Root Words & Prefixes: Quick Reference

Root words and prefixes are listed alphabetically below. We also offer suffix worksheets.

Variations of a word root are listed together, for example mater, matri or agr/i/o (read: agr- or agri- or agro-).

Root words that only appear in three or less distinct words are ignored.

Are we missing a word root?
Please send us an email.

like - share - follow

FREE tutoring with your personal LearnThatWord account! Practice words until you learned them by heart. Every session is designed for your goals and learning history. Spelling practice is available, too.

Attention, teachers:

Start your free teacher account and delegate vocabulary review to us.
LearnThatWord is easy and guarantees results!

Jump directly to a letter in the table: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Link	Root word	Meanings	Origin	Examples and Definitions

	a/n	not, without	Greek	abyss – without bottom; achromatic – without color; anhydrous – without water
	a	on	Latin	afire – on fire; ashore – on the shore; aside – on the side
	a, ab/s	from, away, off	Latin	abduct – carry away by force; abnormal – away from normal, not normal; absent – away, not present; aversion – the act of turning away from; abbreviate: to shorten.
	a/c/d	to, toward, near	Latin	accelerate – to increase the speed of; accessible – easily entered, approached, or obtained; admittance – allowing into;
	acro	top, height, tip, beginning	Greek	acrobat – a “high walker”; acronym – a word formed from the first (capital) letters of a word; acrophobia – fear of height
	act	do	Latin	activity – something that a person does; react – to do something in response; interaction – communication between two or more things
	aer/o	air	Greek	aerate – to let air reach something; aerial – relating to the air; aerospace – the air space
	agr/i/o	farming	Latin Greek	agriculture – management of the land, agribusiness – making money by utilizing land; agrarian – relating to the management of land
	alg/o	pain	Latin	neuralgia – pain caused by a nerve; analgesic – a drug that makes one pain free; nostalgia – aching for the familiar
	ambi, amphi	both, on both sides, around	Latin	ambidextrous – able to use both hands equally; ambiguous – having more than one meaning; ambivalence – conflicting or opposite feelings toward a person or thing
	ambul	walk, move	Latin	amble – to walk in a slow, relaxed way; ambulant – walking or moving around; ambulance – a vehicle that moves a patient
	ami/o	love	Latin	amiable – friendly, pleasant, lovable; amity – friendly and peaceful relations; amorous – showing romantic love
	ana	up, back, against, again, throughout	Greek	analysis – a close examination of something; anatomy – the structure of something as visible when cut up for analysis; anachronism – not being in the right place in time
	andr/o	man, male	Greek	androgynous – being both male and female; android – resembling a human; misandry – hatred towards men
	anim	life, spirit	Latin	animal – a living organism; animate – to make alive; equanimity – of balanced spirit
	ann/enn	year	Latin	anniversary – a date observed once a year; annual – happening once a year; millennium – 1,000 years
	ante	before, in front	Latin	antecede – to come before something in time; antemeridian – before noon; anteroom- a small room before the main room
	anth/o	flower	Greek	chrysanthemum and amaranth – names of flowers; anthology – a collection of treasured writings; anthozoan – half plant, half animal, like anemones and corals.
	anthrop/o	human	Greek	anthropology – the study of mankind; anthropomorphism – giving human form to non-human things; philanthropy – the love to mankind (expressed through good deeds)
	anti	against, opposite of	Greek	antibody – a substance that destroys micro-organisms; antiseptic – preventing infection; antisocial – opposing social norm
	apo, apho	away, off, separate	Greek	aphorism – a short expression of a general truth; apology – an explicit expression of regret, apostrophe – a small dash used in place of an omitted letter
	aqu/a	water	Latin	aquarium – a water container for fish; aquatic- relating to water; aqueduct – a pipeline for water
	arbor	tree	Latin	arborist – someone working with trees; arbor – a shady area formed by trees; arborous – having many trees
	arch/i	chief, most important, rule	Greek	archbishop – the highest ranking bishop; archenemy – chief or worst enemy; matriarch – a female who rules a group; monarch – a king or queen
	arch/a/i	primitive, ancient	Greek	archaeology – the study of ancient cultures; archaic – belonging to an earlier period; archive – a collection of historical materials
	arthr/o	joint	Latin Greek	arthroscope – a tool to see inside a joint; arthritis – inflammation of a joint; arthropod – invertebrates with jointed legs, like spiders, crustaceans, insects
	art	skill	Latin	artifact – object made by a person’s skill; artisan – a person skilled in a craft; artist – a person who creates skillfully
	astro, aster	star, stars, outer space	Latin	astronaut – a person traveling to the stars; astronomer – someone who studies the stars; asterisk – a star-shaped sign used as a reference tool
	aud/i/io	hear	Latin	audible – loud enough to be heard; audience – people who listen to a program; audiovisual – relating to sound and vision
	auto	self, same, one	Greek	autocrat – a person who governs with absolute power; autograph – a person’s own signature; automatic – moving by itself
	avi/a	bird	Latin	aviary – a large enclosure for birds; aviatrix – a female airplane pilot; aviation – the art of designing or operating aircraft
	bar/o	pressure, weight	Greek	baric – pertaining to pressure, esp. of the atmosphere; milliard – metric unit, equal to 1/1000th of a bar; baryon – heavy elementary particle
	bell/i	war	Latin	bellicose – warlike; belligerent – hostile, ready to fight; rebel – person who opposes and fights
	bene	good, well	Latin	benefactor – person who gives money to a cause; beneficial – producing a good effect; benevolent – showing kindness or goodwill
	bi/n	two, twice, once in every two	Latin	biannual – happening twice a year; binoculars – optical device with two lenses; bilateral – of or involving two sides
	bibli/o	book	Greek	bibliography – a list of books used as sources; bibliomania – an extreme love of books; bibliophile – a person who loves books
	bio	life, living matter	Greek	biography- a life story written by another person; biology – the science of life; biosphere – Earth’s surface inhabited by living things
	blast/o	cell, primitive, immature cell	Greek	blastula – an early stage of embryonic development; fibroblast – a cell that forms connective tissue; blastoderm – the layer surrounding the inside of an egg
	burs	pouch, purse	Latin	bursar- an administrative officer in charge of funds; bursary- the treasury of a college or monastery; disburse- to expend especially from a public fund
	calc	stone	Latin	calcite; calcium- the flame of acetylene gas generated by reaction of calcium carbide with water; calcification- impregnation with calcareous matter
	cand	glowing, iridescent	Latin	candid- free from bias, prejudice, or malice; candle- something that gives light; incandescent- white, glowing, or luminous with intense heat
	capt, cept, ceive	take, hold	Latin	intercept – to stop or interrupt; perceive – to take notice of something; captivating – taking hold of
	cardi/o	heart	Greek	cardiac – relating to the heart; cardiogenic – resulting from heart disease; cardiologist – a heart doctor
	carn/i	flesh, meat	Latin	carnivorous – flesh-eating; carnal – pertaining to the body or flesh; incarnate – given bodily form
	cata	down, against completely, intensive, according to	Greek	cataclysm – a flood or other disaster, catalog – a complete listing; catastrophe – turning for the worst, a substantial disaster
	caust, caut	to burn	Latin Greek	cauterize – to burn with a hot instrument; caustic – capable of burning or eating away; holocaust – total devastation, especially by fire
	cede, ceed, cess	go, yield	Latin	exceed – to go beyond the limits; recede – to go back; accessible – easily entered, approached, or obtained;
	celer	fast	Latin	accelerate – to increase the speed of; decelerate – to reduce the speed of
	cent/i	hundred, hundredth	Latin	centennial- the 100th anniversary; centimeter – 1/100 of a meter; century – 100 years
	centr/o/i	center	Greek	egocentric – self-centered; eccentric – not having a common center, not according to norm; centrifugal – moving outward from a center
	cephal/o	head	Greek	encephalitis – inflammation of the brain; cephalic – pertaining to the head; cephalopod – marine mollusks like octopus and squid who have tentacles growing from their head
	cerebr/o	brain	Latin	cerebral – pertaining to the brain; cerebrate – to use the brain; cerebrospinal – pertaining to the brain and the spinal cord
	cert	sure	Latin	ascertain- to find out something with certainty; certain – being absolutely sure; certify – to state that something is true
	chrom/o chromat/o, chros	color, pigment	Greek	achromatic – without color; chromium – a blue-white metallic chemical element, chromatics – the study of color
	chron/o	time	Greek	chronic – lasting for a long time; chronological – arranging events in time order, synchronize – happening at the same time
	chrys/o	gold, yellow	Greek	chrysanthemum and helichrysum – golden/yellow flowers; chrysolite – a yellowish gem
	cide, cise	cut, kill	Latin	homicide – murder; incisor – a sharp tooth for cutting food; insecticide – a chemical used to kill insects
	circum, circle	around, about	Latin	circumnavigate – to sail around; circumscribe – to draw around; circumspect – looking around
	claim, clam	shout, speak out	Latin	clamor – to shout and make noise; exclaim – to cry out loudly and suddenly; proclamation – something announced officially in public
	clar	clear	Latin	clarification – an explanation; clarify – to make something clear; declare – to state something clearly
	clud, clus	close	Latin	conclusion – the end or last part; exclusion – shutting out, rejecting; seclude – to keep away from; to isolate
	cline	lean	Latin	inclination – a leaning toward; incline – a surface that slopes or leans; recline – to lean back and relax
	co	with, together, joint	Latin	coauthor – writer who collaborates with another author; coeducation – educating males and females together; cohousing – planning your neighborhood in an intentional neighborly fashion
	col	together, jointly	Latin	Collaborate – to work together; collision – smashing together; colloquial – words formed by everday interaction
	com	together, common	Latin	commemorate – to memorize together; composition – an arrangement or putting together of parts; commune – living together while owning things in common
	cogn/i	know	Latin	cognition – process of acquiring knowledge; incognito – disguised so no one knows you; recognize – to discover that one knows
	con	with, jointly	Latin	concur – to agree with someone; contemporary – of the same time period as others; convention – a gathering of people with a common interest
	contra/o	against, opposite	Latin	contradict to argue against, Contraflow, contraception, contrary not in agreement, controversy disagreement
	corp/o	body	Latin	corporation – a company recognized by law as a single body; corpse – a dead body; corporal – pertaining to the body
	cosm/o	universe	Greek	cosmonaut – a Russian astronaut; cosmos – the universe; microcosm – a miniature universe
	counter	opposite, contrary, opposing		counteract – to oppose the effects of an action; countermand – to cancel a previous order; counteroffensive – attack against an attack
	cranio	skull	Greek	craniology – the study of skull characteristics; cranium – skull of vertebrates; cranial – pertaining to the skull
	cred	believe	Latin	credence – belief that something is true or valid; credulous – believing things too easily, gullible; incredible – unbelievable
	cruc	cross	Latin	crucial-characteristic of or having the form of a cross ; crucifix- the cross itself as a Christian emblem; excruciating- so intense as to cause great pain or anguish
	crypto	hidden, secret	Greek	cryptic – of hidden meaning; cryptography – science of secret codes; encrypt – encode into secret code
	cumul	mass, heap	Latin	accumulate – to gather or pile up; cumulative – gradually building up
	curr, curs	run	Latin	concurrent- running parallel; current- flowing easily and smoothly; cursive- having a flowing, easy, impromptu character
	cycl	circle, ring	Greek	bicycle – a vehicle with two wheels; cycle – a sequence that is repeated; cyclone – a storm with circling winds
	de	reduce, away, down, remove	Latin	decelerate – to slow down, reduce speed; dethrone – to remove from power; debug – to remove bugs
	dec/a, deka	ten	Greek	decade – 10 years; decathlon – athletic contest that includes 10 disciplines in which each participant competes; December – formerly the 10th month of the Roman calendar
	deci	one tenth	Latin	deciliter – a tenth of a liter; decimate – reduce dramatically; decibel – one tenth of the sound volume unit bel
	dem/o	people	Greek	democracy – government of the people; demographic – the study of people; epidemic – spreading among people in a region
	demi	half, less than	Latin	demitasse – a small cup of coffee; demimonde – someone of little respected life style
	dendr/o/i	tree	Greek	philodendron – a climbing plant that grows on trees; dendrochronology – dating events by studying growth rings in trees; dendriform – in the shape of a tree
	dent, dont	tooth	Latin	dental – relating to teeth; dentist – a doctor for the teeth; dentures – a set of false teeth
	derm/a	skin	Greek	dermatologist – a doctor for the skin; pachyderm – a class of animals with very thick skin (elephant, rhinoceros); dermatitis – inflammation of the skin
	di/plo	two, twice	Greek	dichromatic – displaying two colors; diploma – a certificate, literally “a letter folded double”; dilemma – a situation that requires a choice between two alternatives.
	di/s	apart, away, not, to the opposite	Latin	digression – a departure from the main issue, subject; disappear – to move out of sight; dissect – to cut apart piece by piece.
	dia	through, between, apart, across	Greek	diabetes – disease characterized by excessive thirst and discharge of urine; diagnosis – understanding a condition by going through a detailed review of symptoms; dialog – conversation between two people.
	dict	speak	Latin	contradict – to express the opposite of; prediction – a statement foretelling the future; dictate – to speak out loud for another person to write down.
	domin	master	Latin	dominate – to be the master of; domineering – excessively controlling; predominate – to have more power than others
	don/at	give	Latin	donation – a contribution or gift; donor – someone who gives something; pardon – to give forgiveness for an offense
	duc/t	lead	Latin	conduct – to lead musicians in playing music; educate – to lead to knowledge; deduction – a subtraction of an amount.
	du/o	two, twice	Latin	duplicate – make an identical copy; duet – a musical composition for two voices or instruments; duo – a pair normally thought of as being together.
	dur	harden, to last, lasting	Latin	durable – having the quality of lasting; duration – the length of time something lasts; enduring – able to last.
	dyn/a/am	power, energy, strength	Greek	dynamo – a generator of energy; dynamic – having physical energy/power; dynamite – a powerful explosive.
	dys	abnormal, bad	Greek	dyspepsia – abnormal indigestion; dystopia – an imaginary place of total misery; dyslexia – impairment of the ability to handle words.
	e-	out, away	Latin	eloquent – speaking beautifully and forcefully; emissary – a representative of a country or group sent on a mission; eject – throw out forcefully.
	ego	self	Latin Greek	egoistic – self-centered; alter ego – a higher aspect of oneself; egomania – excessive preoccupation with oneself.
	em, en	into, cover with, cause		empathy – intention to feel like another person; empower – put into power; engorge – make larger.
	endo	within, inside	Greek	endotherm – a creature that can keep its inside temperature fairly constant; endocrine – relating to glands that secrete directly into the blood or lymph; endogamy – the custom to marry within one’s clan, tribe etc.
	enn/i, anni	years	Latin	bicentennial – of or relating to an age or period of 200 years; centennial – of or relating to an age or period of 100 years; perennial -lasting through many years.
	en, in	inside, inwards	Latin	envision – to picture in the mind; enclose – lock inside; inwards – towards the inside.
	ep/i	on, upon, over, among, at, after, to, outside	Greek	epidemic – the rapid spread of something negative; epilogue – a short speech delivered after a play; epicenter – the center of an earthquake.
	equ/i	equal, equally	Latin	equidistant – an equal distance from two points; equanimity – calm temperament, evenness of temper; equation – a statement of equality.
	erg/o	work	Greek	ergonomics – study of the working environment; energy – the power to accomplish work; energetics – science that looks at energy and its transformation.
	esth/aesth	feeling, sensation, beauty	Latin	esthetician – someone who beautifies; aesthetic – pertaining to a sense of beauty; kinesthesia – the sensation of bodily movement.
	ethno	race, people	Greek	ethnic – pertaining to a defined group of people; ethnocentric – focusing on the ethnicity of people; ethnology – the science of people and races.
	eu	good, well	Greek	euphemism – replacing an offensive word with an inoffensive one; euphonious – having a pleasant sound; euphoria – feeling of well-being.
	ex	from, out,	Latin	excavate – to dig out; exhale – to breathe out; extract – to pull out.
	extra, extro	outside, beyond	Latin	extraordinary – beyond ordinary; extraterrestrial – outside the Earth; extrovert – an outgoing person.
	fac/t	make, do	Latin	artifact – an object made by a person; factory – a place where things are made; malefact – a person who does wrong.
	fer	bear, bring, carry	Latin	confer – to bring an honor to someone; ferry – a boat that carries passengers; transfer – to move to another place.
	fid	faith	Latin	confide – place trust in someone, fidelity – faithfulness; fiduciary – a trustee;
	flect	bend	Latin	deflect – to bend course because of hitting something; inflection – a bending in the voice’s tone or pitch; flexible – easily bending.
	flor/a, fleur	flower	Latin	florist – someone working with flowers; floral – flowerlike; flora – the plant life of a particular time or area
	for	completely (used to intensify the meaning of a word)		forsaken or forfeited – completely lost; forgiven – completely given (a release of debt).
	fore	in front of, previous, earlier		forebear – ancestor; forebode – to give an advance warning of something bad; forecast – a preview of events to be.
	form	shape	Latin	conformity- correspondence in form, manner, or character; formation- something that is formed; reformatory- intended for reformation
	fract, frag	break	Latin	fracture – a break; fragile – easy to break; fragment or fraction – a part or element of a larger whole;
	fug	flee, run away, escape	Latin	fugitive – a person who is running away; refuge – a sheltered place to flee to; refugee – a person seeking protection
	funct	perform, work	Latin	defunct – no longer working or alive; function – to work or perform a role normally; malfunction – to fail to work correctly.
	fus	pour	Latin	confusion – being flooded with too much information that is hard to make sense of; fuse – to melt by heating; infuse – to put into.
	gastr/o	stomach	Greek	gastric – pertaining to the stomach; gastronomy – serving the stomach by providing good food; gastritis – inflammation of the stomach.
	gen/o/e/ genesis	birth, production, formation, kind	Greek	genealogy – the study of the history of a family; generation – all the people born at approximately the same time; genetic -relating to heredity encoded in the genes.
	geo	earth, soil, global	Greek	geography – study of the earth’s surface; geology – study of the structure of the earth; geoponics – soil based agriculture.
	ger	old age	Greek	geriatrics – medicine pertaining to the elderly; gerontocracy – the rule of the elders; gerontology – the science of aging.
	giga	a billion	Greek	gigabyte – unit of computer storage space; gigahertz – unit of frequency (one billion Hz/sec); gigawatt unit of electric power (one billion watts).
	gon	angle	Latin Greek	decagon – a polygon with 10 angles; diagonal – a slanting line running across a space; octagon – a geometrical figure with 8 angles.
	gram	letter, written	Greek	diagram – a simple drawing; grammar – rules of how to write words in sentences; telegram – a message sent by telegraph.
	gran	grain	Latin	granary- a storehouse or repository for grain especially after it is threshed or husked; granola- a mixture of rolled oats and other ingredients; granule- a little grain (as of sugar)
	graph/y	writing, recording, written	Greek	Graphology – the study of handwritings; autograph – written with one’s own hand; seismograph – a machine noting strength and duration of earthquakes.
	grat	pleasing	Latin	gratify – to please someone; grateful – feeling thankful; gratuity – a tip, token of appreciation.
	gyn/o/e	woman, female	Greek	gynecology – the science of female reproductive health; gynephobia – fear of women; gynecoid – resembling a woman.
	gress, grad/e/i	to step, to go	Latin	digression – a departure from the main issue, subject, etc.; progress – movement forward or onward; gradual – step by step.
	hect/o, hecat	hundred	Greek	hectoliter – 100 liters; hectare – metric unit equaling 100 ares or 10,000 square meters; hectometer – 100 meters.
	helic/o	spiral, circular	Greek	helicopter – an aircraft with horizontal rotating wing; helix – a spiral form; helicon – a circular tuba.
	heli/o	sun	Greek	heliotropism – movement or growth in relating to the sun; heliograph – apparatus used to send message with the help of sunlight; helianthus – genus of plants including sunflowers.
	hemi	half, partial	Greek	hemicycle – a semicircular structure; hemisphere – one half of the earth; hemistich – half a line of poetry.
	hem/o/a	blood	Latin Greek	hemorrhage – clotting of the blood; hemorrhoids – swelling of the blood vessels; hemoglobin – red blood particle.
	hepa	liver	Latin	hepatitis – inflammation of the liver; hepatoma – a tumor of the liver; hepatotoxic – toxic and damaging to the liver.
	hept/a	seven	Greek	heptagon – a shape with seven angles and seven sides; Heptateuch – the first seven books of the Old Testament; heptameter – a line of verse consisting of seven metrical feet.
	herbi	grass, plant	Latin	herbicide – any chemical used to kill unwanted plants, etc.; herbivorous – plant-eating; herbal – relating to plants.
	hetero	different, other	Greek	heterogeneous – made up of unrelated parts; heteronyms – words with same spelling but different meanings; heterodox – not conforming to traditional beliefs.
	hex/a	six	Greek	hexagon – a shape with six angles/sides; hexameter – a verse measured in six; hexapod – having six legs.
	histo	tissue	Greek	histology – study of the microscopic structure of tissues; histochemistry – study of the chemical constitution of cells and tissues.
	homo, homeo	like, alike, same	Latin Greek	homogeneous – of the same nature or kind; homonym – sounding alike; homeopath – a therapy that is based on treating “same with same”
	hydr/o	liquid, water	Greek	hydrate – to add water to; hydrophobia – intense fear of water; hydroponics – growing plants in liquid nutrient solution; hydraulic – operated by force created by a liquid.
	hygr/o	moisture, humidity	Greek	hygrometer – tool used to measure humidity; hygrograph – instrument for recording variations in atmospheric humidity.
	hyper	too much, over, excessive, beyond	Latin Greek	hyperactive – very restless; hypercritical – too critical; hypertension – above normal pressure.
	hyp/o	under	Greek	hypoglycemia – an abnormally low level of sugar in the blood; hypothermia – abnormally low body temperature; hypothesis – a theory that is unproven but used under the assumption that it is true.
	iatr/o	medical care	Greek	geriatrics – medical care of the elderly; pediatrician – a doctor who treats children; podiatry – medical care for feet.
	icon/o	image	Latin Greek	icon – an (often religious) image, in modern usage a simplified graphic of high symbolic content; iconology – science of symbols and icons; iconoclast – someone who destroys religious images and traditional beliefs.
	idio	peculiar, personal, distinct	Greek	idiomatic – Peculiar to a particular language; idiosyncracy – a physical or mental characteristic typical or a particular person; idiot – someone who is distinctly foolish or stupid.
	il, in	in, into	Latin	illuminate – to give light to; innovation – a new idea, method, or device; inspection – the act of examining or reviewing.
	ig, il, im, in, ir	not, without	Latin	illegal – not legal; impossible – not possible; inappropriate – not appropriate; irresponsible – not responsible.
	imag	likeness	Latin	image – a likeness of someone; imaginative – able to think up new ideas or images; imagine – to form a picture or likeness in the mind.
	infra	beneath, below	Latin	infrastructure – underlying framework of a system; infrared – below the regular light spectrum.
	inter	between, among, jointly	Latin	international – involving two or more countries; intersection – place where roads come together; intercept – to stop or interrupt the course of.
	intra, intro	within, inside	Latin	intrastate – existing in one state; intravenous – inside or into a vein; introvert – shy person who keeps within him/herself.
	ir	not	Latin	irredeemable – not redeemable; irreformable – not reformable; irrational – not rational.
	iso	equal		isobar – a line on a map connecting points of equal barometric pressure; isometric – having equality of measure; isothermal – having equal or constant temperature.
	ject	throw	Latin	eject – to throw someone/something out; interject – to throw a remark into a discussion; project – to cast or throw something.
	jud	law	Latin	judgment – a decision of a court of law; judicial – having to do with judges or courts of law; judiciary – a system of courts of law.
	junct	join	Latin	conjunction – a word that joins parts of sentences; disjunction – a disconnection; junction – a place where two things join.
	juven	young	Latin	juvenile – youthful or childish; rejuvenate – to bring back to youthful strength or appearance.
	kilo	thousand	Greek	kilobyte – 1,000 bytes; kilometer – 1,000 meter; kilograms – 1,000 grams.
	kine/t /mat	motion, division	Greek	kinetics – study of the force of motion; psychokinesis or telekinesis – the ability to move objects with your mind; cinematography – motion picture making.
	lab	work	Latin	collaborate – to work with a person; elaborate – to work out the details; laborious – requiring a lot of hard work.
	lact/o	milk	Latin	lactate – to give milk, nurse; lactose – the sugar contained in milk; lactic acid.
	later	side	Latin	bilateral – of or involving two sides; unilateral – affecting one side of something.
	leuk/o, leuc/o	white, colorless	Greek	leukemia – abnormal increase of white blood cells in the blood; leukocyte – a mature white blood cell; leucine – a white, crystalline amino acid.
	lex	word, law, reading	Greek	lexicology – the study and history of words; alexia -loss of the ability to read; illegal – not authorized by the official rules or laws.
	liber	free	Latin	liberate – to set free; libertine – a person with a free, wild lifestyle; liberty – freedom.
	lingu	language, tongue	Latin	linguist – one who studies languages; multilingual – able to communicate in multiple languages; linguine – long, flat “tongue-shaped” pasta.
	lip/o	fat	Greek	liposuction – the mechanical removal of fat reserves in the tissue; lipase – enzyme that breaks down fat; lipoid – resembling fat.
	lite, ite, lith/o	mineral, rock, fossil	Greek	apatite – a group of common minerals; granite – a hard, granular rock; monolith – a remarkable, unique stone.
	loc	place	Latin	dislocate – to put something out of its usual place; location – a place; relocate – to move to a new place.
	log/o	word, doctrine, discourse	Greek	logic – correct reasoning; monologue – a long speech by one speaker;analogy – similarity, especially between things otherwise dissimilar.
	loqu, locu	speak	Latin	eloquent – speaking beautifully and forcefully ; loquacious – very talkative; elocution – art of public speaking.
	luc	light	Latin	elucidate – to explain, to throw light on; lucid – easily understood, giving off light; translucent – allowing light through.
	lud, lus	to play	Latin	prelude – introduction to the major performance; illusion – misleading optical image or impression; delude – to mislead, deceive.
	lumin	light	Latin	illuminate – to fill with light; lumen – unit measuring light.
	lun/a/i	moon	Latin	lunar – relating to the moon; lunarscape – the surface of the moon; lunatic – insane (as if driven mad by the moon).
	macro	large, great	Greek	macroevolution – large scale evolution; macromolecule – a large molecule; macroeconomics – study of the overall forces of economy.
	magn/a/i	great, large	Latin	magnify – make larger; magnificent – grand; magnate – a powerful person, especially in business or industry.
	mal/e	bad, ill, wrong	Latin	malcontent – wrong content; malaria – “bad air”, infectious disease thought to originate from the “bad air” of the swamps, but caused by the bite of an infected mosquito; malicious – showing strong ill will.
	man/i/u	hand	Latin	maneuver – to move by hand; manual – done with the hands; manuscript – a book written by hand.
	mand	to order	Latin	command – an order or instruction; demand – a hard-to-ignore order; mandate – an official order.
	mania	madness, insanity, excessive desire	Greek	bibliomania – a crazy love of books; egomania – a mad love of oneself; maniac an insane person.
	mar/i	sea	Latin	marina – a harbor for pleasure boats; maritime – relating to the sea; submarine – an undersea boat; aquamarine – color of sea water.
	mater, matr/i	mother	Latin	maternal – relating to motherhood; maternity – the state of being a mother; matriarch – a woman head of a household.
	max	greatest	Latin	maximal – the best or greatest possible; maximize – to make as great as possible; maximum – the greatest amount.
	medi	middle	Latin	medieval – pertaining to the Middle Ages; medium – in the middle; mediocre – only of medium (inferior) quality.
	mega	great, large, million	Greek	megalopolis – an area with many nearby cities; megaphone – a device that projects a loud voice; megastructure – huge building or other structure.
	melan/o	black	Greek	melancholy – a state of dark emotions; melanoma – malignant dark tumor of the skin; melodrama – a dark, pathetic drama.
	memor/i	remember	Latin	commemorate – to honor the memory of, as by a ceremony; memorial – related to remembering a person or event; memory: an ability to retain knowledge or an individual’s stock of retained knowledge.
	merge, mers	dip, dive	Latin	immerge or immerse – to put or dip something into a liquid; submerge to dip something completely into wate.r
	meso	middle	Latin Greek	Mesoamerica – Middle America; meson – elementary particle with a mass between an electron and a proton.
	meta	change, after, beyond, between	Greek	metaphysics – study of nature and reality; metamorphosis – a complete change of form; metastasis – the transmission of disease to other parts of the body.
	meter, metr/y	measure	Greek	audiometer- an instrument that measures hearing acuteness; chronometer- an instrument that measures time; metric – measured.
	micro	very small, short, minute	Greek	microbe – a very small living thing; microchip – a tiny wafer with an integrated circuit; microscope – a device to see very small things.
	mid	middle	Latin Greek	midriff – the area between the chest and the waist; midterm – middle of a term in school; midway – halfway between.
	migr	move	Latin	immigrant – a person who moves to a new country to settle; migrant – person who moves from place to place; migration – the process of moving.
	milli	onethousandth	Latin	millimeter – one thousandth of a meter; millibar – one thousandth of a bar; milliliter – one thousandth of a liter.
	min/i	small, less	Latin	mini – something that is very small; minuscule – extremely tiny; minutiae – very small or trivial details.
	mis/o	bad, badly, wrong, wrongly, to hate	Greek	misbehave – to behave badly; misprint – an error in printing; misnomer – an error in naming a person or thing.
	miss, mit	send, let go	Latin	dismiss – to send someone away; missile – a weapon sent into the air; emit – to send something out; admittance – entry.
	mob	move	Latin	immobilize – to stop from moving; mobile – able to move freely; mobility – the quality of being able to move.
	mon/o	one, single, alone	Greek	monochromat – having one color; monologue – a speech spoken by one person; monotheism – belief in one god.
	mot, mov	move	Latin	motion – the act of moving; motivate – to move someone to action; promote to move someone forward; removable – able to be taken or carried away.
	morph/o	form	Greek	metamorphosis – complete change of form; endorphins – chemical in the brain able to transform pain; amorphous – without distinct shape or form.
	mort	death	Latin	immortal – living forever, unable to die; mortal – certain to die; mortician – an undertaker.
	multi	many, more than one or two	Latin	multicolored – having many colors; multimedia – using a range of media; multitasking – doing many things at once.
	mut	change	Latin	immutable – not changing; mutant – an organism that has undergone change; mutate – to undergo a change.
	my/o	muscle	Latin	myocardium – the middle muscle of the heart; myasthenia – muscle fatigue or weakness; myosin – common protein in muscle tissue.
	narr	tell	Latin	narrate – to tell a story; narrative – a story; narrator – a person who tells a story.
	nat	born	Latin	innate – included since birth; natal – relating to birth; natural – gotten at birth, not afterward.
	nav	ship	Latin	circumnavigate – to sail around a place; naval – relating to a navy or warships; navigate – to sail a ship through a place.
	necr/o	dead, death	Greek	necrophil – loving death; necrosis – the death of tissue due to disease or injury; necrology – a list of persons who have recently died.
	neg	no	Latin	negate – to say it didn’t happen; negative – meaning “no”; renege – to go back on a promise.
	neo	new, recent		neoclassic – a revival of classic form, neocolonialism – the indirect (“new”) economical and political control of a region by a more powerful foreign power; neonatal – a newborn child, especially the first few weeks.
	nephr/o	kidney	Greek	nephritis – inflammation of the kidneys; nephrotomy – surgical incision of a kidney; nephron – a single, excretory unit in the kidney.
	neur/o	nerve	Greek	neuralgia – pain along a nerve; neurologist – doctor specializing in the nerves; neurotic – mental disorder that usually does not include an impaired perception of reality.
	nom/in	name	Latin	misnomer – an error in naming a person or thing; nominal – being something in name only but not in reality; nominate – to name for election or appointment, to designate.
	non	no, not, without	Latin	nondescript – with no special characteristics; nonfiction – true, real, not made-up; nonsense – without sense.
	not	mark	Latin	notable – marked as worthy of attention; notarize – to certify a signature on a legal document; annotate – to add remarks.
	noun, nunc	declare	Latin	announce – to declare in public; denounce – to proclaim harsh criticism; enunciate – to speak or declare something clearly.
	nov	new	Latin	innovate – to introduce a new way; novelty – something new; novice – a person who is new at a job; renovate – to make something like new again.
	numer	number	Latin	enumerate – to name a number of items on a list; numerology – the study of magical uses of numbers; numerous – a large number.
	ob, op	in the way, against	Latin	object – to be against something; obscure – hard to understand; opposition – the act of resistance or action against.
	oct/a/o	eight	Greek	octagon – a figure with 8 sides and 8 angles; octogenarian – person in his or her 80s; octopus – sea animal with 8 arms.
	ocu	eye	Latin	binoculars – lens device for seeing distances; monocula – relating to one eye; oculist – an eye doctor.
	od	path, way	Greek	diode- an electron tube having two electrodes, a cathode and an anode; odometer- an instrument attached to a vehicle to measure the distance traversed; triode- an electron tube with an anode, a cathode, and a control grid
	omni	all	Latin	omnipotent – with all the power; omniscient – knowing all things; omnivorous eating all foods.
	op/t/s	eye, visual condition, sight	Greek	optic – relating to the eyes; optician – a person who fits eyeglasses; autopsy – the examination of a dead body.
	opt	best	Latin	optimal – the best, the most desirable; optimize – to make the best of; optimum – the best something could be.
	ortho	straight	Greek	orthodontist – a dentist that straightens teeth; orthopedic – a doctor concerned with the proper alignment of the bones; orthography – the correct way of writing.
	osteo	bone	Greek	osteoarthritis – inflammation caused by degeneration of the joints; osteopathy – therapy that uses among others manipulation of the skeleton to restore health; osteology – the study of bones.
	out	goes beyond, surpasses, exceeds		Outgoing – being of lively, sharing nature; outdoing – doing better than; outdoor – outside.
	over	excessive	Latin	overconfident – more confident than is appropriate; overstock – more supplies than is desirable; overexcited – ,more excited than one should be.
	oxy	sharp	Greek	oxymoron – combining two ideas that sharply contradict each other; oxydize – corrode a surface.
	pale/o	ancient	Greek	paleontology – study of ancient fossils; paleography – the study of ancient forms of writing; Paleolithic – period of the Stone Age.
	pan	all, any, everyone	Greek	panacea – a cure for all diseases or problems; panorama – an all-around view; pantheism – the worship of all gods; pandemic – affecting all.
	para	beside, beyond, abnormal, assistant	Greek	parasite – an organism that lives on and off another living being; parallel – alongside and always an equal distance apart; paragraph – a portion of a writtenn document that presents a distinct idea.
	para	protection from		parachute – protection from falling; parasol – an umbrella used to protect from the sun;
	pater, patr/i	father	Latin Greek	paternal – relating to fathers; paternity – fatherhood; patriarch – a man who rules a group.
	path	feeling, emotion		antipathy – a feeling of great dislike; apathy – a lack of feeling or interest; empathy – ability to understand another’s feelings.
	ped/i/e	foot, feet	Latin	pedal – a lever pushed by the foot; pedestrian – one who walks; pedicure – cosmetic treatment of feet and toes.
	pel	drive, force	Latin	compel – to force someone to act; expel – to drive someone out of a place; repel – to force back.
	pent/a	five	Greek	pentagon – shape having 5 angles and 5 sides, pentagram – a five-pointed star formerly used as a symbolic figure in magic; pentathlon – an athletic contest that includes five events.
	pept, peps	digestion	Greek	dyspepsia – abnormal digestion; peptic – aiding digestion; pepsin – a digestive enzyme.
	per	through, throughout	Latin	permanent – lasting throughout all time; permeate – to spread throughout; persist – to continue for a long time; perennial – lasting through many years.
	peri	around, enclosing	Greek	periodontal – pertaining to bone and tissue around a tooth; peripheral – lying outside of the center; perimeter – the outer boundary of an area.
	phag/e	to eat	Greek	esophagus – muscular tube that carries food to the stomach; anthropophagy or sarcophagy – cannibalism; xylophagous – feeding on wood.
	phil/o	love, friend	Greek	philanthropist – one who loves humanity; philology – the love of words; philosophy – the love of wisdom; bibliophil – loving books.
	phon/o /e/y	sound	Greek	cacophony – loud, unpleasant sounds; microphone – a device that records and amplifies sound; phonetic – relating to human speech sounds.
	phot/o	light	Greek	photogenic – caused by light; photograph – image made on light-sensitive film; photon – the smallest possible unit of light.
	phyll/o	leaf	Greek	chlorophyll – a group of green pigments found in leaves; phyllotaxis – the arrangement of leaves on a stem; phyllite – a rock that forms sheets, similar to slate.
	phys	nature, medicine, the body	Greek	physical – relating to the body; physician – a doctor; physique – nature and shape of one’s body.
	phyt/o/e	plant, to grow	Greek	epiphyte – a plant growing independently on the surface of another; hydrophyte – a plant that grows only in water; neophyte – a beginner, especially a person recently converted to a new belief.
	plas/t/m	to form, development, forming cells	Greek	protoplasm – something that is the first made or formed, also the living portion of a cell; plastic – able to be formed, especially when warm; plaster – a mixture of lime, sand and water that forms a smooth solid covering for walls.
	plaud, plod, plaus, plos	approve, clap	Latin	applaud- to show approval of especially by clapping the hands; explosion- an act of exposing something as invalid or baseless; plausible- worthy of being applauded
	pneum/o	breathing, lung, air, spirit	Greek	pneumonia – inflammation of the lungs; pneumatic – using the force of air; dyspnea – difficulty breathing.
	pod/e	foot	Greek	podiatrist – a doctor for the feet; podium – a small platform to stand on; tripod – a stand or frame with 3 legs.
	poli	city	Greek	metropolis – a large city; police – people who work for the government to maintain order in a city; politics – actions of a government or political party.
	poly	many, more than one	Greek	polychrome – with many colors; polyglot – a person fluent in many languages; polygon – shape with 3 or more straight sides.
	pon	place, put	Latin	opponent – a person who places him/herself against an action, idea, etc.; postpone – to put off doing something.
	pop	people	Latin	popular – appealing to a lot of people; population – all of the people who live in a particular area; populist – a supporter of the rights of people.
	port	carry	Latin	export – to carry goods out of a place to another; portable – able to be carried; porter – a person who carries luggage.
	pos	place, put	Latin	deposit – to place or drop something; expose to place out into the open for all to see; position – the place where someone is.
	post	after, behind	Latin	posthumous – after someone’s death; postpone – to delay something; postscript – an addition to an already completed document.
	pre	earlier, before, in front of	Latin	preamble – a part in front of a formal document; prepare – to get ready in advance; prediction – a statement foretelling the future.
	pro	before, in front of, for, forward	Greek Latin	prognosis – a prediction of what will happen; prologue – a passage before the main part; prophet – a person who foretells the future.
	prot/o	primitive, first, chief	Greek	prototype – the first of a kind; proton – on of the very basic parts of an atom; protocol – a first draft from which a document is prepared.
	pseud/o	wrong,false	Greek	pseudonym – a fictitious name; pseudoscience – theories presumed without proof of a scientific nature; pseudopregnancy – a false pregnancy.
	psych/o	mind, mental	Greek	psyche – the human spirit or soul; psychic – relating to the human mind or someone who has supernatural mental abilities; psychology – the study of the mind.
	pugn/a, pung	to fight	Latin	pugnacious – having a quarrelsome or aggressive nature; repugnant – distasteful, offensive or revolting; pungent – piercing.
	pul	urge		compulsion – a very strong urge; expulsion – to someone out; impulsive – having a spontaneous urge to do something.
	purg	clean	Latin	purge – remove anything undesirable; purgatory – according to Roman Catholics a place where souls must clean themselves of sin; expurgate – remove objectionable passages from a publication.
	put	think	Latin	computer – an electronic thinking device; dispute – to disagree with what another person thinks; input – contribution of one’s thinking.
	pyr/o	fire, heat	Greek	pyrotechnics – the art of making fireworks; pyrometer – a thermometer for measuring high temperature; pyretic – relating to or producing fever.
	quad/r/ri	four	Latin	quadrant – open space with buildings on 4 sides; quadrennium – period of 4 years; quadruped – a 4-footed animal.
	quart	fourth	Latin	quarter – one fourth; quart – a fourth of a gallon; quartet – a musical composition or group involving 4 voices or instruments.
	quin/t	five, fifth	Latin	quintett – a composition for 5 voices or instruments; quintessence – pure essence, based on the ancient philosophy that there was a fifth element that was present in all things; quintuple – fivefold.
	radic, radix	root	Latin	eradicate – pull out at the roots; radical – fundamental, looking at things from a drastic point of view; radish – an edible root of the mustard family.
	radio	radiation, ray		radioactive – emitting radiation; radiologist – someone diagnosing or treating via radiation.
	ram/i	branch	Latin	ramification – the resulting consequence of a decision; ramify – to spread or branch out; ramus – a branchlike part.
	re	again, back, backward	Latin	rebound -to spring back again; rewind – to wind something backward; reaction: a response; recognize: to identify someone or something seen before.
	reg	guide, rule	Latin	regent – a person who rules on behalf of a king or queen; regime – a government that rules; regulate – to apply a rule.
	retro	backward, back	Latin	retroactive – relating to something in the past; retrogress – to go back to an earlier condition; retrospect – the remembering of past events.
	rhin/o	nose	Greek	rhinoceros – a species of animals with a big horn on the snout; rhinoplasty – surgery of the nose; rhinovirus – viruses that are causing the common cold.
	rhod/o	red	Greek	rhododendron – a flower with red/pink flowers; rhodium – an element which produces a red solution; rhodopsin – a purple pigment in the retina that is needed for vision.
	rid	laugh	Latin	deride – to make fun of someone; ridicule – to make fun or mock; ridiculous – silly, causing laughter.
	rrh/ea /oea/ag	flow, discharge	Latin Greek	diarrhea – abnormally excessive bowl movement; hemorrhage – heavy blood flow; catarrh – inflammation of a mucous membrane, especially the nose and throat.
	rub	red	Latin	ruby – deep red color and a precious stone of the same color; rubella – measles; bilirubin – reddish pigment in bile.
	rupt	break, burst	Latin	bankrupt – unable to pay because you’re “broke”; interrupt – to break into a conversation or event, to disturb; rupture – a break in something.
	san	health	Latin	sane – mentally healthy; sanitary – relating to cleanliness and health; sanitation – maintenance of public health and cleanliness.
	scend	climb, go	Latin	ascend – to climb upward; crescendo – a climbing up of the volume of music; descend – to go or climb down.
	sci	know	Latin	conscience – sense of knowing right from wrong; conscious – knowing what is happening; omniscient – knowing everything.
	scler/o	hard	Greek	arteriosclerosis – hardening of the arterial walls; multiple sclerosis – disease which causes the tissue of the brain and spinal cord to harden; sclerometer – instrument for measuring hardness.
	scop/e/y	see, examine, observe	Greek	microscope – a device used to see tiny things; periscope – a seeing instrument on a submarine; telescope – a device used to see over a distance.
	scrib, script	write, written	Latin	inscribe – to write letters or words on a surface; scribe – a person who writes out documents; describe – to represent with words or pictures.
	se	apart	Latin	secede – to formally break away from; seclude – to keep away from; serum – a liquid isolated out of another.
	sect	cut	Latin	dissect – to cut apart piece by piece; intersection – the place or point where two things cross each other; bisect – to cut into two equal parts.
	sed, sid, sess	sit	Latin	reside- be stationed; sediment- the matter that settles to the bottom of a liquid; session- an actual or constructive sitting of a body
	self	of, for, or by itself		self-discipline – the ability to discipline yourself; self-respect – respect for yourself; selfish concerned only with your own interests.
	semi	half, partial	Latin	semiannual – every half year; semicircle – half a circle; semiconscious – partly conscious; semiannual – every half of a year.
	sept/i	seven	Latin	September – this used to be the seventh month in the Roman calendar; septet – a group of seven musicians; septuagenarian – a person in his/her seventies.
	serv	save, keep	Latin	conserve – to save or keep something safe; preserve – to save something; reservation – a place kept for a person.
	sex	six	Latin	sextet or sextette – a composition or group of six, sextuple – sixfold; sexagenarian – person in his/her sixties.
	sol	alone	Latin	desolate – lonely, dismal, gloomy; solitary – done alone, by yourself; solo – a performance done by one person alone.
	sol	sun	Latin	solar – involving the sun; parasol – umbrella protecting from the sun; solarium – a room where one is exposed to sun light.
	somn/I	sleep	Latin	insomnia – inability to fall asleep; somniloquy – talking in your sleep; somnolent – feeling sleepy.
	son	sound	Latin	consonant – a speech sound; sonorous – producing loud, full, rich sounds; supersonic – faster than sound; unison – as one voice.
	soph	wise	Greek	philosopher – a wise person; sophisticated – wise about the ways of the world; sophism – a clever but misleading argument.
	spec/t, spic	see, look	Latin	circumspect – cautious, looking all around; retrospective – a looking back at past things; spectator – a person who sees an event.
	sphere	ball	Greek	biosphere – the whole round surface of the earth; hemisphere – half the earth spherically shaped like a ball.
	spir	breathe	Latin	inspire – to stimulate or animate; transpire – to give of vapor with waste product through the skin or a membrane; spirit – invisible life force.
	sta	stand	Latin	stable – standing steady and firm; stagnant – standing still, not moving; stationary – at a standstill, fixed.
	stell	star	Latin	constellation – a group of stars that forms a pattern; interstellar – between the stars; stellar – relating to stars.
	struct	build	Latin	construct – to build; destruction – the act of destroying something that was built; structure – something built; infrastructure – underlying framework of a system.
	sub	under, lower than, inferior to	Latin	submarine – an underwater boat; submerge – to put underwater; substandard – inferior to accepted standards.
	sum	highest	Latin	sum – the combined total of everything; summation – the total, highest amount; summit the highest point or top.
	super	higher in quality or quantity	Latin	Super bowl – the final annual football game; superior – above average, better in quality; supersonic – faster than the speed of sound.
	sy/m /n/l/s	together, with, same	Greek	symmetry -similarity in size, form or arrangement; synergy – the combined effect; synchronize – to cause to occur at the same time.
	tact, tang	touch	Latin	contact – a state in which two things touch; tactile – relating to the sense of touch; tangible – able to be touched; intact – with nothing missing.
	tax/o	arrangement	Greek	syntax – the systematic arrangement of words; taxonomy – the science of classification; ataxia – loss of the ability to coordinate muscle action.
	techno	technique, skill	Greek	technology – the practical application of knowledge; technocracy – rule of technology; technologically – characterized by technology.
	tel/e/o	far, distant, complete	Greek	telephone – a device to talk to a distant person; telescope – a device to view distant objects; television – a device to receive pictures from afar; telecommuting – working remotely, bridging the distance via virtual devices.
	temp/or	time	Latin	contemporary- existing at the same time; temporal – relating to time; temporary – lasting for a limited time.
	ten, tin, tent	hold	Latin	continent- serving to restrain or limit; detention- the act or fact of detaining, tenacious- having parts or elements strongly adhering to each other
	ter, trit	rub	Latin	attrition- the act of rubbing together or wearing down; detritus- a product of disintegration or wearing away; trite- used or occurring so often as to have lost interest, freshness, or force
	term/ina	end, limit	Latin	determine – to find something out at the end of an investigation; terminate – to end; exterminate – to destroy or get rid of completely.
	terr/a/i	land, earth	Latin	extraterrestrial – existing outside the earth; terrain – ground or land; territory – an area of land.
	tetra	four	Latin	tetrapod – having 4 legs; tetrarchy – government by 4 rulers; tetrose – a monosaccharide with four carbon atoms.
	the	put	Greek	bibliotheca- a list or catalog of books; theme- a proposition for discussion or argument; thesis- a dissertation embodying results of original research and especially substantiating a specific view
	the/o	god	Greek	monotheism – belief in one god; polytheism – worshiping more than one god; theology – the study of religion, god, etc.
	therm/o	heat	Greek	thermal – relating to heat; thermos – an insulated jar that keeps heat in; thermostat – a device that controls heat.
	tort	twist	Latin	contortion – a twisted shape or position; distort – to alter the shape or condition of; retort – reply in a manner that is supposed to change the effect of something previously said.
	tox	poison	Latin	detoxification – the process of removing poisons; toxic – poisonous; toxicology – the study of poisons; intoxicated – influenced by drugs.
	tract	pull, drag	Latin	attract – to pull objects nearer; distract – to drag attention away from something; tractor – a motor vehicle that pulls things.
	trans	across,beyond, through	Latin	transcontinental – across the continent; transfer – to move from one place to another; transport – to carry something across a space.
	tri	three, once in every three, third	Greek Latin	triangle – a figure with 3 sides and 3 angles; triathlon – an athletic contest with 3 events; tricycle – a 3-wheeI vehicle with pedals.
	ultra	beyond, extreme, more than	Latin	ultrahigh – extremely high; ultramodern – more modern than anything else; ultrasonic – sound waves beyond human hearing.
	un	not,opposite of, lacking	Latin	unabridged – not shortened; unfair – opposite of fair; unfriendly – lacking friendliness.
	uni	one, single	Latin	unicycle – a vehicle with one wheel; unilateral – decided by only one person or nation; unique – the only one of its kind; unison – as one voice.
	urb	city	Latin	suburb – residential area on the edge of a city; urban – relating to a city; urbanology – the study of city life.
	vac	empty	Latin	evacuate – to empty a dangerous place; vacant – empty, not occupied; vacation – a time without work.
	ven/t	come	Latin	circumvent – to go around or bypass restrictions; convention – a gathering or assembly of people with a common interest; intervene – to come between.
	ver/I	truth	Latin	veracious – truthful, honest; veracity – the truth; verify – to make sure that something is true.
	verb	word	Latin	verbalize – to put into words; adverb – a word relating to a verb; proverb – a short saying that expresses a well-known truth.
	vers, vert	turn	Latin	reverse – to turn around; introvert – being turned towards the inside; version – a variation of an original; controversy – a conversation in which positions are turned against each other.
	vice	acting in place of, next in rank	Latin	vice-president – the person next in rank to the president
	vid	see	Latin	evident clearly seen
	vince, vic	conquer	Latin	convince – to win someone over; invincible – not able to be conquered; victory – the conquest of an enemy.
	vis, vid	see	Latin	vision – the ability to see; envision – to picture in the mind; evident – clearly visible.
	viv/i vit	live, life	Latin	revival – the act of bringing back to life; vital – pertaining to live; vivacious – high-spirited and full of life.
	voc/i	voice, call	Latin	advocate – to speak in favor of; equivocate – to use misleading language that could be interpreted two different ways; vocalize – to produce with your voice.
	vol/i/u	wish, will	Latin	benevolent – showing good will and kindness; volition – the act of making a choice or decision, voluntary – resulting from your own free will.
	vor, vour	eat	Latin	carnivorous – meat-eating; voracious – desiring or eating food in great quantities; devour – to eat quickly.
	xanth	yellow	Latin	xanthium- a genus of coarse and rough or spiny herbs; xanthochromia- yellowish discoloration (as of the skin or cerebrospinal fluid); xanthogenic
	xen/o	foreign	Greek	xenophobic – afraid of foreigners; xenogenesis – the creation of offspring that is completely different from either parent; xenophile – attracted to foreigners.
	xer/o/I	dry	Greek	xerophyte – a plant that grows in dry climate; xerography – a dry photocopying process; xeric – requiring small amounts of moisture.
	xyl	wood	Greek	xylocarp; xyloid- resembling wood; xylophone-an organ percussion stop of similar tone quality
	zo/o	animal life	Greek	zoology – study of animals; zooid – resembling an animal; zooplankton – minute floating aquatic animals.
	zyg/o	pair	Greek	zygote – a cell formed by the union of two gametes and the organism developing from that; zygomorphic – pertaining to organisms that can be divided into symmetrical halves along one axis only.