English · Rich vocabulary
Roots & affixes
Break words into parts.
What are roots and affixes?
A root is the main part of a word that carries its core meaning. An affix is a letter group added to a root. Prefixes go at the start; suffixes go at the end. Together they build new words with related meanings.
How roots give clues
Many English roots come from Latin or Greek. The root 'port' means carry. So 'transport' means carry across, 'export' means carry out, and 'portable' means able to be carried. Spotting the root unlocks meaning.
Prefixes change direction or intensity
Prefixes often reverse or adjust meaning. 'Un-' means not, so 'unhappy' means not happy. 'Re-' means again, so 'rewrite' means write again. 'Pre-' means before, so 'preview' means view before.
Suffixes change word type
Suffixes usually change how a word works in a sentence. '-ness' turns adjectives into nouns: 'happy' becomes 'happiness'. '-ly' turns adjectives into adverbs: 'quick' becomes 'quickly'. '-able' makes adjectives: 'read' becomes 'readable'.
Breaking words into parts
To understand unfamiliar words, split them into prefix, root and suffix. For 'unbreakable': un- (not) + break (root) + -able (can be). Together it means 'cannot be broken'. This strategy builds vocabulary fast.
Worked examples
1. Break 'disagreement' into its parts and explain the meaning.
- Identify the prefix: 'dis-' means not or opposite.
- Find the root: 'agree' means to have the same opinion.
- Spot the suffix: '-ment' turns a verb into a noun.
- Put it together: disagreement means the state of not agreeing.
2. Break 'invisible' into its parts and explain the meaning.
- Identify the prefix: 'in-' means not.
- Find the root: 'vis' comes from Latin meaning see.
- Spot the suffix: '-ible' means able to be.
- Put it together: invisible means not able to be seen.
3. Break 'prehistoric' into its parts and explain the meaning.
- Identify the prefix: 'pre-' means before.
- Find the root: 'histor' relates to history or recorded events.
- Spot the suffix: '-ic' turns a noun into an adjective.
- Put it together: prehistoric means before recorded history.
Try it yourself
Break 'undoubtedly' into prefix, root and suffix. What does each part mean?
Ready to test yourself?
Take a short topic test — every question maps to a syllabus point so you’ll see exactly which parts you’ve mastered.