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

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

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

-ed

-en

past-tense verbs

made of

-er

-er,

Comparative

one who

-est

-ful

Comparative
7

full of

-ic
having characteristics of
9

-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