Name: _______________________________ Period:_______________ Date:________________

Prefix, Suffix, and Root Words Power Point Guided Notes I. What is a Prefix?

◦ A prefix is ________________________________that you add to the _____________________

of a ____________ word to form a new word.

◦ When prefixes are added they _________________________________________________.

◦ Examples:__________________________________________________________________.

II. What is a suffix?

◦ Suffixes are similar to prefixes in that they modify, or change, the meaning of words, but they

are ________________________________________ of the root words.

◦ Examples:__________________________________________________________________.

◦ Don’t forget, suffixes can be simple like adding and _____ to make a word plural or ______ to

make a word past tense.

Example:____________________________________________________________.

III. What is an affix?

◦ It’s a ___________________ or a _____________________!

◦ An affix is word part that is placed at the _______________________ (prefix) or at the

________________________ (suffix) of the root or word stem.

◦ Example:____________________________________________________ _________________.

IV. What is a root word?

◦ A root word is the ________________________________ that contains its

___________________________.

◦ as in ___________________________ (cent is the root word)

◦ as in ____________________________ (multi is the root word).

◦ In either case, _______________________ and ________________________ can be added to

root words to make new words.

letter or a word beginning

root

modify or change the meaning of the root word

unkind, impolite, rewrite

added to the end

auctioneer, volunteer, engineer, profiteer

Cats or listened

prefix suffix!

beginning

end

reaction and unacceptable

-s -ed

main part of a word

core meaning

century

spectator

prefixes suffixes

Name: _______________________________ Period:_______________ Date:________________

V. What is the difference between a root word and a base word?

◦ Base words and root words are _________ the same, even if in a few cases a word can be labeled as both.

Root words come from mostly _________________ or ________________words.

◦ Root words cannot be used ________________ in English.

◦ For example, aud is a Latin root word that has to do with hearing. This is the root of

common English words like auditorium, audio, and audition - all of which have to do

with hearing someone or something. Aud doesn't mean anything on its own in English -

that is, you can't use it as a stand-alone word - but understanding the meaning of the

root makes it easier to figure out what the English words that use it mean.

◦ Base words, on the other hand, are words __________________________ in English.

◦ These words have meaning on their own, but they can also have prefixes and suffixes added to

them to make new words.

◦ For example, cycle is a full word in English, but it can also be added to, to make words

like bicycle and cyclist. Cycle is the base word, or the simplest form of the word without

any prefixes or suffixes added.

VI. Why is learning about word parts important?

◦ Over __________% of all English words come from Greek or Latin root words.

◦ For example, the root word “struct-” comes from the Latin word meaning “build.” Any

English word you hear containing “struct-” will relate to building, developing or creating

something.

◦ By itself, “struct” is not a word, but it is the basis for more than ______ words in English.

My list of affixes (prefixes and suffixes):

◦ ______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Latin Greek

NOT

on their own

that can stand alone

60%

30