Roots and Affixes

Front

What is a root word?

Back

A root word is the base part of a word that carries its primary meaning. It can stand alone or be combined with prefixes and suffixes.

Front

What is an affix?

Back

An affix is a letter or group of letters added to the beginning or end of a word to change its meaning. There are two types: prefixes and suffixes.

Front

What does the prefix 'un-' mean?

Back

The prefix 'un-' means 'not' or 'the opposite of'. For example, 'happy' becomes 'unhappy'.

Front

What does the suffix '-ful' mean?

Back

The suffix '-ful' means 'full of'. For example, 'joy' becomes 'joyful'.

Front

What does the prefix 'pre-' mean?

Back

The prefix 'pre-' means 'before'. For example, 'preview' means to see something before it is officially shown.

Front

What does the root 'graph' mean?

Back

The root 'graph' means 'to write' or 'to draw'. For example, 'autograph' means a person's own signature.

Front

What does the prefix 'bio-' mean?

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The prefix 'bio-' means 'life'. For example, 'biology' is the study of life.

Front

What does the suffix '-er' indicate?

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The suffix '-er' indicates a person who performs an action. For example, 'teacher' is someone who teaches.

Front

What does the root 'phon' mean?

Back

The root 'phon' means 'sound'. For example, 'telephone' means a device that transmits sound.

Front

What does the prefix 'trans-' mean?

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The prefix 'trans-' means 'across' or 'beyond'. For example, 'transport' means to carry something across.