Use the meanings of words as clues to the meanings of Greek and Latin roots

Key Notes :

What are Roots?

Think of a root as the core of a word, like the roots of a tree. It gives the word its basic meaning. Sometimes, roots are combined with other parts (prefixes and suffixes) to make new words!

Common Greek Roots

Polis:	Polis: Means”City” ( Metropolis – a large and important city)
Nym:	Nym: Means “Name” (Pseudonym – a fake name (used by writers))
Penta:	Penta: Means “Five” (Pentagon – a shape with five sides)
Mono:	Mono: Means”one”(Monologue – a long speech by one person)
Path:	Path: Means “Feeling” (Empathy – feeling what someone else feels)

Common Latin Roots

Terra:	Terra: Means “earth” (Terrestrial – relating to the Earth or land)
voc:	Voc: Means “voice”(Voice – the sound made when speaking)
Form:	Form: Means “shape” (like in form: the shape or structure of something).
Fact:	Fact: Means “to make or do” (like in factory: a place where things are made).
Dict:	Dict: Means “to say” (like in dictate: to say something aloud to be written down).

How Roots Help You!

When you see a new word, try to spot a root you know! If you know what the root means, you can guess what the whole word means! It’s like being a word detective and cracking the code! 🕵️‍♀️🕵️‍♂️

For example: the word autobiography contains:

• bio which means life.
• Combine ‘life’ with auto and graphy which means self and writing respectfully. And you get self-life-writing!

Keep Exploring!

Learning about roots is a fun way to build your vocabulary! The more roots you know, the easier it will be to understand new words. Keep exploring, and you’ll become a word wizard in no time! ✨

let’s practice!