Greek and Latin Roots

The Greek root tele is found in words like 'telephone' and 'television.' What does tele mean?

• Far away

• To see

• To hear

• To write

Answer explanation

The root 'tele' means 'far away' or 'distant.' A telephone lets you hear from far away, and a television lets you see from 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 root to its meaning.

• to see

• aud

• sound

• phon

• to hear

• vis

Answer explanation

The root 'aud' relates to hearing, 'vis' relates to seeing, and 'phon' relates to sound. For example, 'audible' (can be heard), 'visible' (can be seen), and 'symphony' (sounds together).

Tags

CCSS.L.4.4B

CCSS.L.5.4B

CCSS.L.6.4B

CCSS.L.7.4B

CCSS.L.8.4B

Which sentence uses a word with the root port (meaning 'to carry') correctly?

• I need to report to the principal's office.

• Can you help me transport these boxes to the car?

• The most important thing is to be kind.

• She plays a lot of different sports.

Answer explanation

The word 'transport' means to carry something from one place to another ('trans-' means across, 'port' means carry). The other options do not use the root 'port' with the meaning of 'carry'.

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 the sense their root relates to. The categories are: Words about Seeing and Words about Hearing.

Groups:

(a) Words about Seeing

,

(b) Words about Hearing

• audible

• inaudible

• audience

• inspect

• spectacle

• perspective

Answer explanation

Words with the root 'spect' (like spectacle, inspect, perspective) are related to seeing. Words with the root 'aud' (like audible, audience, inaudible) are related to hearing.

Tags

CCSS.L.1.5A

CCSS.L.1.5B

CCSS.L.K.5A

If the root bio means 'life,' what is a biography?

• A book about the earth

• A story someone writes about their own life

• A story written about someone else's life

• A book about different animals

Answer explanation

A biography is the story of a person's life ('bio') written ('graph') by someone else. An autobiography is when someone writes their own life story ('auto' means self).

Tags

CCSS.L.4.4B

CCSS.L.5.4B

CCSS.L.6.4B

CCSS.L.7.4B

CCSS.L.8.4B

Match each root to its meaning.

• to say

• struct

• to build

• rupt

• to break

• dict

Answer explanation

The root 'rupt' means to break (erupt), 'struct' means to build (construct), and 'dict' means to say (predict).

Tags

CCSS.L.4.4B

CCSS.L.5.4B

CCSS.L.6.4B

CCSS.L.7.4B

CCSS.L.8.4B

The root ped means 'foot.' What would a pedestrian most likely be doing?

• Flying a plane

• Driving a car

• Walking on a sidewalk

• Riding a bike

Answer explanation

A pedestrian is a person who travels on foot. The other activities involve vehicles, not walking.

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 the category that matches their root's meaning. The categories are: Words about Earth, Words about Time, and Words about Heat.

Groups:

(a) Words about Earth

,

(b) Words about Time

,

(c) Words about Heat

• geography

• geology

• chronological

• thermos

• thermal

• synchronize

Answer explanation

Words with the root 'geo' relate to Earth. Words with 'chron' relate to time. Words with 'therm' relate to heat.

Tags

CCSS.L.1.5A

CCSS.L.1.5B

CCSS.L.K.5A

Many science words end with the Greek root -logy, like in 'biology' or 'geology.' What does -logy mean?

• The study of

• A type of life

• A written record

• A measurement

Answer explanation

The suffix '-logy' means 'the study of.' For example, biology is the study of life, and geology is the study of the Earth.

Tags

CCSS.L.4.4B

CCSS.L.5.4B

CCSS.L.6.4B

CCSS.L.7.4B

CCSS.L.8.4B

Match each word to the meaning derived from its Greek roots.

• Writing of the self (signature)

• Biology

• The study of life

• Photograph

• Writing with light (picture)

• Autograph

Answer explanation

'Autograph' is self-writing, 'biology' is the study of life, and 'photograph' is writing with light. Each word's meaning is built from its roots.

Tags

CCSS.L.4.4B

CCSS.L.5.4B

CCSS.L.6.4B

CCSS.L.7.4B

CCSS.L.8.4B