Affixes and Roots of Words1

Many English words are formed by taking basic words and adding combinations
of prefixes and suffixes to them. A basic word to which affixes (prefixes and
suffixes) are added is called a root word because it forms the basis of a new word.
The root word is also a word in its own right. For example, the
word lovely consists of the word love and the suffix -ly.

In contrast, a root is the basis of a new word, but it does not typically form a
stand-alone word on its own. For example, the word reject is made up of the
prefix re- and the Latin root ject, which is not a stand-alone word.

Building your vocabulary is important to speak English. Adding affixes to root

words is an easy and interesting way to develop your vocabulary quickly.
Many new words are formed by adding an affix to the beginning or end of a root
word. Let us see the meaning of root words, prefix and suffix. A root word is a
word in its simplest form. A root word has nothing added to it. Root words are
also called base words. For eg: do/ heat/ write/ happy/ pack, etc. If you add an
affix to a root or base word, you change the meaning of the word. For Example:
Cook is a base word. Affixes are word that are added before or after the root word
and change the meaning of a root or base word.

Prefixes and Suffixes are both Affixes. Prefixes are word parts that come at the
beginning of the root wood. Suffixes are word parts that come at the end of the
root or base words.

Un+ Cook+ ed = UnCookEd

Un —- Prefix / Cook —– Root or Base Word / Ed —– Suffix

Let us look at few more examples to understand root words, prefixes and suffixes.

Let us take the letter “A”. By adding a as prefix to a word, its meaning changes.
The meaning derived by adding a as prefix is “Not or without”. Examples are
Amoral/ Apolitical/ Asocial. What we observe here is by just adding ‘a’ before
these words we mean that they don’t have moral standards, they are not interested
in political affairs and they are not social.

Let us take another example where we add “Ab” as prefix we mean “Away from”.
Examples are “Abduction, Abstain, Abnormal. By just adding “a” before these

1
McEwan, E.K. (2008). The Reading Puzzle: Word Analysis. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press
http://exclusive.multibriefs.com/content/using-affixes-roots-and-base-words-to-improve-
english-learners-language-ski/education
https://thepaperbagteachers.blogspot.com/2013/06/word-wednesday-affixes-and-roots-
bingo.html
words they become negative. They mean to kidnap, to stop from doing something
and someone who does not behave normally.

In a similar way when we add certain words at the end of a root word as a suffix,
we change the meaning of the word. Let us learn through some examples. When
we add “cide” as a suffix to the root word it means “kill (ing). Examples are
Suicide, Pesticide, and Infanticide. By just adding a “cide” at the end of a base
word we give a new meaning to the words. They mean to take your own life, to
kill the pests in the fields and to kill an infant.

The second example we learn is to add “ed” at the end to the root words. By
adding ‘”ed” the words it means past tense verbs are formed. Examples are
walked, jumped and bathed. By adding ‘ed’ at the end of the words we can
convert them into past tense.

Let us learn through one more examples. Let us add “ing” at the end of the root
word as a suffix. Examples are sleeping, walking, jumping and bathing. By just
adding ‘ing’ at the end of the words we can convert them into present participles
called as continuous form.

We can also learn some examples where we have prefix and suffix attached to a
root word:

Uncomfortable == Un – prefix, Comfort – root word, able – suffix.

Irregularly — Ir == prefix, Regular – root word and arly is the suffix

Disorganised – dis – prefix , organize – root word and ed is the suffix.

They are all opposite of the words comfortable, regularly and organized.

In the same way latin words and greek root words are formed by adding affixes to
it. An example of a latin word would be ‘cent’ means one hundred. We can form
two words by adding cent as a prefix – century meaning 100 years and suffix —
percent meaning out of hunderd. A greek root would be ‘graph’ means writing.
We can form two words by adding graph as a prefix — graphology meaning the
study of handwriting and as a suffix – autograph meaning a signature of someone
you admire.
 Common Latin Roots

Latin Root Definition Examples

ambi both ambiguous, ambidextrous

aqua water aquarium, aquamarine

dict to say dictation, dictator

duc/duct to lead conduct, induce

fac to do; to make factory, manufacture

form shape conform, reform

fort strength fortitude, fortress

fract to break fracture, fraction

ject throw projection, rejection

jud judge judicial, prejudice

mal bad malevolent, malefactor

Common Greek Roots

Greek Root Definition Examples

anthropo man; human; humanity anthropologist, philanthropy

auto self autobiography, automobile

bio life biology, biography

chron time chronological, chronic

dyna power dynamic, dynamite

dys bad; hard; unlucky dysfunctional, dyslexic

gram thing written epigram, telegram

graph writing graphic, phonograph

hetero different heteronym, heterogeneous

homo same homonym, homogenous

Affixes
One method of understanding the meanings of new words is to analyze the
different parts of the word and the meanings of those parts. Many new words are
formed by adding an affix to the beginning or end of a Latin or Greek root or root
word. When affixes are added to the beginning of roots or root words, they are
called prefixes For example, the most common prefix is un-, which
meant not oropposite of. If you add un- to the word happy, the new word
becomes unhappy, which means not happy. When affixes are added to the end of
roots or root words, they are called suffixes. The most common suffixes are -
s and -es, which mean more than one (or the plural) of the word. Adding -
es to wish, changes the meaning o the word to more than one wish.

Common Prefixes

Prefix Definition Examples

anti- against anticlimax

de- opposite devalue

dis- not; opposite of discover

en-, em- cause to enact, empower

fore- before; front of foreshadow, forearm

in-, im- in income, impulse

in-, im-, il-, ir- not indirect, immoral, illiterate, irreverent

inter- between; among interrupt

mid- middle midfield

mis- wrongly misspell

non- not nonviolent

over- over; too much overeat

pre- before preview

Common Suffixes

Suffix Definition Examples

-able, -ible is; can be affordable, sensible

-al, -ial having characteristics of universal, facial

the dog walked,

-ed past tense verbs; adjectives
the walked dog

-en made of golden

one who;
-er, -or teacher, professor
person connected with

-er more taller

-est the most tallest

-ful full of helpful

-ic having characteristics of poetic

verb forms;
-ing sleeping
present participles

-ion, -tion, -ation, submission, motion,

act; process
-tion relation, edition

-ity, -ty state of activity, society

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https://www.englishhints.com/prefixes-and-suffixes.html
https://www.speakwell.co.in/root-words-prefixes-suffixes/
https://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-root-words.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5niBOyRS8I