Page 1

Master morpheme list from Vocabulary Through Morphemes: Suffixes, Prefixes, and Roots for
Grades 4-12, 2
nd
Edition, Ebbers, 2010 (www.sopriswest.com)

Master List of Morphemes
Suffixes, Prefixes, Roots

Suffix Meaning
*Syntax
Exemplars
-er one who, that which
noun
teacher, clippers, toaster
-er more
adjective
faster, stronger, kinder



-ly to act in a way that is
adverb
kindly, decently, firmly



-able capable of, or worthy of
adjective
honorable, predictable
-ible capable of, or worthy of
adjective
terrible, responsible, visible



-hood condition of being
noun
childhood, statehood, falsehood



-ful full of, having
adjective
wonderful, spiteful, dreadful



-less without
adjective
hopeless, thoughtless, fearless



-ish somewhat like
adjective
childish, foolish, snobbish



-ness condition or state of
noun
happiness, peacefulness, fairness



-ic relating to
adjective
energetic, historic, volcanic



-ist one who
noun
pianist, balloonist, specialist
-ian one who
noun
librarian, historian, magician
-or one who
noun
governor, editor, operator
-eer one who
noun
mountaineer, pioneer, commandeer,
profiteer, engineer, musketeer



o-logy study of
noun
biology, ecology, mineralogy



-ship art or skill of, condition,
rank, group of
noun
leadership, citizenship, companionship,
kingship



-ous full of, having,
possessing
adjective
joyous, jealous, nervous, glorious,
victorious, spacious, gracious



-ive tending to
adjective
active, sensitive, creative



-age result of an action
noun
marriage, acreage, pilgrimage



-ant a condition or state
adjective
elegant, brilliant, pregnant
-ant a thing or a being
noun
mutant, coolant, inhalant
Page 2

Master morpheme list from Vocabulary Through Morphemes: Suffixes, Prefixes, and Roots for
Grades 4-12, 2
nd
Edition, Ebbers, 2010 (www.sopriswest.com)




-ent someone who,
something that
noun
student, president, nutrient
-ent inclined to
adjective
different, fluent, persistent



-ment state or act of
noun
payment, basement, improvement



-ary place for, collection of
noun
glossary, granary, library
-ary relating to, condition
adjective
secondary, military, necessary
-ary one who
noun
secretary, dignitary, emissary



-ize to make
verb
hypnotize, fertilize, centralize
-ise to make
verb
advise, advertise, improvise



-ure action or condition of
noun
moisture, mixture, pleasure



-ion act or condition
noun
action, friction, fusion, mission
-ation act or condition
noun
starvation, condensation



-ance act or condition of
noun
assistance, endurance, importance
-ence act or condition of
noun
persistence, excellence, confidence



-ity state or quality of
noun
prosperity, equality, security



-al relating to
adjective
magical, comical, logical
(ti)-al relating to
adjective
spatial, initial, essential
(si)-al relating to
adjective
official, social, artificial



-ate to make

calculate, activate, participate
-ate state or quality of
adjective
desolate, ultimate, literate



-tude condition of
noun
solitude, exactitude, fortitude



-ism practice, belief
noun
feudalism, racism, monotheism

*The syntax column indicates the most-likely grammatical function of words ending with
the given suffix.


Prefix Meaning(s) Exemplars
de- from, reduce, or opposite defrost, dethrone, dehydration

dis- opposite disagree, disadvantage, dishonest

Page 3

Master morpheme list from Vocabulary Through Morphemes: Suffixes, Prefixes, and Roots for
Grades 4-12, 2
nd
Edition, Ebbers, 2010 (www.sopriswest.com)

trans- across, over, through transfer, translate, transcontinental
dia- across, through diagonal, diagnostic, diameter

ex- out, from expel, excavate, expatriate, exhale
e- out, from erase, evict, emit, evaporate, evacuate

mono- one, single monoplane, monopoly, monorail
uni- one, single unicycle, unicorn, universal
bi- two bicycle, biped, bilateral
di- two, or in parts digraph, divert, diameter
tri- three tricycle, triangle, triune
multi- many, much multicolored, multimillionaire
poly- many, much polygon, polyhedron, polyester

pre- before predict, prepare, preheat

post- after postwar, postscript, postdate

mal- bad, evil malcontent, maladjusted, malnutrition

mis- wrong, bad mistake, misspell, misunderstand

bene- good, well benefit, beneficial, benediction

pro- forward, forth, before protector, procreate, profession

sub- under, beneath substitute, subtraction, subway

re- back, again rewind, remember, retaliate

inter- among, between interstate, internet, interpersonal
intra- within intranet, intravenous, intranasal

co- together, with cooperate, coworker, copilot
com- together, with company, commit, committee
con- together, with concur, concert, contingent
col- together, with colleague, collide, collaborate

be- to, completely befriend, belie, belittle, bejeweled
non- not nonsense, nonrefundable, nonprofit
un- not uncomfortable, uncertain, untrue

in- not incapable, inedible, intolerant
im- not imperfect, immoral, imbalanced
Page 4

Master morpheme list from Vocabulary Through Morphemes: Suffixes, Prefixes, and Roots for
Grades 4-12, 2
nd
Edition, Ebbers, 2010 (www.sopriswest.com)

il- not illiterate, illogical, illegal
ir- not irregular, irresponsible

in- (im-,
il-, ir-)
in, into, on, upon (this
prefix has two meanings:
not and in)
inside, insert, implant, impostor,
infuriate, inflammable, incandescent

a- not, negative amoral, atonal, atheist
an- not, negative anarchist, anomaly, anathema

anti- against, opposite antiseptic, anticrime, antitrust,
antisocial
contra- against, opposite contradict, contrary, contraceptive
counter- against, opposite counterclockwise, counterfeit,
counterbalance

en- to cause to be, to put or go
into or onto
enable, enrich, engulf, enflame
em- to cause to be, to put or go
into or onto
employ, embark, embellish

Greek and Latin roots are often written with slightly varied spellings, as shown below.
The hyphen indicates the most typical connecting vowel (phon-o, hyd-o, etc.)

Greek
Root
Meaning(s) Exemplars
astr-o stars, heavens astronaut, astrology, astronomer

bi-o life biography, biosphere, biology

ge-o earth, rocks geology, geographer, geothermal

therm heat, warm thermostat, thermal, exothermic

aut-o self autism, automatic, autoimmune, autograph

hom-o same, alike homonym, homogenize, homophone

hydr-o water hydrogen, hydrology, hydroelectric

micro small microscope, microclimate, microcosm

macro large macroclimate, macroevolution

Page 5

Master morpheme list from Vocabulary Through Morphemes: Suffixes, Prefixes, and Roots for
Grades 4-12, 2
nd
Edition, Ebbers, 2010 (www.sopriswest.com)

phon-o sound, speech telephone, phonics, symphony

scope instrument used
to observe, to see
telescope, microscope, kaleidoscope

graph written autograph, telegraph, geographer

phot-o light photograph, photon, photobiotic

tele distant, far telescope, television, telecommunications

meter,
metr
instrument used
to measure
metric, thermometer, barometer, chronometer

path, pass suffering, disease psychopath, pathogen, sympathy, compassion

psych-o mind, mental psychology, psychic, psychotropic

pan all, whole panorama, panacea, pantomime, pandemonium

zoo animal zoology, zootoxin, zoogeography

chron time chronic, chronological, synchronized

phobia fear, intense
dislike
claustrophobia, xenophobic, arachnophobia


Latin Root Meaning(s) Exemplars
port to carry transport, export, porter, portal, reporter

form to shape formation, reform, conform, formulation

tract to pull tractor, subtract, detract, traction, retractable

rupt to break disrupt, interrupt, rupture, corrupt

spect, spec to see, to watch inspect, suspect, spectator, respect, specimen

struct, stru to build construct, structure, instruct, construe

dict, dic to tell, to say dictionary, dictate, predict, indicate

flec, flex to bend flexible, reflector, genuflect, inflection,
Page 6

Master morpheme list from Vocabulary Through Morphemes: Suffixes, Prefixes, and Roots for
Grades 4-12, 2
nd
Edition, Ebbers, 2010 (www.sopriswest.com)

reflective

cred to believe credit, credentials, credulous, incredible

aqua water aquatic, aquarium, aquamarine

pel, puls to drive, push propel, compel, impel, repel, impulse, pulsate

fact, fac to make, to do factory, facilitate, factor, faction, factotum

ject to throw, to
throw down
inject, projectile, reject, subject, conjecture

vert, vers to turn reverse, versatile, convert, revert, divert

mit, mis to send missile, missionary, admission, emit, transmit

mort to die mortal, mortician, mortuary

script, scrib to write scribble, script, scripture, prescription

junct to join conjunction, junction, adjunct, juncture

cide to kill, a killer suicide, genocide, homicide

press to force,
squeeze
press, impress, express, compress, repress

spire
to breathe respire, respiration, respiratory, conspire,
inspire, perspire, expire, spirit, spirited, spiritual

grad, gress to step graduate, gradual, gradations, regress, congress,
digress, transgress, egress, progression

cept, capt to take, seize,
receive
capture, captivity, intercept, exception