Prefix un- (not, opposite of)
unlock (v) to open a lock
unsafe (adj.) not safe; able to cause harm or damage
uncover (v) to remove a cover from; to find
unable (adj.) not able to do something
uneven (adj) not even; not straight; not following a regular pattern
Prefix re- (again, back)
reread (v) To read something again
revise (v) to make changes to correct or improve something
return (v) to go to a place again; to send or take something back to the place it came from or where it belongs
refresh (v) to make someone have more energy and feel less tired or less hot; to fill a glass or cup again
refund (v) to give back money that someone paid for something
Suffix -ful (full of)
beautiful (adj) having beauty, very pretty to see, hear or experience
harmful (adj) causing harm; dangerous
careful (adj) taking care in your actions
powerful (adj) having great physical strength; having power over someone or something
thoughtful; (adj) having or showing careful thought; paying attention to the needs of others
Suffix -less (without)
careless (adj) not paying close attention; not careful
helpless (adj) not able to take care of yourself
timeless (adj) without a beginning or end; lasting forever
painless (adj) not causing pain; not difficult
restless (adj) not able to relax, sit still, or stay quiet
Prefix in- (not)
inactive (adj) not active; not being used
invisible (adj) not able to be seen
incapable (adj) not able to do something
incomplete (adj) not finished; missing some part
invalid (n) a person who needs to be cared for because of an injury or sickness
Prefix im- (not)
impossible (adj) not able to be done; very difficult
improper (adj) not correct; not following rule of acceptable behavior
impolite (adj) not polite; rude
immobile (adj) not be able to move or be moved
imperfect (adj) having mistakes or problems; not perfect
Prefix dis- (not;opposite of)
dislike (verb) to not like something or someone
distrust (verb) to have no trust in someone or something
disagree (verb) to have a different opinion; to not agree
dispute (noun) a disagreement or argument
discover (verb) to see or find something for the first time
Prefix pre- (before)
pretest (noun) a test given to students before starting a new unit of study
precaution (noun) something done beforehand to prevent danger
preface (noun) an introduction to a book that gives information about the author or book
prepare (verb) to make ready; to put together from different parts
predict (verb) to tell that something will happen before it does
Prefix tele- (far away; distant)
telephone (noun) a device used to send sounds (such as people’s voices) over long distances
telegraph (noun) an old-fashioned system of sending written messages over long distances with wires and signals
televise (verb) to broadcast something by television
telescope (noun) a long tube-shaped device used to see things that are far away
telecommute (verb) to work at home and send work back to the office by computer
Suffix -ly (in a way that is)
badly – (adv) in a bad manner; in a way that is bad
friendly – (adj) acting like a friend; in a way that is cheerful or pleasant
quickly – (adv) in a fast or quick way
happily – (adv) in a happy way
eagerly – (adv) in a way that seems very excited or interested in something
Suffix -y (in a way that is, like)
hazy – (adj) partly hidden by haze; covered by dust, smoke, or mist
fishy – (adj) tasting or smelling like fish; likely to be bad or untrue
jittery – (adj) in a very nervous way
hasty – (adj) done or made too quickly
flimsy – (adj) easily broken or torn; not strong or solid
Root word "bio" (life)
biology – (n) a science that deals with things that are alive, such as plants and animals
biography – (n) the story of a real person’s life written by someone else
antibiotics – (n) medicine that is used to kill harmful bacteria and cure infections
biome – (n) a large region of Earth that has a certain climate and certain types of living things
biologist – (n) a scientist who studies biology
Root word "graph" (draw, write)
autograph – (n) the signature of a person, usually famous
cartography – (n) the process of making or drawing maps
paragraph – (n) part of a piece of writing that deals with one subject, that begins on a new line, and is made up of sentences
graphics – (n) pictures, drawings, or graphs used as a decoration or to make something (such as a magazine article) easier to understand
graphite – (n) a soft black form of carbon used in pencils
Root word "phon" (sound)
phonograph – (n) an old-fashioned record player
symphony – (n) a long piece of music that is performed by an orchestra
microphone – (n) a device used to record voices and instruments or make them sound louder
phonics – (n) a way of teaching reading by learning the different sounds of letters and syllables
homophone – (n) a word that sounds like another word but is different in meaning and/or spelling
Root word "scope" (see, look, examine)
microscope – (n) a device used for creating a much larger view of very small objects so that they can be seen
periscope – (n) a long tube with lenses and mirrors, usually used to allow people in a submarine to see above the water’s surface
stethoscope – (n) a device used to listen to someone’s heart or lungs
kaleidoscope – (n) a tube with small pieces of colored glass and mirrors at one end
telescopic – (adj) having the ability to show or zoom in on distant objects
Prefix "non-" (not) Week of January 6th
nonsense – (n) words or ideas that have no meaning or do not make sense
nonfat – (adj) having no fat, or with the fat removed (from food)
nonliving – (adj) not living
nonstick – (adj) covered with a coating that prevents things (usually food) from sticking to something
nonstop – (adj) done or made without stopping
Prefix "over" (too much, above)
overrun – (v) to run or go beyond or past something, to spread over or throughout something
overhead – (adv) at a height above the head, (adj) located above head level
oversleep – (v) to sleep past the time you planned to get up
overflow – (v) to be so full that the contents spill over the top of something, to flood, (n) the amount of something that flows over because the container is too full
overreact – (v) to respond or react too strongly
Prefix "under" (too little, below)
underfed – (adj) not given enough food to eat
underground – (adj, adv) located or occurring below the surface of the earth
underneath – (prep) below something, on the bottom side of something
underarm – (n) the area beneath the arm at the shoulder, (adj) placed on or along the armpit
underbrush – (n) plants, bushes, and small trees growing under larger trees in a forest
Prefix "mis" (wrongly, badly)
mischievous – (adj) causing minor harm, trouble, or damage
miserable – (adj) very unhappy, feeling very sick or unwell
mistake – (n) something that is not correct; a wrong action, statement, or judgment
misunderstood – (v) failed to understand something or someone correctly
misjudge – (v) to judge something or someone incorrectly or unfairly
Prefix "de" (down, off, from)
descend – (v) to go down; to move from a higher to a lower place or level
destructive – (adj) causing a large amount of damage; breaking something down
decode – (v) to find the hidden meaning of something; to break a code
depress – (v) to press something down; to make someone feel sad
decrease – (v) to become smaller in size, amount, or number
Prefix "bi" (two, twice)
bilingual – (n) able to speak and understand two languages
bifocals – (n) eyeglasses that are divided into two parts to help a person see things nearby and far away
biplane – (n) an old type of airplane that has two sets of wings with one above the other
biweekly – (n) happening every two weeks or twice a week
biennial – (n) happening every two years
Prefix "tri" (three)
triathlon – (n) a long-distance race that has three parts (usually swimming, bicycling, and running)
trilogy – (n) a series of three novels, movies, etc. that are closely related and involve the same characters
triangle – (n) a shape made up of three lines and three angles
tricycle – (n) a three-wheeled vehicle that is moved by foot pedals
tripod – (n) a support or stand for a camera, telescope, etc. that has three legs
Prefix "quad" (four)
quadrilateral – (n) a flat shape that has 4 straight sides & 4 angles
quadrant – (n) one part of something that is evenly divided into four parts
quadruplet – (n) one of four babies born at the same time to the same mother
quartet – (n) a group of four singers or musicians who perform together
quadruple – (v) to become four times bigger in value or number
Prefix "oct" (eight)
octahedron – (n) a solid figure having eight faces
octopus – (n) a sea animal that has a soft body and eight long arms
octagon – (n) a flat shape that has eight sides and eight angles
octet – (n) a song or piece of music performed by eight singers or musicians
October – (n) the 10th month of the year. October was the 8th month in the earliest calendar, which is where it gets its name.
Suffix "er" and "or" (a person who)
manager – (n) someone who is in charge of a business, team, etc.
lawyer – (n) a person whose job is to help people with legal matters
interpreter – (n) a person who translates the words someone is speaking into a different language
donor – (n) a person or group that gives something (like food, money, or clothes) in order to help others
survivor – (n) a person who continues to live after an accident, illness, etc.
unlock (v) to open a lock
unsafe (adj.) not safe; able to cause harm or damage
uncover (v) to remove a cover from; to find
unable (adj.) not able to do something
uneven (adj) not even; not straight; not following a regular pattern
Prefix re- (again, back)
reread (v) To read something again
revise (v) to make changes to correct or improve something
return (v) to go to a place again; to send or take something back to the place it came from or where it belongs
refresh (v) to make someone have more energy and feel less tired or less hot; to fill a glass or cup again
refund (v) to give back money that someone paid for something
Suffix -ful (full of)
beautiful (adj) having beauty, very pretty to see, hear or experience
harmful (adj) causing harm; dangerous
careful (adj) taking care in your actions
powerful (adj) having great physical strength; having power over someone or something
thoughtful; (adj) having or showing careful thought; paying attention to the needs of others
Suffix -less (without)
careless (adj) not paying close attention; not careful
helpless (adj) not able to take care of yourself
timeless (adj) without a beginning or end; lasting forever
painless (adj) not causing pain; not difficult
restless (adj) not able to relax, sit still, or stay quiet
Prefix in- (not)
inactive (adj) not active; not being used
invisible (adj) not able to be seen
incapable (adj) not able to do something
incomplete (adj) not finished; missing some part
invalid (n) a person who needs to be cared for because of an injury or sickness
Prefix im- (not)
impossible (adj) not able to be done; very difficult
improper (adj) not correct; not following rule of acceptable behavior
impolite (adj) not polite; rude
immobile (adj) not be able to move or be moved
imperfect (adj) having mistakes or problems; not perfect
Prefix dis- (not;opposite of)
dislike (verb) to not like something or someone
distrust (verb) to have no trust in someone or something
disagree (verb) to have a different opinion; to not agree
dispute (noun) a disagreement or argument
discover (verb) to see or find something for the first time
Prefix pre- (before)
pretest (noun) a test given to students before starting a new unit of study
precaution (noun) something done beforehand to prevent danger
preface (noun) an introduction to a book that gives information about the author or book
prepare (verb) to make ready; to put together from different parts
predict (verb) to tell that something will happen before it does
Prefix tele- (far away; distant)
telephone (noun) a device used to send sounds (such as people’s voices) over long distances
telegraph (noun) an old-fashioned system of sending written messages over long distances with wires and signals
televise (verb) to broadcast something by television
telescope (noun) a long tube-shaped device used to see things that are far away
telecommute (verb) to work at home and send work back to the office by computer
Suffix -ly (in a way that is)
badly – (adv) in a bad manner; in a way that is bad
friendly – (adj) acting like a friend; in a way that is cheerful or pleasant
quickly – (adv) in a fast or quick way
happily – (adv) in a happy way
eagerly – (adv) in a way that seems very excited or interested in something
Suffix -y (in a way that is, like)
hazy – (adj) partly hidden by haze; covered by dust, smoke, or mist
fishy – (adj) tasting or smelling like fish; likely to be bad or untrue
jittery – (adj) in a very nervous way
hasty – (adj) done or made too quickly
flimsy – (adj) easily broken or torn; not strong or solid
Root word "bio" (life)
biology – (n) a science that deals with things that are alive, such as plants and animals
biography – (n) the story of a real person’s life written by someone else
antibiotics – (n) medicine that is used to kill harmful bacteria and cure infections
biome – (n) a large region of Earth that has a certain climate and certain types of living things
biologist – (n) a scientist who studies biology
Root word "graph" (draw, write)
autograph – (n) the signature of a person, usually famous
cartography – (n) the process of making or drawing maps
paragraph – (n) part of a piece of writing that deals with one subject, that begins on a new line, and is made up of sentences
graphics – (n) pictures, drawings, or graphs used as a decoration or to make something (such as a magazine article) easier to understand
graphite – (n) a soft black form of carbon used in pencils
Root word "phon" (sound)
phonograph – (n) an old-fashioned record player
symphony – (n) a long piece of music that is performed by an orchestra
microphone – (n) a device used to record voices and instruments or make them sound louder
phonics – (n) a way of teaching reading by learning the different sounds of letters and syllables
homophone – (n) a word that sounds like another word but is different in meaning and/or spelling
Root word "scope" (see, look, examine)
microscope – (n) a device used for creating a much larger view of very small objects so that they can be seen
periscope – (n) a long tube with lenses and mirrors, usually used to allow people in a submarine to see above the water’s surface
stethoscope – (n) a device used to listen to someone’s heart or lungs
kaleidoscope – (n) a tube with small pieces of colored glass and mirrors at one end
telescopic – (adj) having the ability to show or zoom in on distant objects
Prefix "non-" (not) Week of January 6th
nonsense – (n) words or ideas that have no meaning or do not make sense
nonfat – (adj) having no fat, or with the fat removed (from food)
nonliving – (adj) not living
nonstick – (adj) covered with a coating that prevents things (usually food) from sticking to something
nonstop – (adj) done or made without stopping
Prefix "over" (too much, above)
overrun – (v) to run or go beyond or past something, to spread over or throughout something
overhead – (adv) at a height above the head, (adj) located above head level
oversleep – (v) to sleep past the time you planned to get up
overflow – (v) to be so full that the contents spill over the top of something, to flood, (n) the amount of something that flows over because the container is too full
overreact – (v) to respond or react too strongly
Prefix "under" (too little, below)
underfed – (adj) not given enough food to eat
underground – (adj, adv) located or occurring below the surface of the earth
underneath – (prep) below something, on the bottom side of something
underarm – (n) the area beneath the arm at the shoulder, (adj) placed on or along the armpit
underbrush – (n) plants, bushes, and small trees growing under larger trees in a forest
Prefix "mis" (wrongly, badly)
mischievous – (adj) causing minor harm, trouble, or damage
miserable – (adj) very unhappy, feeling very sick or unwell
mistake – (n) something that is not correct; a wrong action, statement, or judgment
misunderstood – (v) failed to understand something or someone correctly
misjudge – (v) to judge something or someone incorrectly or unfairly
Prefix "de" (down, off, from)
descend – (v) to go down; to move from a higher to a lower place or level
destructive – (adj) causing a large amount of damage; breaking something down
decode – (v) to find the hidden meaning of something; to break a code
depress – (v) to press something down; to make someone feel sad
decrease – (v) to become smaller in size, amount, or number
Prefix "bi" (two, twice)
bilingual – (n) able to speak and understand two languages
bifocals – (n) eyeglasses that are divided into two parts to help a person see things nearby and far away
biplane – (n) an old type of airplane that has two sets of wings with one above the other
biweekly – (n) happening every two weeks or twice a week
biennial – (n) happening every two years
Prefix "tri" (three)
triathlon – (n) a long-distance race that has three parts (usually swimming, bicycling, and running)
trilogy – (n) a series of three novels, movies, etc. that are closely related and involve the same characters
triangle – (n) a shape made up of three lines and three angles
tricycle – (n) a three-wheeled vehicle that is moved by foot pedals
tripod – (n) a support or stand for a camera, telescope, etc. that has three legs
Prefix "quad" (four)
quadrilateral – (n) a flat shape that has 4 straight sides & 4 angles
quadrant – (n) one part of something that is evenly divided into four parts
quadruplet – (n) one of four babies born at the same time to the same mother
quartet – (n) a group of four singers or musicians who perform together
quadruple – (v) to become four times bigger in value or number
Prefix "oct" (eight)
octahedron – (n) a solid figure having eight faces
octopus – (n) a sea animal that has a soft body and eight long arms
octagon – (n) a flat shape that has eight sides and eight angles
octet – (n) a song or piece of music performed by eight singers or musicians
October – (n) the 10th month of the year. October was the 8th month in the earliest calendar, which is where it gets its name.
Suffix "er" and "or" (a person who)
manager – (n) someone who is in charge of a business, team, etc.
lawyer – (n) a person whose job is to help people with legal matters
interpreter – (n) a person who translates the words someone is speaking into a different language
donor – (n) a person or group that gives something (like food, money, or clothes) in order to help others
survivor – (n) a person who continues to live after an accident, illness, etc.