Common Latin and Greek Word Roots

If you’re looking to improve your vocabulary, you should consider becoming familiar with Latin and Greek word roots. It may seem counterintuitive to look to another language when trying to better understand your own, but Latin and Greek roots have had a large impact on the English language. As many as 60- 70% of English words have some Latin or Greek influence, and many of those words that people consider difficult find their roots in these languages. Whether you’re studying for the ACT, SAT, GRE, or other test or just want to improve your own understanding of the English language, learning Latin and Greek roots can benefit you for a lifetime.

How Do Word Roots Work?

Every word has a root. This part contains the key to a word’s meaning. Take the word happy for example. This word only contains the root which means full of joy. There’s nothing more to the meaning of the word in this form.

Some words, however, have extra parts. We call these prefixes (attached before the root) and suffixes (attached behind the root). Based on the additional meanings of the prefixes and suffixes, the meaning of the final word will be shaped to mean something new.

Take the word autobiography for example. The root is bio meaning life. You may have noticed that many words that have bio in them have something to do with life or living beings – biology, biography, biome, biopic. When the suffix graph, meaning to write is added to it, it means a story about someone or something’s life. Other words that have graph as a root have to do with writing or drawing – graph, graphite, graphic, autograph. Add on the prefix, and the meaning changes again. Auto means by one’s self. Altogether, an autobiography is a story about a person’s life, written by the person him/herself. 

Greek Roots

Root	Meaning	Examples
auto	self	automobile, autobiography, automatic
bio	life	biology, biome, biography
geo	earth	geology, geography, geometry
graph	to write	autograph, graph, graphite
hydr	water	hydrate, hydraulic, hydrant
log(y)	word/study of	astrology, theology, meteorology
path	to feel	pathology, empathetic, apathy
phil	to love	philanthropic, bibliophile
phon	sound	phone, polyphonic, symphony
photo	light	photography, photon
syn/sym	together	synergy, symbiotic, sympathize

Latin Roots

Root	Meaning	Examples
aqua	water	aquatic, aquarium, aqueous
audi	to hear	audible, auditory, auditorium
bene	good	benefactor, benevolent, benign
brev	short	brevity, abbreviate, brief
circ	around	circumnavigate, circuitous, circle
dict	to say	dictionary, dictate, edict
doc	to teach	document, doctor, doctrine
duc	to lead	induce, reduce, induct
gen	to birth	generation, generate, gene
hab	to live	habitat, inhabit, habitable
jur/jus/jud	law	jury, justice, judicial
lev	to lift	levitate, levity, elevator
log/logue	thought	dialogue, prologue, epilogue
luc/lum	light	luminous, lucid, elucidate
manu	hand	manual, manicure, manipulate
mis/mit	to send	transmit, missile, mission
omni	all	omnibus, omniscient, omnipresent
pac	peace	pact, pacifist, pacify
port	to carry	port, transport, portable
qui/quit	silence/quiet	quiet, quiescent, tranquil
scrib/script	to write	manuscript, scribble, scripture
sens	to feel	sense, sensible, sensitive
terr	earth	terrain, terraform, terra forma
tim	to fear	timid, intimidate, timorous
vac	empty	vacuum, vacuous, vacate
vid/vis	to see	vivid, visible, video
tele	far	telescope, telephone, telepathy

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