Ultimate word success - Peterson's 2009

Day 5 Branch Out with Word Roots
Part II Find Out That New Words Equal the Sum of Their Parts

There are no shortcuts in test preparation…or are there? You will have to memorize lists of words; after all, some test-worthy words can only be learned through memorization. But you can also acquire heaps of test-worthy words by mastering only a handful of roots. This is a great shortcut: it’s fun, it’s easy, and, best of all, it works!

A root is a stem or base form for many words. It has been estimated that 90 percent of all English words can be traced back to classical Greek and Latin roots.

How Roots Work

1. Prefixes and Suffixes Are Added to Roots to Create Many Words.

For example, the root vor means “to eat.” If you are a voracious (voh-ray-shus) eater, you eat a lot of food. In the following examples, the root “vor(e)” is combined with prefixes and suffixes to describe types of eaters in the plant and animal kingdoms.

Cover the last column and see how many of these words you can figure out by just knowing the meaning of the root “vor.”

Knowing how the words were created can help you figure out many words you encounter on standardized tests. In addition, you can use these decoding skills to figure out the meaning of all the new words that are created every day. (You’ll learn more about suffixes in Day 6.)

Here’s the basic drill:

The following chart shows additional examples of how words are put together. Knowing this process can help you take them apart to define them. Remember, words are like people: it’s easy to figure them out… once you know their parts.

Whenever you come upon an unfamiliar word, first check to see if it has a recognizable root. Even if you can’t define a word exactly, recognizing the root will give you a general idea of the word’s meaning. For example, if you read the word geocentric, knowing the root geo would help you figure out that geocentric has to do with the center (“centric”) of the Earth or Earth as the center.

2. A Word Can Contain More Than One Root.

For example, the word matrilineal contains the roots matri (mother) and lineal (line). Putting it together, you can deduce that matrilineal means “determining ancestry through the female line.”

3. Some Roots Are Words Themselves.

For example, the root term also means “name or length of time.” In a similar way, the root vent also means “an opening that allows air to enter.” Even though these roots are words, they can still function as roots, as the following chart shows:

4. Some Roots Must Be Combined with Other Word Elements to Form Words.

Take a look at the examples on the following chart:

5. When It Comes to Building Words from Roots, Placement Matters.

Some roots can also function as prefixes, depending on their placement in a word. For example, graphy means “writing.”

Time for Fun: Word-Find Puzzle

Time for a break. There are fifteen words hidden in this word-find puzzle. (See the word list below.) Every word begins with “a.” To complete the puzzle, locate and circle all the words. The words may be written forward, backward, or upside down. The answers appear on here. Good luck!

Word List:

1. abhor: to turn away from; loathe

2. ablution: washing away; cleansing

3. abrogate: to repeal; do away with

4. abscond: to steal away and hide

5. admonish: to strongly urge or caution

6. aggrandize: to make more powerful, important, or wealthier

7. ambivalent: having conflicting emotions

8. amphibious: capable of living both on land and in water

9. antidote: a remedy against a poison

10. antipathy: a strong feeling of dislike; hostility; aversion

11. antithesis: a contrast of ideas

12. apostle: a person sent away to deliver a message

13. appease: to pacify; bring toward peace

14. assiduous: diligent; industrious

15. asylum: a place of security or retreat

Learn Test-worthy Words with Greek Roots

Many of the words we use every day come from Greek roots. This is especially true of the language of scientific words, because much of the language of science was created primarily from Greek roots. Scientific words often appear on standardized tests.

Greek Roots for Measurement

You’ll notice that some of the roots have more than one spelling. For example, macro and mega both mean “large.” Read the following chart several times, and you’ll soon get accustomed to the slight variations in spelling.

Words with the Hydro/Hydra Root

Many useful words are formed from the hydro/hydra root. The following chart shows some of the most important ones that often appear on standardized tests:

Words About the Natural World

While we’re on the topic of water, below are some Greek roots and words formed from them that concern the natural world. You’ll find these words quite test-worthy.

Give It a Try: Word Scramble

Time for fun! First unscramble each of the seven test-worthy words so that it matches its definition. Then, use the words to fill the appropriate spaces on the corresponding line. When you have completed the entire puzzle, another test-worthy word will read vertically in the column with circles. The answers appear on here.

Greek Roots for Beliefs and Ideas

The Greek roots form many test-worthy words that describe beliefs and ideas as well. How many of the following words do you know? Test yourself by covering the fourth column and trying to define each word.

It’s Your Turn: Roots and Their Meanings

Assess what you’ve learned so far by completing the following chart. For each word, first write the root and its meaning. Then, use what you’ve learned about roots to define each word. Don’t hesitate to look back at what you just learned—or to use a dictionary. The answers appear on here.

Learn Test-worthy Words with Latin Roots

If you think we’ve borrowed a lot of roots from the Greeks, wait until you see what we’ve recycled from Latin! For example, the Latin root plac means “pleasure.” Words formed from this root include placid, complacent, implacable, complaisant, and placate.

The Latin root nomin/nomen (name) has given us a great many words, including these half-dozen:

Latin Roots for Size and Amount

Below are fifteen Latin roots that describe size and amount. Study the roots, examples, and definitions. As you read, use some of the techniques you learned in Day 3 to help you learn and recall the words. For example, say the words aloud to help you remember them for standardized tests.

Seventh-Inning Stretch: Word-Definition Match

Match the word to its definition. You may wish to underline the Latin root in each word as you do so. Then, write your answers in the space provided. The answers appear on here.

Latin Roots for “Kill or Cut”

The Latin root cide means “kill or cut.” As you read the following chart, cover the fifth column. See how many words you can decode using what you know about the root and its meaning.

Time for Fun: Latin Roots—True or False

In the space provided, write T if the definition is true and F if it is false. Use what you learned about Latin roots to help you figure out what each test-worthy word means. The answers appear on here.

Give It a Try: Definitions

Define each word, using its root to help you. Write your definition on the line provided. The answers appear on here.

Answers and Explanations

Word-Find Puzzle (here)

Word Scramble (here)

prototype

audible

neophyte

acrophobia

chronicle

eugenics

archbishop

Reading down: panacea

Roots and Their Meanings (here)

Word-Definition Match (here)

1. e

2. c

3. h

4. j

5. d

6. i

7. a

8. f

9. b

10. g

Latin Roots—True or False (here)

1. T

2. F

3. T

4. F

5. T

6. F

7. T

8. F

9. T

10. F

11. T

12. F

13. T

14. F

15. T

Definitions (here)

1. digest; synopsis

2. happening every two years

3. self-control

4. add

5. perceiving all things

6. go beyond; replace

7. hanging

8. causing resentment

9. withdraw; resign

10. eating all kinds of foods