The words of the English language are drawn from a number of different sources: Latin, Greek, French, German, Old English, Middle English and more. Below, you can find over 200 English, Latin and Greek roots from which many English words are constructed. The knowledge of the roots below will be very helpful in learning to analyze English words and determine their meaning. This is helpful with English composition, reading comprehension, SAT scores and much more.
English Roots – Prefixes
- a = at, in, on, or adds force
- after = behind
- all, al = wholly
- be = to, cause, by
- for = against, not, or adds force
- fore = before, in front
- forth = forward
- full = completely
- gain = against
- in, im = in, into, within; sometimes intensive
- mis = wrong, wrongly
- never = not ever
- off = from
- out = beyond
- over = above, in excess
- to = at, the, this
- un = not, opposite act in verbs
- under = beneath
- well, wel = rightly
- with = against, from, back
Latin Roots – Prefixes
- ab, a, abs = from, away from
- ad, a, ac, af, ag, al, am, an, ap, ar, as, at = to, against
- ambi, amb, am, an = around, on all sides
- ante = before
- bene = well
- bi, bin, bis = two, twice
- circum, circu = abound, around
- contra, contro, counter = against
- cum, co, col, com, con, cor, conn = with, together, or adds force
- de = away, down from, or adds force
- dis, de, des, di, dif = apart, not, opposite act
- du, duo = two
- ex, e, ex, ef, es = out of, from
- extra = beyond, without
- in, en, i, il, im, ir = not
- in, am, an, em, en, il, im, ir = in, into, on, upon
- inter, enter, intel = among, between
- intro = within
- juxta = near to
- mal = badly, evil or ill
- ne, nec = not
- non = not, not one
- ob, o, oc, of, o, os, obs = against, upon
- pen = almost
- per, par, pel, pil = through
- post = after
- pre = before
- preter = past, beyond
- pro, prod, prof, pol, por, pur, pru = for, forth, forwards
- re, red = again, back, against, or opposite act
- retro = backward
- se, sed = away, from
- semi = half
- sine = without
- sub, sou, suc, suf, sug, sum, sup, sur, sus = under, from below
- subter = under
- super, sur = over, above, beyond
- trans, tran, tra, tres = beyond, across, through
- tri, tre = three, thrice
- ultra = beyond
- vice, vis = in place of
Greek Roots – Prefixes
- amphi = on both sides
- an, a = not
- ana = again, back through
- anti, ant = against
- apo, ap = from
- cata, cat = down
- di, dis = twice, two
- dia, di = through
- dys = bad, ill
- ec, ex = from, out of
- en, em = in, on
- epi, ep = upon
- eu, ev = well
- hemi = half
- hyper = over
- hypo, hyp = under
- meta, met = beyond, after, change
- mono, mon = alone, one
- para, par = beside
- peri = around
- poly = many
- pro = before
- pseudo = false
- syn, syl, sym, sys, sy = with
English Roots – Suffixes
- ar = one who (noun)
- ard = one who (noun)
- dom = state of being; domain of (noun)
- ed, d, t = past tense and past participle ending (verb)
- el = that which or by which (noun)
- en = made of (adj); to make (verb); little (noun)
- er = one who; that which (noun)
- er = more; comparative (adj)
- est = mostl superlative (adj)
- ful = full of, causing (adj)
- head, hood = state or quality of being (noun)
- ie, y = little (noun)
- ing = the act (noun); continuing (verb, adj)
- ish = somewhat, like (adj); to make (verb)
- kin = little (noun)
- le = denotes frequent action (verb)
- le = that which (noun)
- less = without (a)
- let = little (noun)
- ling = little
- ly, y = like, manner
- ness = state or quality of being
- ock = little (noun)
- or = one who, that which (noun)
- ow = to make (verb)
- ow = by which (noun)
- s, es = plural ending of nouns (noun); 3rd pl. ending of verbs (verb)
- ʼs, sʼ = denotes the possessive case (noun)
- ship = state of; office of (noun)
- some = full of, causing (adj)
- st = state of being (noun)
- ster = one who (noun)
- th, t = state of being (noun)
- ward, wards = direction of (adverd)
- wise = manner (adverb)
- y = see ie (noun)
- y = full of, having (adj)
- y = see ly (adj, adverb)
Latin Roots – Suffixes
- able, abil, ble, bl = abl to be, fit to be, causing (adj)
- aceous, acious = having the quality of, full of (adj)
- acy = state or quality of being (noun)
- ible, ibil, ibl, bil, bl = abl to be, fit to be, causing (adj)
- ad = (noun)
- age = state of being; act of that which; a collection of (noun)
- al, el, l = pertaining to the act of (noun, ad)
- an, ain, ane, ean, ian = pertaining to; one who
- ance, ancy, anc = state of being; act of
- and, end = to be, about to be, should be, -ing (noun)
- ante, ant = before, in front of
- ar = pertaining to
- ary, ar, ari = belonging to; one who; place where
- at, it = passive participle ending; ending of Latin noun stem (noun, verb)
- ate, at = having; one who; to make (noun, adj, verb)
- ble = see able (adj)
- bulum, bule, ble, bul = place; that which or by which (noun)
- culum, cule, cle, cher, cul = place; that which or by which (noun)
- ce = see acy
- cle, cel, cule, cul = little
- cy = see acy
- ee = one to whom (noun)
- el, eel = see al
- ence, ency, enc = state of being (noun)
- ens = of, belonging to (noun)
- ent = one who; that which; being or ing (noun, adj)
- er, eer, ier, r = one who (noun)
- er, eer = frequentative or causative (verb)
- ern = of, belonging to (adj)
- ery, ry, er = place where; state of beingl collection; art of (noun)
- esc = to grow or become (verb)
- ess = denotes female agent (noun)
- esque = somewhat like (adj)
- est = of, belonging to (adj)
- estr = of, belonging to (adj)
- ette, et = little
- ey = see y
- ible = see able
- ic, ical = pertaining to; made of (adj); one who (noun)
- ice = state or quality of being; thing that (noun)
- id = quality, pertaining to (adj)
- ier = see eer
- ile, il = able to be; relating to (adj)
- ine, in = belonging to (adj); noun ending also
- ion = act of; state of being; that which (noun)
- ique = belonging to (adj)
- ish = see esc
- ite = one who; being (noun, adj)
- ity, ty = state or quality of being (noun)
- ive, iv = one who; that which (noun);having power or quality (adj)
- ix = denotes a female (noun)
- ix = that which (noun)
- ize, ise, iz, is = to make, to give (verb)
- le, l = frequentative (verb)
- le, l = see al, el (noun, adj)
- lence = abundance of (noun)
- lent = abnounding in (adj)
- men = that acted upon (noun)
- ment = state of being; act of; that which
- mony, moni = state of being; that which; that derived from
- ocr = pertaining to (adj, noun)
- on, oon, ion = one who (noun)
- or = one who; that which (noun)
- or, our = state or quality of being; place where (noun)
- ory, ori = relating to; place where; thing which (adj, noun)
- ose, ous, os = full of, having (adj)
- ot = one who (noun)
- r = one who (noun)
- rix = denotes female agent (noun)
- ry = see ery
- sion, son = see ion
- time = belonging to (adj)
- tion = see ion
- tude, tud, ude = state of being (noun)
- ty = see ity
- ul = prone to (adj)
- ule, ul = little (noun)
- ure, ur = state or act of; that which (noun)
- urn = belong to (adj)
- y, i = state of being, that which (noun)
Greek Roots – Suffixes
- ac = pertaining to (adj)
- et = one who (noun)
- ic, ical = pertaining to; made of (adj); one who (n)
- ic, ics = science of (noun)
- ise, ize – to make; to give (verb)
- ism = state of being; doctrine (noun)
- ist = one who (noun)
- y = state of being (noun)
This list provides you with a great start in the study of English Latin and Greek Roots. The knowledge of these 200 roots will help you to decode thousands of English words.
To build your English vocoabulary more fully, enroll in our free English Vocabulary course.
God bless your studies,
William C. Michael, Headmaster
Classical Liberal Arts Academy