If you want to help your students enhance their vocabulary and reading comprehension effortlessly, consider teaching them Greek and Latin root words! Understanding the meanings of these root words enables students to decipher many unfamiliar terms. Here’s an explanation of how this method works and the most effective root words to introduce to students from grades K-12.
What Are Root Words?
A root word serves as a fundamental building block for constructing larger English words. These root words are often derived from languages like Greek and Latin and typically cannot stand alone. Instead, they are combined with prefixes, suffixes, or other root words to generate entirely new words. Here are a few examples:
- auto (Greek for self) + graph (Greek for write) = autograph (the act of writing your own name)
- bi (prefix meaning two) + cycl (Greek for circle) = bicycle (a two-wheeled vehicle)
- contra (Greek for against or opposite) + dict (speak or say) = contradict (to assert the opposite of something)
- manu (Latin for hand) + fact (Latin for make or do) + ure (suffix meaning the process of) = manufacture (the process of making something, originally by hand)
Interestingly, some words combine both Greek and Latin roots:
- aqua (Latin for water) + phobia (Greek for fear of) = aquaphobia (an intense fear of water)
- dys (Greek for bad) + functio (Latin for to perform) = dysfunction (not functioning correctly)
Modern English is a rich tapestry of languages, influenced significantly by Latin, Greek, French, German, Hindi, Norse, Arabic, and Old English, among others. Greek and Latin roots are among the most prevalent, particularly in academic and scientific vocabulary.
Why Teach Greek and Latin Root Words?
Understanding common Latin and Greek roots greatly aids students in deciphering the meanings of unfamiliar words. When students pair this knowledge with a solid understanding of prefixes and suffixes, they can make sense of many terms, even when taken out of context. This is especially valuable during standardized tests like the SAT.
However, it’s essential to remind students that while root words offer a solid foundation, they can sometimes mislead. For example, “discipline” originates from the Latin term for student (discipulus). In English, “discipline” can refer to an area of study or the concept of self-control, which diverges from the original meaning.
Additionally, root words can be perplexing even when they make sense in their original languages. For instance, salary comes from the Latin root sal, meaning salt, which relates to Roman soldiers being partially paid in salt. Without this context, knowing the root doesn’t provide much clarity.
Despite these occasional confusions, understanding Greek and Latin roots proves beneficial more often than not. Hence, here’s a compilation of some of the most common Greek and Latin root words to share with your students.
Greek Root Words (43)
acro
Meaning: high, top
Examples: acropolis, acrobat
anthropo
Meaning: human, humanity
Examples: anthropology, philanthropist
anti
Meaning: against
Examples: antidote, antibacterial
arch
Meaning: chief, first, rule
Examples: monarch, archaeology
ast / astro
Meaning: star
Examples: astronomy, astronaut
auto
Meaning: self
Examples: autograph, automatic
bio
Meaning: life
Examples: biology, biography
chrome
Meaning: color
Examples: chromatic, monochrome
chron
Meaning: time
Examples: chronology, synchronize
cycl
Meaning: circle, wheel
Examples: bicycle, cyclone
dem
Meaning: people
Examples: democracy, epidemic
dyn / dynam
Meaning: power, strength
Examples: dynamo, dynamic
dys
Meaning: bad, difficult, abnormal
Examples: dysfunction, dystopia
geo
Meaning: earth
Examples: geography, geology
graph / gram
Meaning: write, draw
Examples: paragraph, grammar
hetero
Meaning: different
Examples: heterogeneous, heterosexual
homo
Meaning: same
Examples: homonym, homogeneous
hydr
Meaning: water
Examples: hydrant, hydroelectric
hyper
Meaning: over, above
Examples: hyperactive, hyperbole
hypo
Meaning: under, below
Examples: hypothermia, hypodermic
log / logy
Meaning: word, study
Examples: dialogue, biology
mega / megalo
Meaning: great, large
Examples: megaphone, megalopolis
metr / meter
Meaning: measure
Examples: speedometer, barometer
micro
Meaning: small
Examples: microscope, microchip
mis / miso
Meaning: hate
Examples: misogyny, misanthrope
morph
Meaning: form, shape
Examples: metamorphosis, morphology
narc
Meaning: sleep
Examples: narcotic, narcolepsy
naut
Meaning: sailor, ship
Examples: astronaut, nautical
nym
Meaning: name
Examples: pseudonym, antonym
path
Meaning: feeling, disease
Examples: sympathy, pathology
phil
Meaning: love
Examples: philosophy, philanthropist
phobia
Meaning: fear of
Examples: claustrophobia, arachnophobia
phon
Meaning: sound
Examples: telephone, symphony
photo
Meaning: light
Examples: photograph, photosynthesis
polis / polit
Meaning: city, citizen
Examples: metropolis, politics
pseudo
Meaning: false, pretended
Examples: pseudonym, pseudoscientific
psych
Meaning: mind, soul
Examples: psychology, psychic
scope
Meaning: look at, examine
Examples: microscope, periscope
syn
Meaning: together, with
Examples: photosynthesis, synchronize
techno
Meaning: art, craft, skill
Examples: technique, technology
tele
Meaning: far, distant
Examples: television, telescope
theo
Meaning: god
Examples: theology, monotheism
therm
Meaning: heat
Examples: thermometer, thermal
Latin Root Words (45)
ab
Meaning: away, off
Examples: abstain, absent
act
Meaning: to do
Examples: action, actor
ambi
Meaning: both, around
Examples: ambiguous, ambidextrous
aqua
Meaning: water
Examples: aquarium, aquatic
aud
Meaning: hear
Examples: audience, audible
bene
Meaning: good, well
Examples: benefit, benevolent
cent
Meaning: hundred
Examples: century, percent
circum
Meaning: around
Examples: circumference, circulate
contra / counter
Meaning: against, opposite
Examples: contradict, counteract
dict
Meaning: say, speak
Examples: dictate, predict
doc
Meaning: teach, prove
Examples: document, doctor
duc / duct
Meaning: lead
Examples: educate, conduct
fac / fact
Meaning: make, do
Examples: factory, manufacture
form
Meaning: shape
Examples: transform, uniform
fort
Meaning: strong
Examples: fortress, fortify
fract / frag
Meaning: break
Examples: fracture, fragment
fund / found
Meaning: bottom, base
Examples: foundation, fundamental
gen
Meaning: give birth to
Examples: genesis, generation
ject
Meaning: throw
Examples: project, eject
jur
Meaning: law
Examples: jury, jurisdiction
lev
Meaning: lift
Examples: levitate, elevate
lumin / luc / lum
Meaning: light
Examples: illuminate, translucent
mal
Meaning: bad
Examples: malfunction, malevolent
manu / mani
Meaning: hand
Examples: manuscript, manicure
mater / matr
Meaning: mother
Examples: maternity, matriarch
mit / mis
Meaning: send
Examples: transmit, mission
mort
Meaning: death
Examples: mortal, immortal
multi
Meaning: many
Examples: multicolor, multimedia
omni
Meaning: all
Examples: omnivorous, omnipotent
pac
Meaning: peace
Examples: pacify, pact
pater / patr
Meaning: father
Examples: paternal, patriot
port
Meaning: carry
Examples: transport, portable
rupt
Meaning: break
Examples: interrupt, erupt
scrib / script
Meaning: write
Examples: describe, manuscript
sect / sec
Meaning: cut
Examples: section, dissect
sens
Meaning: feel
Examples: sensory, sentiment
spect
Meaning: look, see
Examples: inspect, spectator
struct
Meaning: build
Examples: construct, structure
terr
Meaning: earth
Examples: territory, terrain
timi
Meaning: fear
Examples: timid, intimidate
tract
Meaning: pull, drag
Examples: tractor, attract
vac
Meaning: empty
Examples: evacuate, vacuum
vid / vis
Meaning: see
Examples: video, vision
voc / voke
Meaning: call, voice
Examples: vocal, provoke
volv / volut
Meaning: roll, turn
Examples: revolve, evolution
Plus, Check Out These Fun and Easy Vocabulary Activities and Games for Every Grade!
