Word Roots and Prefixes

This list contains some of the common roots and prefixes that make up the building blocks of numerous English words. Following the table of general roots and prefixes is a table of number prefixes.

How Words Work

Even though the English language has more that a million words in it, many of those words are made up of a relatively small set of roots (or base words) and a prefix. Some words also have a suffix. For example, the root word port means to carry or to bear. Attach the prefix ex, meaning out or out of, and you have the word export, to carry out. Attach the prefix im, meaning in or into and you have import, to carry in. Attach the prefix trans, meaning across, and you have transport, meaning to carry across. Now let’s attach the suffix able, meaning able to be, and you have importable, exportable, and transportable.

The very words prefix and suffix are good examples, too. Pre means before and fix means to fasten or attach, so quite literally, a prefix is something attached to the beginning of something else. Suf is a variant of sub, below or under, so a suffix is something fastened underneath something else (in this case, behind the root).

By learning the common roots and prefixes (and a few suffixes) you will be able to discern the meaning of many new words almost immediately. (But do look them up for confirmation.) Take the word abject, for example. If you know that ab means away or down and ject means to throw, you can easily figure out that abject doesn’t mean something happy. Rather abject’s root meaning of thrown down is quite close to the dictionary defintion of cast down in spirit or sunk into depression.

Now that you have learned that ject means to throw, think how many words you can define almost immediately: reject, project, inject, subject, eject, and so on. Roots are a real key to understanding the meaning of new words you come across in your reading.

Note that some modern words are formed by using abbreviated forms of other words. Thus, we see the use of the letter i for Internet in iPhone, iPod, iPad, and iTunes, indicating that these items or services work with the Internet. Similarly, the use of e for electronic appears in words such as elearning (and various forms: eLearning, E-Learning, and so on), e-commerce, and e-business. The “e-terms” seem to have been coined before the “i-terms” became popular. And note that most of the “i-terms” are trademarks, while the others are general descriptors: “I’m going to download some iTunes from Apple’s e-commerce site because I love e-music.” At any rate, these abbreviated forms are not traditional prefixes, but because they are indeed attached to the front of what amounts to root words, they could be considered functional prefixes.

Enjoy this list, together with the discovery of new words and the secret code behind much of the English language.

When you are ready, try the Word Roots Worksheet 1 to see how well you understand how roots and prefixes work.
Then try Word Roots Worksheet 2 for more fun.
And for a number challenge, try the Number Prefixes Worksheet. You’ll love it.

Want to turn these roots into vocabulary learning?
Learn creatively! See Creative Ways to Learn Vocabulary Words. It’s really fun. I’m not kidding.

General Roots and Prefixes

Are you new to the English language? This is my recommended book from Amazon.com.

Want to build your vocabulary? Check out my list of 1062 really useful words. 

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