Strategy for Preparing for English in Competitive Exams

Common English Word Roots from Greek and Latin

If you aren’t sure that you want to memorize hundreds of roots, then memorize just these 30 roots. These are some of the most useful and common roots that you’ll learn!

You’ll see these popping up everywhere in words you do know and words you don’t know. If you wouldn’t have had any idea what they meant before you had learned the roots, then you’ll see the value of learning roots. I am, like, seriously excited for you.

(G) indicates that a root is Greek in origin, and (L) indicates that a root is Latin.

1. Psych — (G) Mind

Psychology (the study of the mind)

2. Phil — (G) Love

Cinephile (movie lover)

3. Struc — (L) Build

Structure (parts or pieces built into something complex)

4. Vac — (L) Empty

Vacuous (having an empty mind, not thinking)

5. Ver — (L) True

Veritable (real, true, authentic)

6. Scrib/Scrip — (L) Write

Prescription (a written note signed by a doctor which provides instructions for medicine or treatment)

7. Mega — (G) Great, large

Megaphone (a large device which makes your voice louder)

8. Mono — (G) Single

Monochromatic (having only one color)

9. Luc — (L) Light

Lucid (bright, clear)

10. Mal — (L) Bad

Malevolent (wanting to do bad or evil things)

11. Mar — (L) Sea

Marina (a port or harbor for boats and ships)

12. Manu/Mani — (L) Hand

Manicure (a treatment to make your hands look clean, neat and polished)

13. Min — (L) Small

Miniscule (very small in size)

14. Fort — (L) Strong

Fortitude (strength)

15. Mort — (L) Death

Mortician (someone who prepares dead bodies to be buried)

16. Nas/Nat — (L) Birth

Nascent (coming into existence, something just recently created)

17. Trans — (L) Across

Transatlantic (something which crosses the Atlantic Ocean)

18. Voc/Vos — (L) Voice

Vociferous (loud, someone who speaks loudly or talks a lot)

19. Aqua — (L) Water

Aquarium (a tank of water where fish are kept as pets)

20. Bene — (L) Good

Benevolent (wanting good things for people, generous, kind)

21. Chron — (G) Time

Chronological (organized by time of occurrence)

22. Bio — (G) Life

Biology (the study of living things)

23. Theo — (G) God

Theology (the study of religion)

24. Phone — (G) Sound

Telephone (a device used to talk with other people)

25. Omni — (L) All

Omniscient (knowing everything)

26. Sens/Sent — (L) Feel

Sentimental (emotional, attaching emotional value to things)

27. Terr — (L) Earth

Terrarium (a container for land animals kept as pets, often containing rocks, dirt or sand)

28. Vid/Vis — (L) See

Visible (able to be seen)

29. Auto — (G) Self

Automatic (happens on its own)

30. Poly — (G) Many

Polyglot (person who can speak many languages)

How to Use Roots to Form and Understand English Words

Now that you have a list of great roots to memorize, you’ll need a list of the most common prefixes and suffixes to go with it.

Why?

Prefixes and suffixes are two things that can be attached to roots to form words.

Suffixes can be attached at the ends of roots to change either the definition or the part of speech (noun, verb, adjective, etc.) of the word. So, suffixes can change verbs into nouns, nouns into adjectives, and so on.

To create words you put a root together with either a suffix or prefix. Examples:

photo (root for light) + graph (suffix for written) = photograph (light that is written)

re (prefix for again) + flect (root for bend) = reflect (to bend again)

Now you might think these are funny ways to define the words “photograph” and “reflect.” This is because using Latin to define words means that you’re using very direct, literal translations.

However funny these translations might sound, there’s always a clue there that shows what the true meaning is in English.

The Top 10 Suffixes You’ll See with Roots

1. able — (L) is, can be

2. act — (L) state, quality

3. phil/phile — (G) fear, fearing

4. chrome — (G) color

5. logy — (G) study of

6. ism — (G) act, practice or result of

7. some — (G) body

8. cidal/cide — (L) killer, a killing

9. meter — (G) a measurement

10. nomy — (G) systematized knowledge of

The Top 10 Prefixes You’ll See with Roots

1. ad — (L) to, attached to

2. amphi — (G) both, about, around

3. andro — (G) man, male

4. semi — (L) half

5. non — (L) not

6. pre — (L) before

7. inter — (L) between

8. anti — (G) against, opposed

9. co — (L) with, together

10. mono — (G) one, single, alone

The Matching Game for Practicing English Roots, Suffixes and Prefixes

Play this with a partner to see who can earn the most points!

a. Make flashcards of the roots, suffixes and prefixes you want to memorize. You’ll also need a dictionary.

b. Mix up the flashcards into two groups, keeping suffixes and prefixes together in one group with the roots in another separate group.

c. Place the two groups in two separate piles face down in their separate groups. You’ll now have all the roots on the right side and prefixes/suffixes on the left side.

d. Pick a card from each group and turn both cards face up.

e. Form a word and write down what you think the definition should be according to the meaning of the root and the suffix or prefix you chose. Also write down whether you believe it is or isn’t a real word in the English language.

f. Once you’ve made your two guesses, look the word up in the dictionary to see if it really exists. If it does and the meaning you guessed is correct, then two points for you! If it’s not a real word, but you got the root and prefix/suffix meanings correct, then one point for you.