – Thermometer
I can’t believe my doctor still uses a traditional thermometer to see if I have a fever instead of a thermometer gun.
Common Root Words
Once you become familiar with root words, you begin to recognize them everywhere in your day-to-day conversations. Below are some more common root words, originating from both Latin and Greek, that you’ve certainly come across before.
- Ambi (Both) – Ambiguous
The government always seems to be ambiguous on this issue.
- Anthrop (Human) – Philanthropy
Her idol always donates to various charitable institutions and devotes a lot of time and effort to philanthropy.
- Astro (Star) – Astronaut
Mino knows that NASA has strict requirements to be an astronaut, but he is serious about being one in the future.
- Cardio (Heart) – Cardiovascular
Smoking puts anyone at a higher risk of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.
- Cent (Hundredth) – Century
Living in medieval castles shows how wealthy and powerful the royal family was during the 11th century.
- Dyna (Power) – Dynasty
The dynasty finally fell when the last surviving relative died.
- Equi (Equal) – Equity
The brand owner plans to raise the company’s return on equity to 25%.
- Extra (Outer) – Extraordinary
Adrenaline allows us to do extraordinary things in an emergency.
- Fract (Part of) – Fraction
He needs to save money, so he only spends a fraction of his monthly income.
- Fort (Strong) – Fortress
The general explained that the easiest way to capture the enemy’s fortress was from the inside.
- Fum (Smoke) – Fumes
Try not to inhale the fumes from the fire.
- Gastr (Stomach) – Gastrointestinal
Your nausea is due to a gastrointestinal disorder.
- Grav (Heavy) – Gravity
Gravity on the moon is weaker than on Earth.
- Homo (Same) – Homogenous
To avoid issues, all club members must have a homogenous taste in music.
- Hypo (Under) – Hypothermia
Seven mountaineers are suffering from hypothermia after the avalanche.
- Kind (Nature, Race) – Kindness
Lia prays she inherits her mother’s intelligence and kindness.
- Love (Care) – Lovely
You look much shorter than I remember, but you’re still as lovely as ever.
- Mis (Wrongly) – Misspell
To ensure you have a high-quality paper, do not misspell words, check grammar, and avoid typos.
- Omni (All) – Omnipotent
My mom explains that money isn’t omnipotent, but people can’t survive in this world without it.
- Pack (Bundle) – Packing
Jillian has been packing her things since this morning, preparing for her flight tomorrow.
- Read (Interpet, Consult) – Reading
Mia enjoys reading and doing her assignments on their school’s rooftop rather than in the library.
- Scrib (Writes) – Prescribes
After her checkup, the doctor prescribes some medications to lessen the pain in her stomach.
- Sen (Old) – Senior
Senior citizens get priority seating on the bus.
- Worth (Valuable) – Unworthy
The humble student feels unworthy to receive the award, but his family and friends assure him that he does and are proud of him.
- Zoo (Animal) – Zoophobia
Aina’s date takes her to a zoo without knowing she has zoophobia.
Expanding your vocabulary is critical to improving your writing. See our list of conjunction words to learn more.
