This document provides a master list of common morphemes in the English language, including suffixes, prefixes, and Greek and Latin roots. It lists over 50 suffixes with their meanings and part of speech. Examples are given for prefixes like "de-", "trans-", "mono-", and "anti-". Finally, common Greek roots such as "astr-", "bi-", "phon-", and "tele-" are defined along with their meanings and exemplar words containing each root. The list serves as a reference for understanding how word meanings are constructed through the combination of morphemes.
This document provides a master list of common morphemes in the English language, including suffixes, prefixes, and Greek and Latin roots. It lists over 50 suffixes with their meanings and part of speech. Examples are given for prefixes like "de-", "trans-", "mono-", and "anti-". Finally, common Greek roots such as "astr-", "bi-", "phon-", and "tele-" are defined along with their meanings and exemplar words containing each root. The list serves as a reference for understanding how word meanings are constructed through the combination of morphemes.
This document provides a master list of common morphemes in the English language, including suffixes, prefixes, and Greek and Latin roots. It lists over 50 suffixes with their meanings and part of speech. Examples are given for prefixes like "de-", "trans-", "mono-", and "anti-". Finally, common Greek roots such as "astr-", "bi-", "phon-", and "tele-" are defined along with their meanings and exemplar words containing each root. The list serves as a reference for understanding how word meanings are constructed through the combination of morphemes.
This document provides a master list of common morphemes in the English language, including suffixes, prefixes, and Greek and Latin roots. It lists over 50 suffixes with their meanings and part of speech. Examples are given for prefixes like "de-", "trans-", "mono-", and "anti-". Finally, common Greek roots such as "astr-", "bi-", "phon-", and "tele-" are defined along with their meanings and exemplar words containing each root. The list serves as a reference for understanding how word meanings are constructed through the combination of morphemes.
-er one who, that which noun teacher, clippers, toaster -er more adjective faster, stronger, kinder
-ly to act in a way that is… adverb kindly, decently, firmly
-able capable of, or worthy of adjective honorable, predictable
-ible capable of, or worthy of adjective terrible, responsible, visible
-hood condition of being noun childhood, statehood, falsehood
-ful full of, having adjective wonderful, spiteful, dreadful
-less without adjective hopeless, thoughtless, fearless
-ish somewhat like adjective childish, foolish, snobbish
-ness condition or state of noun happiness, peacefulness, fairness
-ic relating to adjective energetic, historic, volcanic
-ist one who noun pianist, balloonist, specialist
-ian one who noun librarian, historian, magician -or one who noun governor, editor, operator -eer one who noun mountaineer, pioneer, commandeer, profiteer, engineer, musketeer
o-logy study of noun biology, ecology, mineralogy
-ship art or skill of, condition, noun leadership, citizenship, companionship,
rank, group of kingship
-ous full of, having, adjective joyous, jealous, nervous, glorious,
-age result of an action noun marriage, acreage, pilgrimage
-ant a condition or state adjective elegant, brilliant, pregnant
-ant a thing or a being noun mutant, coolant, inhalant
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Master morpheme list from Vocabulary Through Morphemes: Suffixes, Prefixes, and Roots for Grades 4-12, 2nd Edition, Ebbers, 2010 (www.sopriswest.com) -ent someone who, noun student, president, nutrient something that -ent inclined to adjective different, fluent, persistent
-ment state or act of noun payment, basement, improvement
-ary place for, collection of noun glossary, granary, library
-ary relating to, condition adjective secondary, military, necessary -ary one who noun secretary, dignitary, emissary
-ize to make verb hypnotize, fertilize, centralize
-ise to make verb advise, advertise, improvise
-ure action or condition of noun moisture, mixture, pleasure
-ion act or condition noun action, friction, fusion, mission
-ation act or condition noun starvation, condensation
-ance act or condition of noun assistance, endurance, importance
-ence act or condition of noun persistence, excellence, confidence
-ity state or quality of noun prosperity, equality, security
-al relating to adjective magical, comical, logical
(ti)-al relating to adjective spatial, initial, essential (si)-al relating to adjective official, social, artificial
-ate to make calculate, activate, participate
-ate state or quality of adjective desolate, ultimate, literate
-tude condition of noun solitude, exactitude, fortitude
*The syntax column indicates the most-likely grammatical function of words ending with the given suffix.
Prefix Meaning(s) Exemplars
de- from, reduce, or opposite defrost, dethrone, dehydration
dis- opposite disagree, disadvantage, dishonest
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Master morpheme list from Vocabulary Through Morphemes: Suffixes, Prefixes, and Roots for Grades 4-12, 2nd Edition, Ebbers, 2010 (www.sopriswest.com) trans- across, over, through transfer, translate, transcontinental dia- across, through diagonal, diagnostic, diameter
ex- out, from expel, excavate, expatriate, exhale
e- out, from erase, evict, emit, evaporate, evacuate
mono- one, single monoplane, monopoly, monorail
uni- one, single unicycle, unicorn, universal bi- two bicycle, biped, bilateral di- two, or in parts digraph, divert, diameter tri- three tricycle, triangle, triune multi- many, much multicolored, multimillionaire poly- many, much polygon, polyhedron, polyester
inter- among, between interstate, internet, interpersonal
intra- within intranet, intravenous, intranasal
co- together, with cooperate, coworker, copilot
com- together, with company, commit, committee con- together, with concur, concert, contingent col- together, with colleague, collide, collaborate
be- to, completely befriend, belie, belittle, bejeweled
non- not nonsense, nonrefundable, nonprofit un- not uncomfortable, uncertain, untrue
in- not incapable, inedible, intolerant
im- not imperfect, immoral, imbalanced
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Master morpheme list from Vocabulary Through Morphemes: Suffixes, Prefixes, and Roots for Grades 4-12, 2nd Edition, Ebbers, 2010 (www.sopriswest.com) il- not illiterate, illogical, illegal ir- not irregular, irresponsible
in- (im-, in, into, on, upon (this inside, insert, implant, impostor, il-, ir-) prefix has two meanings: infuriate, inflammable, incandescent ‘not’ and ‘in’)
en- to cause to be, to put or go enable, enrich, engulf, enflame
into or onto em- to cause to be, to put or go employ, embark, embellish into or onto
Greek and Latin roots are often written with slightly varied spellings, as shown below. The hyphen indicates the most typical connecting vowel (phon-o, hyd-o, etc.)
Master morpheme list from Vocabulary Through Morphemes: Suffixes, Prefixes, and Roots for Grades 4-12, 2nd Edition, Ebbers, 2010 (www.sopriswest.com) phon-o sound, speech telephone, phonics, symphony
scope instrument used telescope, microscope, kaleidoscope
to observe, to see
graph written autograph, telegraph, geographer
phot-o light photograph, photon, photobiotic
tele distant, far telescope, television, telecommunications
meter, instrument used metric, thermometer, barometer, chronometer
port to carry transport, export, porter, portal, reporter
form to shape formation, reform, conform, formulation
tract to pull tractor, subtract, detract, traction, retractable
rupt to break disrupt, interrupt, rupture, corrupt
spect, spec to see, to watch inspect, suspect, spectator, respect, specimen
struct, stru to build construct, structure, instruct, construe
dict, dic to tell, to say dictionary, dictate, predict, indicate
flec, flex to bend flexible, reflector, genuflect, inflection,
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Master morpheme list from Vocabulary Through Morphemes: Suffixes, Prefixes, and Roots for Grades 4-12, 2nd Edition, Ebbers, 2010 (www.sopriswest.com) reflective
cred to believe credit, credentials, credulous, incredible
