Learning the following word roots and prefixes is a fast way to strengthen your vocabulary. Given that a fluent English speaker must learn over 5,000 words, combining word-parts is a smart approach. Even if you don’t know the meaning of a new word straight off, you can make an ‘educated guess’ if you only had a clue to the word root or prefix within the word.
| Prefix or Word Root | Meaning | Example |
| a, ab/s | from, away, off | abstract |
| aer/o | air | aeroplane |
| agr/i/o | farming | agriculture |
| ambi, amphi | both, on both sides, around | amphibian |
| ambul | walk, move | ambulance |
| ami/o | love | amiable |
| anim | life, spirit | animal |
| anthrop/o | human | anthropology |
| anti | against, opposite of | antibody |
| aqu/a | water | aquarium |
| arch/a/i | primitive, ancient | archaeology |
| arthr/o | joint | arthritis |
| astro, aster | star, stars, outer space | astronaut |
| aud/i/io | hear | audible |
| auto | self, same, one | automatic |
| avi/a | bird | aviation |
| bene | good, well | benefactor |
| bi/n | two, twice, once in every two | biweekly |
| bibli/o | book | bibliography |
| bio | life, living matter | biology |
| calc | stone | calcium |
| capt, cept, ceive | take, hold | intercept, perceive |
| cardi/o | heart | cardiology |
| carn/i | flesh, meat | carnivorous |
| cede, ceed, cess | go, yield | exceed |
| cent/i | hundred, hundredth | centennial |
| centr/o/i | center | egocentric |
| cerebr/o | brain | cerebral |
| cert | sure | certain |
| chrom/o chromat/o, chros | color, pigment | chromatic |
| chron/o | time | chronic |
| circum | around, about | circumnavigate |
| claim, clam | shout, speak out | clamor |
| co | with, together, joint | coauthor |
| cogn/i | know | cognition |
| con | with, jointly | concur |
| contra/o | against, opposite | contradict |
| corp/o | body | corporation |
| counter | opposite, contrary, opposing | counteract |
| cranio | skull | craniology |
| cred | believe | incredible |
| crypto | hidden, secret | encryption |
| cycl | circle, ring | bicycle |
| dec/a, deka | ten | decade, decathalon |
| dem/o | people | democracy |
| dent, dont | tooth | dentist |
| derm/a | skin | dermatology |
| dia | through, between, apart, across | diagonal |
| dict | speak | contradict |
| domin | master | dominate |
| don/at | give | donation |
| duc/t | lead | conduct |
| dyn/a/am | power, energy, strength | dynamic |
| dys | abnormal, bad | dyslexia |
| e- | out, away | evaporate |
| ego | self | egotistic |
| em, en | into, cover with, cause | empathy |
| endo | within, inside | endotherm |
| ethno | race, people | ethnic |
| ex | from, out, | excavate |
| extra, extro | outside, beyond | extraordinary |
| fac/t | make, do | manufacture |
| flor/a, fleur | flower | florist |
| fore | in front of, previous, earlier | forefront |
| form | shape | formation |
| fract, frag | break | fracture |
| funct | perform, work | function |
| gastr/o | stomach | gastric |
| gen/o/e/ | birth, production, | genealogy |
| geo | earth, soil, global | geography |
| giga | a billion | gigabyte |
| gram | letter, written | diagram |
| graph/y | writing, recording, written | graphics |
| hect/o, hecat | hundred | hectare |
| helic/o | spiral, circular | helicopter |
| hemi | half, partial | hemicycle |
| hem/o/a | blood | hemorrhage |
| herbi | grass, plant | herbs |
| hetero | different, other | heterogeneous |
| homo, homeo | like, alike, same | homogeneous |
| hydr/o | liquid, water | hydroelectric |
| hyper | too much, over, beyond | hyperactive |
| hyp/o | under | hypoglycemia |
| il, in | in, into | illuminate |
| ig, il, im, in, ir | not, without | illegal, irrespective |
| infra | beneath, below | infrastructure |
| inter | between, among, jointly | international |
| intra, intro | within, inside | intrastate |
| juven | young | juvenile |
| kilo | thousand | kilobyte |
| lact/o | milk | lactate |
| liber | free | liberate |
| lingu | language, tongue | linguistics |
| luc | light | elucidate |
| lumin | light | illuminate |
| lun/a/i | moon | lunar |
| macro | large, great | macroeconomics |
| magn/a/i | great, large | magnify |
| mal/e | bad, ill, wrong | malcontent |
| mania | madness, excessive desire | maniac |
| mater, matr/i | mother | maternal |
| mega | great, large, million | megastore |
| meta | change, after, beyond, between | metaphysics |
| meter, metr | measure | audiometer |
| micro | very small, short, minute | micrometer |
| mid | middle | midsection |
| milli | onethousandth | millimeter |
| min/i | small, less | miniskirt |
| mis/o | bad, badly, wrong, wrongly, | misbehave |
| morph/o | form | metamorphosis |
| multi | many, more than one or two | multicolored |
| nav | ship | navigate |
| neo | new, recent | neolithic |
| nom/in | name | nomenclature |
| omni | all | omniverous |
| para | beside, beyond | paranormal |
| per | through, throughout | permit |
| peri | around, enclosing | periscope |
| phon/o | sound | phonograph |
| phot/o | light | photogenic |
| pod/e | foot | podiatrist |
| poly | many, more than one | polygraph |
| post | after, behind | postdated |
| pre | earlier, before, in front of | prevention |
| pro | before, in front of, fore | proactive |
| psych/o | mind, mental | psychology |
| quad/r/ri | four | quadrant |
| re | again, back, backward | rebound |
| retro | backward, back | retroactive |
| rupt | break, burst | bankrupt |
| scop/e/y | see, examine, observe | microscope |
| scrib, script | write, written | scribble, inscription |
| self | of, for, or by itself | self-respect |
| semi | half, partial | semiannual |
| sol | sun | solar |
| son | sound | sonic |
| sphere | ball | spherical, biosphere |
| spir | breathe | inspire, spirit |
| struct | build | construction, structure |
| sub | under, lower than, inferior to | submarine |
| super, supra | higher in quality or quantity | superimposed |
| techno | technique, skill | technology |
| tel/e/o | far, distant, complete | telephone |
| temp/or | time | temporary |
| term/ina | end, limit | terminus |
| therm/o | heat | thermal |
| trans | across,beyond, through | transfer |
| tri | three, once in every three, | triangle |
| ultra | beyond, extreme, more than | ultralight |
| un | not,opposite of, lacking | unavailable |
| uni | one, single | unicycle |
| urb | city | urban |
| vac | empty | evacuate |
| vid | see | video |
| vis, vid | see | vision |
| viv/I, vit | live, life | revival |
| voc/i | voice, call | advocate |
| Suffix | Meaning | Example |
| – able | capable of, worthy of | noticeable |
| – ade | action or process, persons acting | renegade |
| – age | state of being, or quality, pertaining to | marriage |
| – al | state of being, or quality, state of | marital, causal |
| – ancy | state, quality, act or condition | agency |
| – ant | one who acts | registrant |
| – archy | rule, government | monarchy |
| – ard | one who acts | steward |
| – ary | pertaining to, connected with | elementary |
| – ced | move, yield | recede, secede |
| – cide | killing, act of | homoicide |
| – cious | capable of | capacious |
| – cit | having the quality, or call | incite |
| – clam | call, cry out | exclamation |
| – clino | lean | decline, incline |
| – clud | shut | seclude, preclude |
| – cracy | rule | democracy |
| – crat | ruler, member of ruling body | autocrat |
| – ennial | yearly | centennial, perennial |
| – ent, er | one who acts | student, teacher |
| – ery | occupation, business, or condition | archery grocery |
| – ette | small or diminutive | dinette, statuette |
| – fic | of, bringing, yielding | pacific, soporific |
| – gon | angled, angular | polygon, pentagon |
| – grade | step | retrograde |
| – hood | full of abounding in, to make, belong to | childhood |
| – ible | capable of, worth of, tending to, or having the quality of | credible |
| – ic, ical | of, pertaining to, similar or like | historical |
| – ier | possessing or being, one who acts | carrier |
| – ify | full of, abounding in, to make state of, move, do | testify |
| – il, ile | act, quality or state, like one who acts | civil, servile |
| – ine | act, quality or state, pertaining to, like one who acts | heroine |
| – ing | expressing action | running, growing |
| – ion | state, condition or act of | volition |
| – ish | acting like, in the nature of, or similar to | impish, mannish |
| – ism | art of, philosophy of, practice of | liberalism, Buddhism |
| – ist | one who acts | philanthropist, artist |
| – ite | possessing or being, one who acts | favorite |
| – ive | having the nature of, tending toward | imaginative, collective |
| – ize | to make into, to practice | mesmerize, familiarize |
| – ject | hurl or throw | projectile |
| – lateral | side | unilateral, multilateral |
| – lent | full of, abounding in | succulent |
| – less | without, beyond the | fearless, useless |
| – like | resembling | childlike |
| – lith | stone | monolith |
| – logy | knowledge, termination in writing | psychology |
| – ly | similar in manner | fully, carefully |
| – ment | state, quality, or act of | entanglement |
| – metry | measure | geometry |
| – ness | condition, or state | consciousness |
| – ology | science or branch of knowledge | technology |
| – or | a person or thing that acts | actor, elevator |
| – ory | of, pertaining to, place of | auditory |
| – ous | state or quality | furious |
| – par | make ready | prepare |
| – pathy | suffering, feeling | sympathy, telepathy |
| – philia | abnormal liking or tending toward | hemophilia |
| – phobia | fear, dread | acrophobia, hydrophobia |
| – phone | sound | telephone |
| – pon, pos | place, put | postpone, position |
| – pter | wing, feather | helicopter |
| – scope | see | microscope |
| – sect | cut | intersect, section |
| – ship | state or quality, art of skill | partnership |
| – sis | action, process, state | thesis |
| – some | like or same | bothersome |
| – sophy | science of | philosophy |
| – sphere | layer | hemisphere |
| – stat | standing, stationary, set | thermostat |
| – ster | one who acts | teamster |
| – tomy | a cutting | appendectomy |
| – tort | to twist | distort |
| – tract | draw, draw from, pull | extract, tractor |
| – tron | an instrument | cyclotron |
| – try | art or profession of, state or quality | forestry, ministry |
| – tude | art or profession of, state or quality | aptitude |
| – ule | diminutive force | miniscule |
| – ulent | abounding in | fraudulent |
| – ure | act or process, result of | adventure, tenure |
| – urgy | work | dramaturgy, metallurgy |
| – ven, vent | come | convention |
| – vore, vorous | eating | carnivore |