ScholarSkills
The Big Book
Of Roots and
Prefixes
The Word-Parts that Students
Need to Build A Great
Vocabulary and Achieve
Success on Standardized Tests
Mr. Brian Vieira M.A.
ScholarSkills Inc. All Rights Reserved 2014
Introduction
Word analysis is one of the finest ways to teach and to learn vocabulary. The roots,
prefixes, suffixes, and derivatives in this book are of great importance: They can help
students to decode over 100,000 words in a collegiate dictionary.
This book contains the following:
• 50 of the most prolific prefixes
• 95 of the most fruitful roots
• 27 of the most important suffixes
• 114 derivative words with sentences on the back of them and a fill in
the blank system for remembering the key prefixes
• 300 essential vocabulary words derived from prefix-root
combinations for exponential vocabulary growth
Knowing these essential word-makers and word-decoders can help students improve
their reading comprehension and gain better grades in school and higher scores on
standardized tests.
Students preparing for the SAT and GRE will find these word elements to be extremely
useful.
Instructors can use them in a variety of unique and exciting ways. I have arranged them
as flashcards so that they can be printed, cut, and used as needed.
I hope that this “Big Book of Roots” will be helpful as you assist students to build better
vocabularies.
Mr. Brian Vieira
www.ScholarSkills.com
ScholarSkills Inc. All Rights Reserved 2014
Table of Contents
Prefixes
Roots
Suffixes
Derivatives With Context Clue Cards
Glossary of Essential Derivatives
Prefix Power
a-, an-
ab, abs
not, without, (having) no
away from, off
1
2
ad-, a-, ac-,
af-, ag-, al-,
amphi-
at, towards, very
3
both, on both sides of,
around
4
ana#,%an#
anti
up, back, again, upside
down, wrong
against, opposed to,
opposite of, instead
5
6
apo-, ap-
be
from, off, away from
7
thoroughly; to make,
cause, seem
8
cata-, cat-
com-,con-, co-,col
down, against, very,
bad(ly), completely
9
with, together, completely
10
de
down from, off, away from, down
to the bottom, totally, completely,
not, do the opposite of
dia-, di-
11
through, across, between,
apart, throughout
12
dis, di
dys-
lack of, not, do the opposite of
apart, away, completely
bad, disordered, difficult
13
14
e, ec, ex
el, em, en, in
out of, from, upwards, completely,
deprive of, without, former
15
endo-, entoend-, ent
near, at in, on, within,
in, into, completely
16
epi-, ep-
within
17
(up)on, to, in addition to,
against, in(to), over
18
eu-, ev-
exo-, ecto-
good, well
outside, external
19
20
extro
fore
outward
before in time, rank,
position
21
22
hyper-
hypo-, hyp-
over, excessive
below, less than normal
23
24
in, im, il, ir
inter
not, opposite of
25
among, between, in the
midst of
26
meta-, met-
mal
after, changed, different,
beyond
27
bad,%wrong,%ill
mid
mis
Being at or near the
middle point of
29
28
bad, wrong
30
mono
multi
one, alone; containing one
many, much
31
32
non
ob-,of-,oc-,
op-,o-
not, lack of,
not at all
33
against, all over,
in front of, to, towards, after,
completely
over
poly
beyond, above, upon, in,
across, past; on high
35
Many, much
para-, par-
per
beside, alongside, related to;
disordered, sideways, wrong,
contrary to, different (from)
through, very, during, by means
of, on account of, as in,
thoroughly
37
38
peri-
pre
around, near
39
before
40
34
36
pro
forward, or in favor of, in
front of, before
41
re
back, back to the original
place; again, anew, once
more, completely
43
sub-, suc-, suf-,
sug-, sup-, sur-, susunder, supporting
45
syn-, sym-, syl-, sy-
prostoward, in addition to
42
semi
half, part, partly; partial,
imperfect; twice
44
super
above, over, on top (of),
beyond, in addition to
46
trans
with, together, same
across, beyond, to go beyond
47
48
un
under
not, opposite of
below or beneath, too little
49
50
The Most Fruitful Roots
Smart Parts Chart 1
Equi, Equ
Ambi
Equal
Both
Ambula, Ambuli
Ami, Ama, Amic
To walk
Amor
Friend, lover
Ante
To love
In front of; previous,
existing beforehand
Anthrop
-ation, -ion, -ition,
-tion
Man
Act of, result of, state of
Auto
Bell
Self
War
Smart Parts Chart 2
Bene
Biblio
Well
Book
Bio
Cept, Cap, Capt,
Ceiv, Cip
Life
Cap, Capit
Head
Chron
To seize, to take
Cede
To go away, withdraw,
give ground
Circum
Time
Around, all around, on all
sides
Compani
Contra
To join as a companion
Against
Smart Parts Chart 3
Cord
Corp
Heart
Body
-cracy
Cred
Rule or government by
To believe
Demo
Dica
People
To speak
Dict
Duce, Duct
To say, tell, speak
To lead
Eu
Fic, Fac, Fact, Fash
Good, well
To make or do
Word Smarts Chart 4
Fer, Lat, Lay
Form
To bear or carry
To shape, form
-ful
Geni
Full of
To give birth
Graph, Gram
Greg
To write
Flock, herd
Homo, Hom
Intro
Same
Inward
Ject
Log, Ology
To throw
Speech or science
Smart Parts Chart 5
-less
Locu, Loq, Loc
Without
To speak
Magni
Manu
Great, Large, Big
Hand
Mater, Matri
Merge
Mother
To plunge, immerse
Metron
Miso
Measure
To hate
Mit, Mis, Miss
Multi
Let go, send
Many, Much
Smart Parts Chart 6
Neo
Omni
New
All, whole, every kind
-ous, -eous, -ious
Pater, Patri
Full of, characterized by
Father
Pedo
Ped, pedis
Boy, child
Foot
Per
Phile, Phil
Thoroughly, through,
during, by means of, on
account of, as in
One that loves, likes, or is
attracted
Phobe, phobia
Phone
Fear
Sound, voice
Smart Chart 7
Plic, Play, Plex,
Ploy, Ply
Poly
To fold, bend, twist,
interweave
Many, much
Pon, Pos, Post
Renascence
To put or place
Revival or rebirth
Retro
Science, Scient, Sci
Back, Backwards
To know
Scope
To see, look, consider,
examine
Scribe, Scrip, Scriv
To write
Se
Semin
Apart
To plant, propagate
Smart Parts Chart 8
Sequ
Somni, somn
To follow, come after
Sleep
Sopho, Sophi
Sopor
Wise, clever
Deep sleep
Spect, Spi, Spy
Spire
To look
To breathe
Sist, Sta, Stan, Stat
Struct
To stand, endure, persist
To build
Sub
Tele
Under, beneath, below,
secondary
Far, distant
Smart Parts Chart 9
Temp, Tempo
Tend, Tens, Tent
Time
To stretch, spread out
Tain, Ten, Tin
Terra
To have or hold
Land
Theo
Tract
God
To pull, draw, drag
Transigent
Unda, Undu
To come to an agreement
Wave
Uni
Vac
One
Empty
Smart Parts Chart 10
Vere, Vener
Stand in awe of, respect,
to worship
Ven, Vent, Vene
To come
Verb
Vert
Word
To turn in some direction
Volent, Volence
Will
Essential Suffixes
-able, -ible
can be done
-al, -ial
having characteristics of
1
2
-ed
-en
past-tense verbs
made of
3
4
-er
-er,
Comparative
one who
5
6
-est
-ful
Comparative
7
full of
-ic
having characteristics of
9
8
-ing
verb form/
present participle
10
-ion, -tion, -ation, ition
act, process
11
-ity, -ty
state of
12
-ive, -ative, itive
adjective form
of a noun
13
-less
without
14
-ly
-ment
characteristic of
action or process
15
16
-ness
-ous, -eous, ious
state of, condition of
full of, possessing the
qualities of
17
18
-s, -es
-y
more than one
characterized by
19
20
-gram, -graph, graphy
-ism, -ist
thing written,
writing, instrument for writing,
art or science of writing
belief in, practice of,
condition of, one who
believes in, one engaged in
21
22
-(t)ics, -log(y), nom(y)
art, science, system, or study of
science of, systematic study of,
science of, system of laws
governing
-archy, -cracy
rule by, type of government
24
23
-arch, -crat
one who rules,
one who advocates or practices,
rule by
25
path, pathy
feeling, suffering, emotion;
disorder, disease,
26
mania
madness about, passion
for, one having a madness
or passion for
27
Derivatives and Sentences
(Print double-sided)
Glossary of Derivatives
(From Prefix-Root Combinations)
ScholarSkills Match Me II Glossary of Terms
Copyright 2014 ScholarSkills Inc. All Rights Reserved
ScholarSkills: Glossary of Derivative Definitions