Greek root words

A telephone allows people to communicate over a great distance. Based on the use of the word telephone, what does the Greek root tele- most likely mean?

• far away

• to hear

• sound

• light

Answer explanation

The Greek root 'tele-' means 'far away' or 'at a distance.' A telephone allows you to hear a voice ('phone' means sound or voice) from far away. Other examples include television and teleport.

Match each Greek root to its correct meaning.

• life

• therm

• water

• bio

• earth

• hydro

• heat

• geo

Answer explanation

Each root is matched to its core meaning: 'bio' (life), 'geo' (earth), 'hydro' (water), and 'therm' (heat).

For your history project, you must list events in chronological order. Based on your knowledge of the Greek root chrono-, what does this instruction mean?

• Arrange the events in order of importance

• Arrange the events in the order that they happened

• Arrange the events in alphabetical order

• Arrange the events by geographical location

Answer explanation

The Greek root 'chrono-' means 'time.' Therefore, 'chronological' order means arranging events according to the sequence of time in which they occurred.

Sort these common roots by their language of origin: Greek or Latin.

Groups:

(a) Greek Origin

,

(b) Latin Origin

• tele (far)

• port (carry)

• aud (hear)

• phon (sound)

Answer explanation

'Phon' and 'tele' are common Greek roots, while 'port' and 'aud' are common Latin roots. Knowing the origin helps in understanding word families.

In the word psychology, which part is the Greek root meaning 'mind' or 'soul'?

• -ology

• psych-

• logy

• psy-

Answer explanation

The Greek root 'psych-' means 'mind' or 'soul.' The suffix '-ology' means 'the study of.' The other options are either suffixes or incomplete.

My summer job of stamping envelopes felt very monotonous. Based on the Greek root in the word, what does 'monotonous' likely mean?

• Exciting and varied

• Difficult and challenging

• Lacking in variety and interest

• Quick and easy to finish

Answer explanation

The Greek root 'mono-' means 'one.' A 'monotonous' task is one that has only one 'tone' or activity, making it dull, repetitive, and uninteresting. The context of a repetitive job like stamping envelopes supports this meaning.

Match each profession to the meaning derived from its Greek root and suffix.

• One who studies life ('bio')

• Geographer

• One who writes about the Earth ('geo')

• Astronomer

• One who studies the arrangement of stars ('astro')

• Biologist

Answer explanation

Each profession's name is formed by combining a Greek root with a suffix indicating a person who studies or works in that field ('-logist', '-grapher', '-nomer').

An autograph is a person's own signature. Based on its Greek roots, what is the literal meaning of the word?

• Written by someone else

• A famous person's name

• To write about oneself

• Written by oneself

Answer explanation

The word autograph is formed from two Greek roots: 'auto-' meaning 'self' and '-graph' meaning 'to write.' Therefore, the literal meaning is 'written by oneself.' The distractor 'To write about oneself' describes an autobiography.

Sort these words into two groups: those containing the Greek root for 'sound' (phon) and those that do not.

Groups:

(a) Contains 'phon' (sound)

,

(b) Does Not Contain 'phon'

• telegram

• photograph

• microphone

• symphony

• telephone

Answer explanation

'Symphony,' 'microphone,' and 'telephone' all relate to sound, using the root 'phon.' 'Photograph' (light) and 'telegram' (distance) use different Greek roots.

A scientist used a microscope to study the cellular structure of a plant leaf. Based on this context, what does the Greek root micro- most likely mean?

• large

• life

• small

• far

Answer explanation

The Greek root 'micro-' means 'small.' A microscope is an instrument ('scope' means 'to look at') for viewing small things, like cells. The other options are meanings for the roots 'macro-,' 'bio-,' and 'tele-.'