Prefix

Meaning

Examples

a-, an-,ab-

without, not

atypical, anhydrous, abnormal

ambi-

both

ambivalent

ante-

before

antedate, anteroom

anti-

against opposite

antislavery, antifascist

auto-

self

automobile

bi-

two

biannual

co-; com-

together with, joint

coexist, co-author

counter-

opposite

counterattack

de-

to reverse an action, to remove, to deprive of

demobilise, decentralise

dis-

not, opposite of

disconnect, disobey

en-

to put into, to make

enlarge, enclose

ex-

jrevious, former

ex-minister

extra-

outside, beyond

extracurricular

hyper-

overly, excessive

hypertension

in, il, im, ir

not, without, lacking

incomplete, irregular, illegal

infra-

below, beneath

infrastructure

inter-

between, among

international

intra-

within

intravenous

macro-

large

macrocomputer

mal-

bad, wrongful ill

maltreat, malnutrition

micro-

small

microchip

mid-

in the middle of

mid-June

mis-

wrongly, bad, astray

misbehave

mono-

one, single

monorail

multi-

many

multipurpose

neo-

new, recent

neoconservative

non-

not

non-essential

omni-

all

omnipotent

post-

after

post-war

pre-

before

prehistoric

pro-

in favour of

prodemocratic

re-

again, back

re-elect, reopen

retro-

back

retroactive

semi-

partly, half

semicircle

sub-

under, less than normal

subway, subnormal

super-

above, beyond, greater than

supermarket, superman

syn-sym-

together, at the same time

synthesis

trans-

across

transatlantic

ultra-

extremely, beyond

ultramodern

un-

not, opposite, to reverse an action to

unknown, undisturbed

uni-

one

uniform

Suffix

Meaning

Original word

New noun

-асу -су

state

candidate

candidacy

-age

result process

drain

drainage

-ance -ence

state quality

guide exist

guidance existence

-ant -ent

agent doer

consult reside

consultant resident

-action

action

condemn

condemnation

-ition -ion

state result

abolish fuse

abolition fusion

-dom

condition state domain

wise king

wisdom kingdom

-ее

one receiving action

trust

trustee

-eer

doer, worker

engine

engineer

-er, -or

doer, maker resident

narrate London

narrator Londoner

-ful

amount

spoon

spoonful

-hood

state condition

child

childhood

-ism

system

feudal

feudalism

-ity

state, quality

valid

validity

-ive

agent, doer

detect

detective

-ment

action, result

amaze

amazement

-ness

quality, state

vivid

vividness

-(e)ry

people or things as a whole

rob dentist

robbery dentistry

-ship

state condition

member

membership

-tude

quality, state

serve

servitude

-ure

result, means

depart

departure

-y

result, action

jealous

jealousy

Suffix

Meaning

Original word

New adjective

-able -ible

able capable of

reason

reasonable

-at

characteristic of

season

seasonal

-ant -ent

doing, showing

appear observe

appearent observant

-ary

tending to

fragment

fragmentary

-ate

Full of, having

affection

affectionate

-en

made of, like

gold

golden

-ful

full of, having

wonder

wonderful

-ic

relating to, characteristic of

German romance

Germanic romantic

-ive

given to

attract

attractive

-less

lacking, without

life

lifeless

-like

similar like

ape bell

apelike bell-like

-ly

like characteristic of

mother

motherly

-ous

full of marked by

fury

furious

-some

apt to

trouble

troublesome

-ward

in the direction of

west

westward

-у

like, showing

shade

shady

Suffix

Meaning

Original word

New noun and adjective

-an, -ian

belonging

America

American

-ese

smth or smb of a place or a style

Japan

Japanese

-ine

smth or smb characteristic of

Florence

Florentine

-ish

smth characteristic of

Spain

Spanish

-ist

doer, believer, related to

Buddha

Buddhist

-ite

(smth or someone) characteristic of

Israel

Israelite

Suffix

Meaning

Original word

New verb

-ate

become, form, treat

hyphen

hyphenate

-en

make, cause to be

wide

widen

-fy. -ify

cause make to be

solid

solidify

-ize

make, cause to be

central

centralise

Root

Meaning

Examples

-am-

love, friend

amiable, amorous

-aqu-

water

aquarium, aqueduct

-audi-

hear

audience, audible

-bell-

war

bellicose, belligerent

-ben-

good, well

benevolent, beneficiary

-brev-

short

brief, abbreviate

-cap-, -capit

head

capital, captain

-cent-

hundred

century, centennial

-coga-

know

cognisant, recognise

-cred-

believe

incredulous, credible

-domin, -domit-

lord, master

dominate, predominant

-due-

lead

educate, abduct

-equ-

equal

equal, equate

-fac-, -fee-

do, make

effect, manufacture

-fm-

end

final, confine

-frag-, -frac-

break

fragment, fracture

-fus-

pour

infuse, effusive

-gen-

kind, sort, origin

generation, general

-junct-

join

conjunction, juncture

-leg; -lect-

read

legible, intellect

-loc-

place

dislocate, location

-loqu-

speak

soliloquy, eloquent

-man-

hand

manipulate, manual

-milli-, -mille-

thousand

milligram, millennium

-mit; -miss-

send

transmit, mission

-mor-

die

immortal

-ped-

foot

pedal, biped

-port-

carry

transport, export

-reg, -rect-

rule, right

correct, regular

-sci-

know

science, conscious

-scrib-, scrip-

write

describe, inscription

-spect-

sight

spectator, inspect

-temp-

time, season

temporary, tempo

-tract-

draw, pull

extract, traction

-uni-

one

union, unify

-ven; -veat-

come

prevent, venture

-vid-, -vis-

see

evident, vision

-vit-

life

vitamin, vital

Root

Meaning

Examples

-acro-

air

aircraft, aeronaut

-astro; -aster-

star

asteroid, astrology

-anthrop-

man, human

anthropology, misanthrope

-bibli-

book

bible, bibliography

-bio-

life

biology, biography

-chrom-

colour

chromosome, chromatic

-chron-

time

chronology, chronic

-cosm-

world

cosmic, cosmos

-crat-

rule, power

democrat, aristocrat

-cript-

secret, hidden

cryptography, cryptic

-dem-

people

democrat, demographics

-gen-

rule, kind

genesis, genealogy

-geo-

earth

geology, geography

-graph; -gram-

write, writing

telegram, biography

-hom-

same

homonym, homogenise

-hydr-

water

hydroelectric, hydrant

-log-

word, study

logic, biology

-metr-, -meter-

measure, instrument

metric, thermometer

-morph-

form, shape

morpheme, metamorphosis

-naut-, naus-

ship, sail, sailor

nautical, nausea

-nym-

name

synonym, antonym

-path-

suffering, feeling

pathetic, sympathy

-phil-

like, love

philanthropy, philosophy

-phob-

fear

phobia, hydrophobia

-phon-

sound

telephone, phonetics

-phot-

light

photograph, photoelectric

-polis; -polit-

city

metropolis, politics

-psych-

soul, mind

psychology, psyche

-scop-

examine, instrument

microscope, telescope

-soph-

wise, wisdom

philosopher, sophistry

-tele-

far, distant

telegram, television

-theo-, thei-

god

theologian, atheist

-therm-

heat

thermostat, thermal

-zo-

animal, life

zoology, protozoa

acclamation acclimation

enthusiastic approval; praise adjustment to a new climate or environment

affect / effect

to influence, to pretend a result, to achieve a result

accept/  except

to agree to take; to assume, to approve but; to omit

discomfit / discomfort

to throw into confusion; to thwart to make uncomfortable; lack of comfort

emigrate/ immigrate

to leave one’s country for another country о settle in a new country

clothes /cloths

garments fabrics

ingenious/ ingenuous

clever; inventive without guile, naive

formally /formerly

politely, officially, according to custom or rule previously

later/ latter

after some time the second of two mentioned

moral/ morale

virtuous, ethical spirit, mental condition

lightening/ lightning

making lighter in colour a visible electrical discharge in the atmosphere

personal/ personnel

individual, private employees, staff

than/ then

in comparison with at that time, next

precede/ proceed

to come before to move on, to continue

callous/ callus

thickened or hardened like a callus a thickened and hardened area of the skin

canvas/ canvass

a heavy cloth; an oil painting on this cloth to solicit votes, opinions, or contributions

complement/ compliment

to complete or balance; smth that completes to praise; an expression of praise

discreet/ discrete

tactful, prudent distinct; separate

foreword/ forward

an introduction ahead; toward

liable/ libel

legally responsible for, apt to; likely false writing that damages a person’s reputation

principal/ principle

the head of a school, first, main a basic truth, a rule of conduct

stationary/ stationery

fixed, unmoving writing paper and envelopes