Understanding Key Prefixes and Roots in English Language

1. #1 photos light Ex: photograph=picture drawn by light

2. #2 graph to write or draw Ex: telegraph=(tele distant) writing from far away

3. #3 tele far away, distant Ex: television=(visiosee) seeing distant things

4. #4 metron measure Ex: meter = unit of measure; 39.47 inches long

5. #5 tropos turning Ex: phototropic=turning toward light as leaves and flowers do

6. #6 philia love, friendship Ex: philosopher = (sophia wisdom) one who loves wisdom

7. #7 phobos fear Ex: phobia = irrational fear

8. #8 syn with, together Ex: sympathy = (pathos feeling) to feel with someone else

9. #9 thesis put, place, position Ex: thesis= a position taken in an argument supported by a set of reasons

10. #10 kinesis movement Ex: kinetic = relating to the movement of bodies

11. #11 phone sound Ex: megaphone = (mega big) device to make sounds BIG

12. #12 sonus sound Ex: sonar = device that hears sounds under water

13. #13 skopeo look at, inspect, consider, examine Ex: scope = all that the eye can see

14. #14 video/visum see Ex: video = picture portion of television

15. #15 logos word, study Ex: geology = (geo  earth) study of the earth

16. #16 verbum word Ex: verb = the action word of a sentence

17. #17 nomen/nominis name Ex: nominal = in name only; not real or actual

18. #18 pro for, before, forward, in place Ex: project = (jacio to throw) to throw forward

19. #19 prae before, in front of Ex: predict = (dico  say) say beforehand

20. #20 ad to, toward; near, next to Ex: adhere = stick to

21. #21 jacio/jactum throw Ex: reject = throw back

22. #22 pono/positum lay, put, place Ex: pose = position or attitude

23. #23 cum with, together Ex: cumulative = all together

24. #24 figo/fixum fix, fasten, attach Ex: fixture = a thing fastened in place

25. #25 jungo/junctum join, unite, connect Ex: conjugal = relating to the joining of a man and woman in marriage

26. #26 digitus finger, toe, inch Ex: digit = finger; numerals from 0-9; unit of measure the width of a finger

27. #27 caput/capitis head Ex: decapitate = to remove one’s head

28. #28 manus hand Ex: manual = by hand

29. #29 pes/pedis foot Ex: pedestal = foot of a column

30. #30 bracchium arm Ex: bracelet = ornament for the arm or wrist

31. #31 dens/dentis tooth Ex: dentist = tooth doctor

32. corpus/corporis #32 body Ex: corporeal = pertaining to the body

33. #33 unus one Ex: unit = one part of a series or of a whole

34. #34 duo two Ex: duet = music played or sung by two people

35. #35 tres three Ex: tricycle = a three-wheeled vehicle

36. #36 quattuor four Ex: quatrain = a stanza of poetry four line long

37. #37 quinque five Ex: quinquennial = five-year period of time

38. #38 sex six Ex: sexdigital = having six fingers or toes

39. #39 septem seven Ex: September = seventh month of the Roman calendar

40. #40 octo eight Ex: octopus = eight-footed ocean creature

41. #41 novem nine Ex: novendial = lasting nine days

42. #42 decem ten Ex: December = tenth month of the Roman calendar

43. #43 centum hundred Ex: cent = one hundredth of a dollar

44. #44 mille thousand Ex: mile = a thousand paces

45. #45 pyro fire Ex: pyrotechnics = fireworks

46. #46 ignis fire Ex: igneous = pertaining to fire

47. #47 Vulcanus Vulcan-Roman g-d of fire Ex: volcano = a crack in the earth pouring out hot magma

48. #48 hydros water Ex: dehydrate = take water away

49. #49 aqua water Ex: aquarium = a tank of water where fish or water plants can live

50. #50 bonus good Ex: boon = good deed, a favor