English Root Words

Root or Prefix	Meaning	Examples
a, an	not, without	atheist, anarchy, anonymous apathy, aphasia, anemia
ab	away from	absent, abduction, aberrant, abstemious
ambul	to walk	ambulatory, amble, ambulance, somnambulist
ante	before	anteroom, antebellum, antedate antecedent, antediluvian
anti, ant	against, opposite	antisocial, antiseptic, antithesis, antibody, antichrist, antinomies, antifreeze, antipathy, antigen, antibiotic
audi	to hear	audience, auditory, audible, auditorium, audiovisual, audition
be	thoroughly	bedecked, besmirch, besprinkled
auto	self	automobile, automatic, autograph, autonomous, autoimmune
bene	good, well	benefactor, beneficial, benevolent, benediction, beneficiary, benefit
cede, ceed, cess	to go, to yield	succeed, proceed, precede, recede, secession, exceed, succession
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
clud, clus claus	to close	include, exclude, clause, claustrophobia, enclose, exclusive, reclusive, conclude
con, com	with, together	convene, compress, contemporary, converge, compact, confluence, concatenate, conjoin, combine
contra, counter	against, opposite	contradict, counteract, contravene, contrary, counterspy, contrapuntal
cred	to believe	credo, credible, credence, credit, credential, credulity, incredulous
cycl	circle, wheel	bicycle, cyclical, cycle, encliclical
de	from, down, away	detach, deploy, derange, deodorize, devoid, deflate, degenerate, deice
dei, div	God, god	divinity, divine, deity, divination, deify
demo	people	democracy, demagogue, epidemic
dia	through, across, between	diameter, diagonal, dialogue dialect, dialectic, diagnosis, diachronic
dict	speak	predict, verdict, malediction, dictionary, dictate, dictum, diction, indict
dis, dys, dif	away, not, negative	dismiss, differ, disallow, disperse, dissuade, disconnect, dysfunction, disproportion, disrespect, distemper, distaste, disarray, dyslexia
duc, duct	to lead, pull	produce, abduct, product, transducer, viaduct, aqueduct, induct, deduct, reduce, induce
dyn, dyna	power	dynamic, dynamometer, heterodyne, dynamite, dynamo, dynasty
ecto	outside, external	ectomorph, ectoderm, ectoplasm, ectopic, ectothermal
endo	inside, withing	endotoxin, endoscope, endogenous
equi	equal	equidistant, equilateral, equilibrium, equinox, equitable, equation, equator
e, ex	out, away, from	emit, expulsion, exhale, exit, express, exclusive, enervate, exceed, explosion
exter, extra	outside of	external, extrinsic, exterior extraordinary, extra biblical extracurricular, extrapolate, extraneous
flu, flux	flow	effluence, influence, effluvium, fluctuate, confluence, reflux, influx
flect, flex	to bend	flexible, reflection, deflect, circumflex
graph, gram	to write	polygraph, grammar, biography, graphite, telegram, autograph, lithograph, historiography, graphic
hetero	other	heterodox, heterogeneous, heterosexual, heterodyne
homo	same	homogenized, homosexual, homonym, homophone
hyper	over, above	hyperactive, hypertensive, hyperbolic, hypersensitive, hyperventilate, hyperkinetic
hypo	below, less than	hypotension, hypodermic, hypoglycemia, hypoallergenic
in, im	not	inviolate, innocuous, intractable, innocent, impregnable, impossible
infra	beneath	infrared, infrastructure
inter, intro	between	international, intercept, intermission, interoffice, internal, intermittent, introvert, introduce
intra	within, into	intranet, intracranial, intravenous
jac, ject	to throw	reject, eject, project, trajectory, interject, dejected, inject, ejaculate
mal	bad, badly	malformation, maladjusted, dismal, malady, malcontent, malfeasance, maleficent
mega	great, million	megaphone, megalomaniac, megabyte, megalopolis
meso	middle	mesomorph, mesoamerica, mesosphere
meta	beyond, change	metaphor, metamorphosis, metabolism, metahistorical, metainformation
meter	measure	perimeter, micrometer, ammeter, multimeter, altimeter
micro	small	microscope, microprocessor, microfiche, micrometer, micrograph
mis	bad, badly	misinform, misinterpret, mispronounce, misnomer, mistake, misogynist
mit, miss	to send	transmit, permit, missile, missionary, remit, admit, missive, mission
morph	shape	polymorphic, morpheme, amorphous
multi	many	multitude, multipartite, multiply, multipurpose
neo	new	neologism, neonate, neoclassic, neophyte
non	not	nonferrous, nonabrasive, nondescript
omni	all	omnipotent, omnivorous, omniscient
para	beside	paraprofessional, paramedic, paraphrase, parachute
per	through, intensive	permit, perspire, perforate, persuade
peri	around	periscope, perimeter, perigee, periodontal
phon	sound	telephone, phonics, phonograph, phonetic, homophone, microphone
phot	light	photograph, photosynthesis, photon
poly	many	polytheist, polygon, polygamy, polymorphous
port	to carry	porter, portable, report, transportation, deport, import, export
re	back, again	report, realign, retract, revise, regain
retro	backwards	retrorocket, retrospect, retrogression, retroactive
sanct	holy	sanctify, sanctuary, sanction, sanctimonious, sacrosanct
scrib, script	to write	inscription, prescribe, proscribe, manuscript, conscript, scribble, scribe
sect, sec	cut	intersect, transect, dissect, secant, section
semi	half	semifinal, semiconscious, semiannual, semimonthly, semicircle
spect	to look	inspect, spectator, circumspect, retrospect, prospect, spectacle
sub	under, below	submerge, submarine, substandard, subnormal, subvert
super, supra	above	superior, suprarenal, superscript, supernatural, supercede
syn	together	synthesis, synchronous, syndicate
tele	distance, from afar	television, telephone, telegraph, telemetry
theo, the	God	theology, theist, polytheist
therm, thermo	heat	thermal, thermometer, thermocouple, thermodynamic, thermoelectric
tract	to drag, draw	attract, tractor, traction, extract, retract, protract, detract, subtract, contract, intractable
trans	across	transoceanic, transmit, transport, transducer
un	not	uncooked, unharmed, unintended
veh, vect	to carry	vector, vehicle, convection, vehement
vert, vers	to turn	convert, revert, advertise, versatile, vertigo, invert
vita	life	vital, vitality, vitamins, revitalize