1

2
semi- half semicircle,semicolon

super- above/ on top of/ beyond superfine,superhuman, supersonic

multi- many/ much multicolor,multifamily
poly- many/ much polygon,polysyllable
tele- distant/far Television, telephone
mis- bad or badly/ wrong or wrongly misbehave, misread,misspell
inter- between intercept, interview,interstate

mid- middle midnight,midweek

sub- under, beneath, below/secondary subway, subsoil, substitute
deca- deci- ten decathlon, decade,decimal, decimeter
kilo- 1,000 kilogram,kilowatt
milli- mille- 1,000 millennium,millimeter

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centi- 100 centimeter,centipede

-able, -ible can be done enjoyable, sensible, likable

-ian, -an one having a certain skill/relating to/ belonging electrician, magician,American, suburban
-ship condition of/ skill championship, friendship, hardship,leadership

-ist one who does a specific action artist, tourist

-logy, - science of/study of biology,chronology

ology
-ism act/ belief/ practice of patriotism, idealism, absenteeism,

-ence, - act/ condition of persistence, excellence, assistance, importance

ance
-ess feminine actress, lioness

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max(i) great maximum,maximize

meter, metr measure diameter, odometer, metric,perimeter

photo light photograph, telephoto,photocopy

port to carry portable,transport

phobia, phobic, irrational fear or hatred/ one who fears/ aquaphobia, claustrophobic technophobe
phobe hates
rupt break/ burst bankrupt, rupture, disruptive

scrib, script to write describe, manuscript

gram, graph written/ drawn autograph, paragraph,telegram

dict to say/ tell diction, dictator

ject to throw inject, objection

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 to see/ watch/ observe prospect, respect, specimen
en-, em- to cause to be/ to put into or onto/ to go into or onto encounter, enable, employ, embark, encircle

fore- before/ earlier forearm,foreword

de- reduce down away from defeat, defor decrease

trans- across/ change/ through transformation, transportatiotransfer

anti- Opposite against Antibiotic antifreeze

di-, dia- two/ through/ across Digraph dialogue, diagonal

ex- out of/ away from extract, exhale,extend

auto- self autograph,automatic

in- (il-, im-, ir-) not inability, impatient, irregular, illegal

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in- (il-, im-, ir-) in/ on/ toward infer, illustrate,improve, irrigate

bio- life biography,biological

mini- small miniature, minimum

micro- small/ minute microbiology,microscope

uni- one/ single unicorn,unicycle, uniform

-en made of/ to make wooden,dampen, tighten

-dom condition of boredom, freedom,kingdom

-ity state of/ quality of prosperity,equality

-al, -ial related to/ characterize by colonial, biennial, dental,betrayal

-ion, -ation act of/ state of/ result of tension, attention, elevation, union
–sion, -tion
-ish relating to characteristic childish, foolish

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 of
-ent, -ant an action/ condition student, contestant, immigrant
-ent, -ant causing a specific action obedient, absorbent, abundant, elegant

-hood the state/ the condition/ the quality boyhood, likelihood

aqua water aquarium,aquamarine

act put in motion/ process of doing action, react, transact

mit to send emit, transmit
anni, annu, enni year anniversary, semiannual,millennium

arch chief/ ruler archenemy,matriarch

duct, duc lead induce, conduct

geo earth/ ground/ geography,geology
soil
man hand manicure,manually

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 nym, onym name/ word antonym, Greek
synonym
phon voice/ sound telephone, Greek
symphony
therm heat thermometer, Greek
thermostat
tox poison toxic, Latin
toxicology
scope to watch/ see horoscope, Greek
microscope,
telescope
ante- in front of/ antecedent, Latin Fun information –
before antebellum antepenultimate
means next to the
next to the last…this
word can usually be
found on the SAT.
ab- from/ away absent, absorb, Latin
abnormal
a- on/ in/ to across, aboard, Anglo-Saxon/
aside Latin
a- without/ not atypical, amoral, Anglo-Saxon/
asocial Latin
co-, con-, com- together/ with cooperate, Latin Concrete – meaning
concede, to harden or to grow
combine together
pro- forward/ proceed, Latin/ Greek Some words with
before/ in pronoun, pro- as a prefix are
support of prohibit often hyphenated,
so be sure to check
the
dictionary.

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intra- within intranet, Latin
intramural
mega- great/ huge megabyte, Greek
megaphone
post- after/ following postpone, Latin
postwar
-ous, full of/ adventurous, Latin Usually an adjective
-ious, characterized nervous,
-eous by mysterious,
courteous

-ive, inclined/ festive, Latin Words that end with

-itive, tending toward talkative, active, –de (intrude) change
-ative an action sensitive the –de to s then add
–ive (intrusive).
Words that end with
silent e (create) drop
the e then add –ive
(creative).
-ic relating to/ energetic, Latin/ Greek Usually an adjective
characterized historic
by
-ize to make/ to fertilize, Latin/ Greek Usually a verb
cause to criticize,
become apologize
-fy, -ify to make satisfy, magnify Latin Usually a verb
-age result of an manage, Latin
action/ drainage,
collection acreage
-some characterized awesome, Anglo-Saxon Primarily used with
by a specified lonesome Anglo-Saxon base
quality, words.
condition, or
action
chron time chronology, Greek

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 synchronize
temp time temporary, Latin
temperature
aer, aero air aerial, aerospace Greek
cede, ceed to go/ yield/ proceed, secede, Latin
surrender precede,
concede
cept, ceive to take/ catch/ accept, deceive Latin Additional roots with
seize/ hold/ same definition:
receive cap (captive)
ceit (conceit)
cep (concept)
cip (municipal)
fract, frag to break fracture, Latin
fraction,
fragment
gen race, kind, or gender, genetics, Latin
species/ birth genesis
grat thanks/ congratulations, Latin
pleasing gratify
liber free liberty, liberate Latin
leg, lect, lig law/ to choose/ legend, legal, Latin The roots lect, lect,
to pick/ to read/ intelligent, elect, and lig are related to
to speak lecture the Greek combining
form logos, meaning
speech or word.
mater, matr, mother maternal, Latin
matri matrimony,
matriarch
pater, patr father paternal, patriot Latin
mot, mob to move motivate, Latin
mobilize
opt eye/ to make a optometry, Latin
choice optic, optional
ped, pod foot pedal, Latin

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 pedestrian,
tripod
ped child pediatrician Greek
urb city urban, suburban Latin Exurb: a modern
word meaning large
cities that directly
surround a major city
(Arlington is an
exurb of Dallas.)
pop people population, Latin
popular
tract to draw/ pull attract, distract, Latin
retract
form to shape conform, Latin
reform,
transform
pend to hang/ weigh suspend, Latin
pendulum
hyper- over/ above/ hyperactive, Greek
excessive hypercritical
hypo-, hyp- below/ less hypothermia, Greek
than normal hypnosis
omni- all omnipresent, Latin
omniscient
homo- same homogeneous, Latin
homonym
hetero- different/ other heterochromatic, Greek Heteronyms: words
heterogeneous with the same
spelling, but different
meanings
(dove – the bird;

12
 dove – did dive)
ultra- beyond in ultramarine, Latin
degree/ ultraviolet
extreme
-cide kill germicide, Latin Usually a noun
pesticide
-ery relating to/ imagery, Anglo-Saxon Usually a noun
quality/ place pottery, bakery
where
-ary relating to/ dictionary, Latin Noun/ adjective
place where/ infirmary
one who cautionary,
dietary,
missionary
-ium chemical helium, Greek Usually a noun
element/ group aquarium
-tude condition/ altitude, Latin Usually a noun
state/ quality of gratitude
aud to hear/ listen audible, audition Latin
cred to believe credit, Latin
incredible
archae, arche, primitive/ archaeologist, Greek
archi ancient archives,
achetype
belli war belligerent, Latin
bellicose
claim, clam to declare/ call exclaim, Latin
out/ cry out clamorous
crat, cracy rule/ strength/ democrat, Greek
power aristocracy
hemo, hema blood hematology, Greek
hemophilia
luna moon lunar, lunatic Latin
mar sea maritime, Latin
submarine

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mort death mortuary, Latin
mortality
path feeling/ apathetic, Greek
suffering/ pathology
disease
pel to drive/ push expel, propeller Latin
struc, struct to build construct, Latin See Affix Matrix for
instructor the root struct on
final page of this
document.
vis, vid to see vision, evidence Latin
voc, voke to call advocate, Latin
revoke

cogn to know cognition, Latin

recognize
loc, loqu to speak/ talk/ colloquial, Latin
say ventriloquist,
loquacious
bene well/ good benediction, Latin
beneficial
cardi heart cardiac, Latin
cardiology
ego self egocentric, Latin
egoism
don, donat give/ gift donate, donation Latin
luc, lum light translucent, Latin
illuminate
mania madness/ maniac, Greek
frenzy/ kleptomania
abnormal

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 desire/
obsession
nate, nat born native, innate Latin
neg no/ deny negative, negate Latin
neo new neonatal Greek
nov new novice Latin
phys nature physics, Greek
physical
psych mind/ soul psychic, Greek
psychopath
reg guide/ rule regime, regent Latin
sci to know/ learn science, Latin
conscience
sol alone solitary, Latin
soliloquy
tact, tang to touch contact, tangible Latin
terr land terrain, territory Latin
vac empty vacate, evacuate Latin
ver, veri true/ genuine verdict, Latin
veritable

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