Identifying Word Parts
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LESSON
In this lesson, you will learn to how to find the meaning of words you don't know in a readingA piece of writing to be read. A reading can either be a full work (i.e., a book) or partial (i.e., a passage). by using word partsBasic sections of words that make up larger words, including prefixes, suffixes, and root words. You can use word parts to help you determining the meaning of an unfamiliar word.. When you come across an unfamiliar word in a passage, one of the ways to determine its meaning is to break the word down to smaller parts. These are known as word parts and there are three types: root wordsBasic words that cannot be reduced to a smaller word and have their own meaning. They can sometimes be combined with prefixes and suffixes to change its meaning or create a new word., prefixesA word part that is attached to the beginning of a root word to enhance or change its meaning or form a new word. Prefixes cannot stand on their own as independent words., and suffixesA word part that is attached to the end of a root word to enhance or change its meaning or form a new word. Suffixes often change a word’s part of speech or changes a singular word into a plural one. Suffixes cannot stand on their own as independent words.. Just as context cluesHints that appear in a text that help readers discover the meaning of an unknown word, usually based on how it is used in a sentence or paragraph. help you define a word by applying what you know about the key words around it, word parts help you define a word by applying what you know about the key parts of the word itself.
Root words are basic words that cannot be reduced to a smaller word and have a meaning all on their own. They can often stand alone as independent words although there are some core roots that help form many of the words people use.
A prefix is a word part that is attached to the beginning of a root word to enhance or change its meaning. It cannot stand on its own as an independent word.
A suffix is a word part added to the end of a root word that can sometimes enhance or change its meaning, but mostly it can change a word's part of speech or changes a singular word into a plural one. Like a prefix, it cannot stand on its own as an independent word.
For example, the word "bicycling" is made up of the root word "cycle," which means circle or wheel, the prefix "bi," meaning two, and the suffix "ing," which makes it a participleA form of a verb that shows past or present tense. Participles can sometimes be used as adjectives. Example: skipped is a past-tense participle and skipping is a present-tense participle of the verb skip. .
There are two ways to approach word parts. First, you can memorize the word parts. DecipheringTo figure out something confusing or complicated. unknown words becomes easier with each word prefix, root, and suffix that you learn. The "Common Word Parts List" below does not list every possible word part, but it will give you a good place to start. Consider creating flash cards for each word part and have your friends and family quiz you.
Another strategy to use to discover a word's meaning is to think of familiar words that have the same roots as the new word. Since English is a mixture of many Latin- and German-based languages, you can also think of foreign words. Then you can deduceTo use logic to come to a conclusion about something unknown. what the new word means based on the familiar words that you know.
For example, here is what you can do if you come upon the word "transcription."
First list words that you know that either begin with trans- or tran- or have the root word, script.
| Prefix: Tran- | Root word: Script |
| transport | script |
| transcontinental | postscript |
| translate | inscription |
| transaction | description |
Then look for commonalities in each word group.
| transport | Moving from one place to another |
| transcontinental | Going across a continent |
| translate | Defining a word or term in a different language |
| transaction | Moving or exchanging money |
| script | A piece of writing |
| postscript | Notes at the end of a book |
| inscription | Writing in book or in stone |
| description | Telling what something is |
The trans- and tran- words all deal with moving an actual thing or an idea; whereas the script words all have something to do with writing. You can thereby assume that "transcription" means moving something into writing.
Once you have taken the time to understand what transcription means, you can guess the meaning of related words even more quickly. You can assume that words beginning with "trans" have something to do with moving something and words with "script" as a root have something to do with writing.
By both memorizing the word parts and understanding them by breaking them down to familiar words, you will begin reading more quickly and understanding more of what you read.
Common Word Parts List
| Common Prefixes | Meaning | Example |
| a, ab, abs | away, from | absent, abstain |
| ad, a, ac, af, ag, an, ar, at, as | to, toward | adhere, annex, affix, adapt |
| bi, bis | two | bicycle, biped, bisect |
| circum | around | circumference |
| com, con | together, with | combination, connect |
| de | opposite, from, away | detract, defer, delete |
| dis, dif, di | apart, not | disperse, different |
| epi | upon, on top of | epicenter |
| equi | equal | equality, equitable |
| ex, e | out, from, forth | eject, exhale, exit |
| hyper | over, above | hyperactive, hypersensitive |
| hypo | under, beneath | hypodermic |
| in, en | in, into, not | inject, endure, incorrect |
| inter | between, among | international, intercede |
| mal, male | bad, ill | malpractice, malevolent |
| mis | wrong | mistake, misunderstand |
| mono | alone, single, one | monotone, monopoly |
| non | not | nonsense |
| ob | in front of, against | obvious |
| omni | everywhere, all | omnipresent |
| pre | before | predawn, preview |
| pro | forward | proceed, promote |
| re | again, back | recall, recede |
| retro | backward, behind, back | retroactive |
| se | apart, | secede, secure |
| sub | under | subway |
| super | greater, beyond | supernatural, superstition |
| trans | across, beyond | transcend, transcontinental |
| un, uni (pronounced yoon, yoon-ee) | one | unilateral, unity |
| un (pronounced uhn) | not | unhappy, unethical |
| Common Core Roots | Meaning | Example |
| bas | low | basement |
| cap, capt | take, seize | capture, capable |
| cred | believe | credible |
| dict | speak | predict, dictionary |
| duc, duct | lead | induce, conduct |
| fac, fact | make, do | artifact, facsimile |
| graph | write | autograph, graphic |
| log | word, study of | dialog, biology |
| scrib, script | write | transcribe, subscription |
| spec, spect | see | specimen, aspect |
| tact | touch | contact, tactile |
| ten | hold | tenacious, retentive |
| therm | heat | thermostat, thermometer |
| ver | true | verify |
| Common Suffixes | Meaning | Example |
| -able, -ible | able to (adjective) | usable |
| -er, -or | one who does (noun) | competitor |
| -fy | to make (verb) | dignify |
| -ing | forms a participle | running, acting |
| -ism | the practice of (noun) | rationalism, Catholicism |
| -ist | one who practices (noun) | feminist, environmentalist |
| -ive | forms an adjective | creative |
| -ize | bring about, make (verb) | popularize |
| -less | without, lacking (adjective) | meaningless |
| -logue, -log | type of speaking or writing (noun) | prologue, dialog |
| -ment | act or process of (noun) | enjoyment |
| -ness | the condition of (noun) | aggressiveness |
| -ship | the art or skill of (noun) | sportsmanship |
| -tion | turns a verb into a noun | indication, separation |
| -tude | the state of (noun) | rectitude |
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