Root Words: 30 of the Most Common Greek and Latin Roots

The Greek root 'bio' means:

• life

• earth

• water

• fire

Fill in the blank: The Latin root 'aqua' means ______.

• water

• fire

• earth

• air

The Greek root 'geo' refers to:

• earth

• water

• fire

• air

Fill in the blank: The Latin root 'terra' means ______.

• earth

• water

• fire

• air

The Greek root 'chron' means:

• time

• space

• light

• sound

Use a known root word as a clue to the meaning of an unknown word with the same root. What is the meaning of the word 'companion' if you know the root word 'company'?

• A person who accompanies or associates with another

• A type of business organization

• A musical group

• A type of food

Use common, grade-appropriate Greek and Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word. What is the meaning of the word 'autograph' if you know the root word 'graph'?

• A written signature

• A type of graph

• A musical note

• A type of photograph

What is a root word?

• A word that can stand alone and has meaning

• A word that is always a prefix

• A word that is always a suffix

• A word that has no meaning on its own

In the word 'scissors', what is the root word?

• scissor

• sciss

• sci

• sors

What is the root word for bicycle?

• cycle.

• bi.

• bicy.

• bicycle.