Root Words

Here is a list of the some of the most common root words from Latin & Greek. Some will say to not try to learn root words themselves. But to use them as tools in building a better vocabulary.

I do not completely agree. Building a better vocabulary is one of the most important things to which an educated person strives . But I have found root words useful in making very good guesses on the SAT. On October 2006's exam, I did not miss a single sentence completion [19 total], though I did not know all of the words.

I remember well taking the SAT in 1980 after two years of excellent Latin instruction [thank you Sister Celestine]. I know that I did better on the then "Verbal" portion because I knew some Latin. The only preparation I did for the SAT was to review a long list of root words and modern words formed from them.

Our good friends over at another company have put this list together:
Cap/Cip/Ceipt/Cept/Ceiv/Ceit [take]

Gen [birth, race or kind]

Dic/Dict/Dit [tell, say or word]

Spec/Spic/Spit [look, see]

Super/Sur/Sum[above]

Tent/Tens/Tend/Tenu [stretch, thin]

Trans [across]

Doc/Duc/Dac [teach, lead]

Co/Con/Com [with, together]

Vers/Vert [turn]

Loc/Log/Loqu [word, speech]

Sen [feel, sense]

De [away, down, off]

Nom/Noun/Nown/Nam/Nym [name, order or rule]

Cla/Clo/Clu [shut,close]

Vo/Vox/Vok/Vow [call]

Mal [bad]

Fra/Frac/Frag [break]

Gress/Grad [step]

Sec/Sequ [follow]

Que/Quis [ask, seek]

Sacr/Sanct/Secr [sacred]

Scrib/Scrip [write]

Pathy/Pas/Pat [feeling]

Dis/Dif [not]

Circu [around]



Prefixes & Suffices, a taste of what's to come

Pro [much, for or a lot]

Sub [under]

Ab [away, from]

Ob [against]