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]
