List of words with Use Greek and Latin roots as clues to the meanings of words
| Word | Root(s) | Meaning of Root(s) | Word Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| autograph | auto (self), graph (write) | Self + Write | A person’s own signature |
| biology | bio (life), logy (study) | Life + Study | Study of life |
| telescope | tele (far), scope (see) | Far + See | An instrument for seeing distant objects |
| microscope | micro (small), scope (see) | Small + See | An instrument to see tiny objects |
| geography | geo (earth), graphy (writing) | Earth + Writing | Study of the Earth’s surface |
| photograph | photo (light), graph (write) | Light + Write | A picture made using light |
| thermometer | thermo (heat), meter (measure) | Heat + Measure | An instrument for measuring temperature |
| telephone | tele (far), phon (sound) | Far + Sound | A device to transmit sound over distance |
| symphony | sym (together), phon (sound) | Together + Sound | Harmonious musical composition |
| astronomy | astro (star), nomy (system/law) | Star + Law | Study of stars and space |
| astronaut | astro (star), naut (sailor) | Star + Sailor | A person trained to travel in space |
| hydraulic | hydr (water), aulic (pipe) | Water + Pipe | Operated by water pressure |
| bicycle | bi (two), cycle (wheel) | Two + Wheel | A two-wheeled vehicle |
| triangle | tri (three), angle (corner) | Three + Corner | A shape with three angles |
| antibiotic | anti (against), bio (life) | Against + Life | A medicine that kills bacteria |
| ecosystem | eco (house/environment), system | Environment + System | A community of living organisms |
| television | tele (far), vis (see) | Far + See | Device to transmit images over distance |
| manuscript | manu (hand), script (write) | Hand + Write | A handwritten or typed document |
| dictate | dict (say), ate (do) | Say + Do | To give orders |
| predict | pre (before), dict (say) | Before + Say | To say before something happens |
| portable | port (carry), able (can be) | Carry + Can Be | Easy to carry |
| transport | trans (across), port (carry) | Across + Carry | To carry across |
| conductor | con (together), duct (lead) | Together + Lead | A person who leads; something that transmits |
| construction | con (together), struct (build) | Together + Build | The process of building |
| reject | re (back), ject (throw) | Back + Throw | To throw back; refuse |
| project | pro (forward), ject (throw) | Forward + Throw | A planned undertaking |
| inspector | in (into), spect (look) | Into + Look | A person who examines closely |
| spectacle | spect (look) | Look | A visually striking performance or display |
| invisible | in (not), vis (see) | Not + See | Not able to be seen |
| audience | aud (hear), ence (state) | Hear + State | A group of listeners |
| auditorium | aud (hear), torium (place) | Hear + Place | A large room for events or performances |
| dismiss | dis (apart), miss (send) | Apart + Send | To send away |
| admit | ad (to), mit (send) | To + Send | To allow entry |
| submit | sub (under), mit (send) | Under + Send | To hand over for consideration |
| benefit | bene (good), fit (make/do) | Good + Do | An advantage or good result |
| malnutrition | mal (bad), nutrit (nourish) | Bad + Nourish | Poor nourishment |
| erupt | e (out), rupt (break) | Out + Break | To burst forth |
| interrupt | inter (between), rupt (break) | Between + Break | To break in |
| export | ex (out), port (carry) | Out + Carry | To carry goods out |
| import | im (in), port (carry) | In + Carry | To bring goods in |
| scribble | scrib (write) | Write | To write carelessly |
| describe | de (down), scribe (write) | Down + Write | To write or tell about something |
| explode | ex (out), plod (to clap or strike) | Out + Burst | To burst violently |
| postpone | post (after), pone (put) | After + Put | To delay |
| inject | in (into), ject (throw) | Into + Throw | To force into something (like medicine) |
| convert | con (together), vert (turn) | Together + Turn | To change into something else |
| reverse | re (back), vers (turn) | Back + Turn | To go in the opposite direction |
| inspect | in (into), spect (look) | Into + Look | To look carefully |
| vision | vis (see) | See | The ability to see |
| terrain | terr (earth) | Earth | A stretch of land |
| aquarium | aqua (water) | Water | A tank of water with aquatic life |
| audience | aud (hear) | Hear | People who listen |
| fracture | fract (break) | Break | A break in a bone |
| dictionary | dict (say) | Say | A book of word meanings |
| manual | manu (hand) | Hand | A book or a task done by hand |
| dismiss | dis (away), miss (send) | Away + Send | To send away or remove |
| evident | e (out), vid (see) | Out + See | Clear to the eye or mind |
| evacuate | e (out), vac (empty) | Out + Empty | To leave an area |
| factory | fact (make), ory (place) | Make + Place | A place where things are made |
| generation | gen (birth), tion (act) | Birth + Act | The act of producing or a group born together |
| geography | geo (earth), graph (write) | Earth + Write | Study of Earth’s features |
| thermal | therm (heat) | Heat | Related to heat |
| psychology | psych (mind), logy (study) | Mind + Study | Study of the mind |
| phonics | phon (sound) | Sound | Teaching reading by sounds |
| hyperactive | hyper (over), active (act) | Over + Act | Too active |
| monopoly | mono (one), poly (sell) | One + Sell | Control by one person |
| polygon | poly (many), gon (angle) | Many + Angles | A shape with many angles |
| thermometer | therm (heat), meter (measure) | Heat + Measure | Measures temperature |
| biography | bio (life), graphy (writing) | Life + Writing | Story of a person’s life |
| microscope | micro (small), scope (see) | Small + See | Device to see small things |
| democracy | demo (people), cracy (rule) | People + Rule | Government by the people |
| predict | pre (before), dict (say) | Before + Say | To tell in advance |
| insect | in (in), sect (cut) | In + Cut | A small arthropod animal |
| dismissive | dis (away), miss (send) | Away + Send | Showing disregard |
| evacuate | e (out), vac (empty) | Out + Empty | To empty or leave |
| revive | re (again), viv (live) | Again + Live | To bring back to life |
| construction | struct (build) | Build | Building something |
| submarine | sub (under), marine (sea) | Under + Sea | A vessel under the sea |
| prescribe | pre (before), scribe (write) | Before + Write | To write a recommendation before treatment |
| inspector | in (in), spect (look) | In + Look | A person who examines something |
| eject | e (out), ject (throw) | Out + Throw | To throw out |
| dehydrate | de (remove), hydr (water) | Remove + Water | To remove water |
| omnivore | omni (all), vor (eat) | All + Eat | An animal that eats all kinds of food |
| carnivore | carn (meat), vor (eat) | Meat + Eat | An animal that eats meat |
| inspire | in (in), spir (breathe) | In + Breathe | To breathe into; motivate |
| respiration | re (again), spir (breathe) | Again + Breathe | The process of breathing |
| verdict | ver (truth), dict (say) | Truth + Say | A judgment or decision |
| audible | aud (hear), ible (able) | Hear + Able | Able to be heard |
| potential | poten (power), tial (related to) | Power + Related | Having power or ability |
| territory | terr (earth), ory (place) | Earth + Place | An area of land |
Let’s practice!
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