The root is the heart of the word, the element from which other words may be constructed. ... What are the roots of these words: running, unlivable, happiness? Did you say run, live, and happy? These roots are called free morphemes. When you strip off the affixes, what is left (with slight spelling modifications) are words that can exist on their own.
In English grammar, a root is a word or word part from which other words grow, usually through the addition of prefixes and suffixes.
The root of the word vocabulary, for example, is voc, a Latin root meaning "word" or "name." This root also appears in the words advocacy, convocation, evocative, vocal, vociferous, and vowel.
Understanding the meanings of the common word roots can help us deduce the meanings of new words that we encounter. But be careful: root words can have more than one meaning and various shades of meaning. In addition, words that look similar may derive from different roots. So when you meet up with a new word, be sure to rely on a dictionary to check its definition.
The table below defines and illustrates 30 of the most common Greek and Latin roots. (The letter in parentheses indicates whether the root word is Greek (G) or Latin (L).)
WORD ROOTS IN ENGLISH
| ROOT | MEANING | EXAMPLES |
| -ast(er)-(G) | star | asteroid, astronomy, astronaut, asterisk |
| -audi- (L) | hear | audible, audience, auditory, auditorium |
| -auto- (G) | self | automatic, automate, autobiography, autograph |
| -bene- (L) | good | benefit, benign, benefactor, benevolent |
| -bio- (G) | life | biography, biology, biodegradable, symbiotic |
| -chrono- (G) | time | chronic, synchronize, chronicle, chronology |
| -dict- (L) | say | dictate, diction, edict, dictionary, addict |
| -duc- (L) | lead, make | deduce, produce, educator, conducive |
| -gen- (L) | give birth | gene, generate, generous, generation |
| -geo- (G) | earth | geography, geology, geometry, geopolitics |
| -graph- (G) | write | autograph, graphic, epigraph, demographic |
| -jur-, -jus- (L) | law | jury, justice, adjure, conjurer, justification |
| -log-, -logue- (L) | thought | logic, obloquy, apology, dialogue, analogy |
| -luc-, -lum- (L) | light | lucid, translucent, illuminate, elucidate |
| -man(u)- (L) | hand | manual, manure, manicure, manipulate |
| -mand-, -mend- (L) | order | demand, recommend, remand, mandatory |
| -mis-, -mit- (L) | send | missile, transmission, emit, submit, permit |
| -omni- (L) | all | omnivorous, omnipotence, omniscient |
| -path- (G) | feel | empathy, pathetic, apathy, pathos, antipathy |
| -phil- (G) | love | philosophy, bibliophile, philanthropy |
| -phon- (G) | sound | phonics, telephone, euphony, microphone |
| -photo- (G) | light | photograph, photon, photocopy, photogenic |
| -port- (L) | carry | export, portable, rapport, deport, important |
| -qui(t)- (L) | quiet, rest | acquit, tranquil, requiem, quiescent |
| -scrib-, -script- (L) | write | ascribe, script, describe, transcribe, proscribe |
| -sens-, -sent- (L) | feel | resent, sensitive, sentence, sentient |
| -tele- (G) | far off | telecast, telephone, telekinesis, telepathy |
| -terr- (L) | earth | terrain, territory, extraterrestrial, terrace |
| -vac- (L) | empty | evacuate, vacate, vacancy, vacuous |
| -vid-, -vis- (L) | see | visible, video, envisage, invisible, revision |
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