Tag: word parts

The importance of learning Word Parts (roots, prefixes, and suffixes)

Studying word parts equips us to do the following:

• Identify the meaningful elements that make up words.
• Learn the characteristics of roots and of affixes, their origin, meaning, and grammatical function.
• Guess (or recall) the meaning of unfamiliar words from the clues given by word parts.
• Recognize the relationship among words that share a common root or affix.
• Recognize patterns among changing word forms (e.g., -cept, -ceive).
• Improve spelling by gaining awareness of the internal logic of words.
• Increase vocabulary, cultivate morphological awareness, and have fun discovering some of the interesting ways the English language works.

For a general introduction to the terms and concepts used in our Word Parts database, see this downloadable pdf . Access to the Word Parts feature comes with your Wordsmyth subscription or a 15-day free trial.

Three ways to view the Word Parts data

1. Dictionary entries:

More than 8000 Wordsmyth dictionary entries now display information about the word parts that make up the headword. In the new Word Parts section of the entry, the headword is broken down into its roots and affixes.

Each significant word part is identified, and its origin, type, and meaning are provided. The user can also view here a list of other example words containing the word part and jump to those words’ dictionary entries to explore further. “More about this word part” notes explain in more detail how particular affixes combine with bases to form words.

2. A-Z Word Parts Page:

In addition to the Word Parts feature appearing in individual dictionary entries, where the composition of a word can be studied in the context of looking up a particular word, the user can search, sort, and browse more than 600 roots and affixes on the A-Z Word Parts page. This page can be accessed from the Search Tools menu.

3. Search Filters:

Finally, for a list of all the words in the dictionary that contain word parts information, the user can go to the Search Filter page (under the Search Tools menu), select “Word parts information” under “Entries with special features,” and click “Set filter.”  This takes the user to a page that displays the list of words in an alphabetical, browsable format. 

Word Parts Data in the Word Explorer Children’s Dictionary

Users of the Word Explorer Children’s Dictionary have these same three modes of access to roots and affixes information but with the example words limited to the headwords in the Children’s Dictionary. To maximize flexibility, there are links to the complete Word Parts Database from any point in the Children’s Word Parts data. In the case of roots and affixes that have no example words in the Children’s Dictionary, the word part and information about it can still be found in the Children’s Dictionary A-Z Word Parts look-up. 

See also:
Word Parts I: basic roots
Word Parts II: basic suffixes
Word Parts III: Intermediate level suffixes
Word Parts IV: basic prefixes

Suffixes are word parts that are added to a root to create a word (e.g., “dent” + “-al” = “dental”) or to a root word to create a new word (e.g., “soft” + “ness” = “softness”). Suffixes often change a root word’s part of speech and sometimes they make a significant change in the meaning too. For example, the suffix “-less” changes a noun to an adjective and also changes the meaning a great deal. Compare “tooth” and “toothless,” for instance! Some suffixes add grammatical information to a root word without changing the part of speech. The past tense marker “-ed” is an example of this type of suffix. “Talk” and “talked” are both still verbs despite the change in forms.

The suffixes listed below are very basic suffixes that, when added to a root word, change its part of speech. In this list are included a number of suffixes—“-y,” “-th,” “-ly,” and “-ful”—that come from Old English. As the suffixes become more specialized in their meaning, or if they tend to combine with more sophisticated words, they are more likely to derive from Latin or Greek.

Additional example words for each suffix in the list below can be found by going to A-Z Word Parts under Search Tools in our dictionary, filtering the list there for “Suffixes,” and browsing through the list. One may also use the search box on the A-Z Word Parts page to search the list for a particular suffix. Click here to learn more about how to use the Wordsmyth Word Parts database.

Rudimentary suffixes:

suffix	meaning	example words
-ation	Latin noun-forming suffix that means the act, process, or result of	education, translation, vacation
-ion (tion, sion)	Latin noun-forming suffix that means the act, process, or result of	action, permission, confusion
-er, -or, -ar	Latin noun-forming suffix that means a person or thing that does	driver, actor, computer, liar
-able	Latin adjective-forming suffix that means capable of being, doing, or undergoing	adorable, movable, drinkable
-ability	Latin noun-forming suffix that means ability to do, be, or undergo	capability, reliability
-ment	Latin noun-forming suffix that means act, process, or instance of	movement, agreement, measurement
-ful	Old English adjective-forming suffix that means full of	beautiful, successful, useful
-ness	Old English noun-forming suffix that means state or quality of	fitness, kindness, business
-th	Old English adjective- and noun-forming suffix that means in the position in a series indicated by the base number	fourth, fifth, sixth
-y	Old English adjective-forming suffix that means characterized by; full of; tending to	chewy, itchy, lucky, messy
-an	Latin adjective- and noun-forming suffix that means  in adjectives: from (a place) or pertaining to or following (a figure or school of thought); in nouns: person or thing from (a place) or associated with (an activity or school of thought).	American, European, historian

See Word Parts I: basic roots

See also:
Word Parts I: basic roots
Word Parts III: Intermediate level suffixes
Word Parts IV: basic prefixes

Learn more about the Wordsmyth word parts database and how this unique feature can be used in facilitating vocabulary learning and teaching.

As educators, we are all aware that learning words parts, particularly Greek and Latin roots, prefixes, and suffixes can help students guess the meaning of new words as well as help them recall the meaning of words that they have previously been exposed to.  Such learning can be of vast benefit to vocabulary acquisition. In addition, learning suffixes, such as the Latin suffixes “-ness” and “-ment” and the suffix “-ly” from Old English, can help students understand the grammatical meanings attached to words and see how different forms of words are related to each other.

As you may know, Wordsmyth has a word parts database integrated within its dictionaries. The Word Parts feature is displayed within relevant dictionary entries and is designed to support both native-speaking students and English Language Learners in their understanding of roots and affixes and to help them make use of word parts information to expand their vocabulary.  The word parts data as a whole can be viewed by looking under Search Tools in our dictionary and clicking on A-Z Word Parts. Here you will find a comprehensive, alphabetical listing of roots and affixes that is searchable. (Word Parts can be accessed with your Wordsmyth subscription or with a 15-day free trial. Don’t forget to turn on the feature in your settings.)

Below is a special list we’ve created from information in our word parts database that teachers may find helpful in introducing Greek and Latin roots in grades 3 to 5. (Download as PDF). Additional example words for each root in the list below can easily be found by going to A-Z Word Parts, filtering the list there for “Roots,” and browsing through the list. One may also use the search box on the A-Z Word Parts page to search the list for a particular root. The A-Z Word Parts list contains, of course, many more roots (as well as other affixes) than are listed below.

roots	meaning	example words
agri	soil, earth, field	agriculture, agronomy
aqu	water	aquarium, aqua, aquaculture
astro	star	astronaut, astronomy, astrology
auto	self	automatic, autograph, autobiography
cent	hundred	century, cent, centipede
cap	head	captain, capital, capitalize
dent	teeth	dentist, dental
dict	tell	dictionary, predict, dictator
gram	write	telegram, diagram, grammar
graph	write	telegraph, geography, graphics
mob, mot	move	mobile, motion, motor
ped	foot	pedal, pedestrian, centipede
phon	sound	telephone, microphone, symphony
phot	light	photograph, photosynthesis
port	carry	transport, import, portable
rupt	break	erupt, interrupt, disrupt
scrib, script	write	scribble, prescription, script
sol	sun	solar system, parasol
sol	alone	solo, solitaire
spect	look	inspect, spectator, spectacles
spher	ball	spherical, hemisphere
stell	star	constellation, stellar
struct	build	construct, structure
tele	distance	telephone, telescope, television

See also:
Word Parts II: basic suffixes
Word Parts III: Intermediate level suffixes
Word Parts IV: basic prefixes

Learn more about the Wordsmyth word parts database and how this unique feature can be used in facilitating vocabulary learning and teaching.