Common Roots

See also Prefixes, Suffixes.

Common Roots

Root	Meaning	Examples
anthro	man	anthropology
aqua	water	aquatic, aquarium
arch	ruler	monarch, anarchy
astro	star	astronomy, astronaut
bene	good	beneficial, benevolent
bibl	book	bibliography
bio	life	biology, biography
cap, cep, ceive	take	capture, accept, receive
chrom	color	chromatic, monochrome
chron	time	chronology, sychronize
circum	around	circumference
clud, clus	close	include, seclusion
corp	body	corpse, corporation
cred	believe	credible, credence
cycl	round	unicycle, encyclopedia
demo	people	democracy, demographics
dict	say	dictionary, predict
dom	home	domestic, domicile
duc	lead	deduction, introduce
fact, fect	make	manufacture, effect
fer	carry	transfer, inference
flect, flex	bend	reflect, flexible
fort	strong	fortress, effort
frac, frag	break	fragment, fracture
frat	brother	fraternity
gen	birth, race	generation, genetic
geo	earth	geography, geode
gram, graph	write	telegram, photography
gress	move	progress, aggressive
leg	law	legal, legitimate
ject	throw	eject, rejection
log	study, word	zoology, sociology
luc	light	lucid, translucent
mal	bad	malcontent, malicious
manu, mani	hand	manual, manipulate
mar	sea	maritime, submarine
mater, matri	mother	maternal
med	middle	intermediate, medium
mega	great	megaphone, megabytes
min	tiny, small	miniature, minute
mit, miss	send	transmit, mission
mort	death	mortal, mortuary
nas, nat	born	nascent, natural
neuro	nerve	neurology, neurosis
nom	name	nominate, nomenclature
path	feeling, pain	sympathy, pathologist
pater, patri	father	patriarch, paternity
ped, pod	foot	pedicure, tripod
phil	love	philosophy, bibliophile
phon	sound	telephone, phonology
photo	light	photon, photograph
poli	city	politics, metropolitan
port	carry	transport, portable
pos	place	position, posture
psych	mind	psychiatrist, psychology
rect, reg	rule, right	rectify, regulate
scope	see	telescope, microscope
scrib, scrip	write	describe, prescription
spec	look	retrospect, inspection
struc	build	structure, construction
tact	touch	contact, tactile
tain, ten	hold	maintenance, contain
tele	distant	telegraph, telepathy
temp	time	temporal, contemporary
tend, tens	stretch	extend, tension
therm	heat	thermometer
trans	across	transcontinental, transit
vac	empty	vacuum, evacuate
ven	come	convention, intervene
ver	true	verify, veracity
vert, vers	turn	convert, reverse
voc, vok	voice, call	vocal, invoke