Common Prefixes, Roots, and Suffixes

Word parts
a, an
ab
able, ible
ac
acer, acr
ad
age
al
ambi
an, ian
ance, ancy, ence, ency
ant, ent, er, or, eer, ier,
ine
ante
anthropo
anti
aqua
ar, ary, ory
arch
aud
auto
bene
bibl
bio
brev
cede, ceed
chron
cide
circum
cis
clar
co, con, com
cogni

Meaning
without, none
away (from)
capable of
characteristic of
sour, bitter
to, towards
state of, rank, place
relating to
both
belonging to
act of, state of, condition
of
one who acts
before
man, mankind
against, opposed
water
relating to
chief, principal
hear
self
well, good
book
life
short
go, move
time
killing
around
cut
clear
together, with
know

Examples
atypical
absent
portable, edible
cardiac
acerbity, acrid
adhere
marriage
annual
ambivalent
suburban, mammalian
assistance, discrepancy,
dependence, dependency
clairvoyant, dependent,
farmer, sailor, auctioneer,
gondolier, heroine
anteroom
anthropoid
antipathy
aquatic
similar, imaginary, sensory
archenemy
auditory
automatic
beneficial
bible
biography
brevity
recede, proceed
chronological
pesticide
circumference
excise
clarity
cooperate, conspiracy
recognise

Word Parts
counter, contra
cred
crypt
cycl
de
dent
derm
dia
dic, dict
dis
dom
dox
duc, duct
dyna
dys
ee
ego
en
epi
ese
eu
ex
extra
fort
frater
fy
gamy
gen
geo
graph, gram
gress
gyn
hetero
homo, homeo
hydr
hyper
hypo
ic, ical
il, im, in, ir

Meaning
against, opposite
believe
secret, hidden
circle
from, away
tooth
skin
through, apart
say
apart, from, out, opposite
of
state, domain of,
condition
praise, belief
lead
power
hard, ill, with difficulty
person who is
I, self
to make, become
on, outer
relating to
well, good
out, from
beyond, outside
strong
brother
to make
marriage
race, origin, kind
earth
write
go, move
woman
other, different
same, like, similar
water
excessive, over, above,
beyond
under, below, beneath
of, like
in, into, on, within, not
opposing

Examples
counteract, contrary
credential
cryptic
cyclical
depart
dentist
dermatitis
diagonal
dictate
distract
kingdom
orthodox
aqueduct
dynamic
dyslexia
employee
egoist
shorten
epigram
journalese
euphemism
exhale
extracurricular
fortress
fraternity
fortify
monogamy
Genesis
geography
graphology, telegram
progress
gynephobia
heterogeneous
homogeneous,
homeopathic
hydroplane
hyperactive
hypodermic
manic, numerical
infiltrate, immigrate

Word Parts
inter
intra
ion, sion, tion
ish
ism
ist
junct
less
logy
macro
magn
mal
man
mater
mega
ment
meter, metr
micro
mis
mis, miso
miss, mit
morph
mort
multi
nav
neb
non
nym
omni
ortho
pan
para
pater
path
ped, pod
pel
per
peri
phil
phobia
phon
photo
poly

Meaning
between
within
state of, condition of, act
of
like
doctrine, practice of
person who
join
without
study of
large
large, great
bad
hand
mother
big
state of being
measure
small
wrong, ill
hatred
send
form, shape
death
many
ship, sail
hazy, cloudy
not
name
all
straight, right
all
beside
father
feeling, suffering
food
push, drive
through, completely
around
love, like
fear
sound
light
many

Examples
interfere
intrastate
tension
childish
plagiarism
dentist
conjunction
careless
biology
macrocosm
magnify
malpractice
manicure
maternity
megaphone
improvement
thermometer
microscope
misinform
misanthrope, misogyny
missile, transmit
amorphous
mortality
multitude
naval
nebulous
nonadjustable
pseudonym
omnipotent
orthopedic
pandemonium
parallel
paternal
apathy
pedal, tripod
propel
perforate
perimeter
philanthropy
claustrophobia
phonics
Photostat
polygamy

Word Parts
pon, pos
port
post
pot
pre
pseudo
psych
pyr
re
rupt
scrib, script
scop
se
sect
semi
simil
soph
spect
sub
super
syn, sym
tech
tele
ten
tend
terra
the
therm
tort
trans
tude
ultra
un
under
viv
voc
vor

Meaning
place
carry
after
strength, ability
before
false
mind, soul
fire
back, again
break
write
see, look
away from
cut
half
like
wise
see, look
under
over, above
with, together
art, skill
far
hold
stretch
earth
god
heat
twist
across
quality, state, result
beyond, excessively
not, opposing, reverse
below, beneath
life
voice, call
eat

Examples
opponent, position
porter
postpone
potential
preamble
pseudonym
psychology
pyromania
return
rupture
transcribe, scripture
telescope
seclude, segregate
dissect
semiprivate
similar
sophomore
spectator
submarine
supersonic
synchronize, symphony
technology
telephone
tenacity
extend
terrier, terrace
atheist
thermal
contort
transport
servitude
ultramodern
unlawful
underground
vivacious
vocal, vocation
omnivorous

Prefixes of Numbers
Word Parts
mono
uni
du, duo
bi
tri
quad
tetra
penta
quint
hex
sex
sept
oct
nov
dec
cent
hect
kil
mil
demi
hemi
semi

Meaning
one
one
two
two
three
four
four
five
five
six
six
seven
eight
nine
ten
hundred
hundred
thousand
thousand
half
half
half

Example
monologue
uniform
duet
biped
triangle
quadruplets
tetrameter
pentagon
quintet
hexagon
sixtuplets
septuplets
octopus
novena
decade
percent
hectogram
kilowatt
millimeter
demitasse
hemisphere
semicircle