Greek root words

The Greek root 'tele' is found in words like television, telephone, and telescope. What is the meaning of the root 'tele'?

• Far or distant

• To see or look

• Sound

• Light

Answer explanation

The Greek root 'tele' means 'far' or 'distant.' A television lets you see images from far away, a telephone lets you hear sounds from far away, and a telescope lets you see objects that are far away.

Tags

CCSS.L.4.4B

CCSS.L.5.4B

CCSS.L.6.4B

CCSS.L.7.4B

CCSS.L.8.4B

Match each Greek root to its correct meaning.

• life

• geo

• earth

• thermo

• heat

• bio

• water

• hydro

Answer explanation

Each root is correctly paired with its meaning: 'bio' means life, 'geo' means earth, 'hydro' means water, and 'thermo' means heat.

Tags

CCSS.L.4.4B

CCSS.L.5.4B

CCSS.L.6.4B

CCSS.L.7.4B

CCSS.L.8.4B

My friend and I had to synchronize our watches before the race. Based on your knowledge of Greek roots, what did we do?

• We cleaned our watches.

• We set our watches to the same time.

• We took our watches apart.

• We compared the color of our watches.

Answer explanation

The word 'synchronize' is made of the prefix 'syn-' (together) and the root 'chron' (time). To synchronize means to make things happen together in time, so we set our watches to the same time.

Tags

CCSS.L.4.4B

CCSS.L.5.4B

CCSS.L.6.4B

CCSS.L.7.4B

CCSS.L.8.4B

Sort these words based on their Greek root: words related to 'sound' (phon) or words related to 'writing' (graph).

Groups:

(a) Related to 'sound' (phon)

,

(b) Related to 'writing' (graph)

• autograph

• graphic

• telephone

• symphony

Answer explanation

Words with the root 'phon' relate to sound (symphony, telephone), while words with the root 'graph' relate to writing or drawing (autograph, graphic).

Tags

CCSS.L.1.5A

CCSS.L.1.5B

CCSS.L.K.5A

Based on its Greek roots, what is the literal meaning of the word autograph?

• A famous person's name

• A drawing of a star

• Something written by oneself

• A message sent from far away

Answer explanation

The word 'autograph' is a combination of two Greek roots: 'auto' (self) and 'graph' (to write). Therefore, the literal meaning of an autograph is something written by oneself.

Tags

CCSS.L.4.4B

CCSS.L.5.4B

CCSS.L.6.4B

CCSS.L.7.4B

CCSS.L.8.4B

A scientist who studies the human mind and emotions is working in the field of psychology. Based on this context, what does the Greek root 'psych' refer to?

• The body

• The mind or spirit

• Life or living things

• The study of

Answer explanation

The word 'psychology' combines the Greek root 'psych' (mind, spirit) and the suffix '-logy' (the study of). Since psychology is the study of the mind and emotions, the root 'psych' must refer to the mind.

Tags

CCSS.L.4.4B

CCSS.L.5.4B

CCSS.L.6.4B

CCSS.L.7.4B

CCSS.L.8.4B

Match each field of study to the meaning derived from its Greek roots.

• The study of stars and celestial objects

• Astronomy

• The study of the Earth

• Biology

• The study of life

• Geology

Answer explanation

Each word combines a root with '-logy' or '-nomy' (study/law of): 'bio' (life), 'geo' (Earth), and 'astro' (star).

A firefighter connects a hose to a fire hydrant. A person who doesn't drink enough can become dehydrated. Based on these examples, what does the Greek root 'hydro' mean?

• Fire

• Water

• Pressure

• To remove

Answer explanation

The Greek root 'hydro' means 'water.' A hydrant is a connection to a water supply, and to dehydrate means to lose or remove water from something. Both words use the root 'hydro' to relate to water.

Tags

CCSS.L.4.4B

CCSS.L.5.4B

CCSS.L.6.4B

CCSS.L.7.4B

CCSS.L.8.4B

Sort these words into groups based on their root's meaning: words related to 'earth' (geo) or words related to 'life' (bio).

Groups:

(a) Related to 'earth' (geo)

,

(b) Related to 'life' (bio)

• geography

• biography

• geode

• antibiotic

Answer explanation

Words containing 'geo' relate to the Earth (geography, geode), while words containing 'bio' relate to life (biography, antibiotic).

Tags

CCSS.L.1.5A

CCSS.L.1.5B

CCSS.L.K.5A

Using your knowledge of Greek roots, what is the most likely meaning of the word telepathy?

• Feeling emotions from far away

• A detailed map of a distant star

• A machine that measures sound

• The study of ancient life

Answer explanation

'Tele-' means 'distant' and '-pathy' means 'feeling' or 'suffering.' Therefore, telepathy is the ability to communicate feelings or thoughts over a distance.