Download Root Words

Root Words
Unit 1
Copy all of information below on a piece of binder paper (don’t tear the holes!)
Root Words #1
Root
Meaning
Examples
aqua
water
aqualung, aquarium,
aquamarine, Aquarius
bio
life
autobiography, biology,
biography
gen
birth
mater
mother
spec
look
generate, generation, progeny
alma mater, maternal, maternity
inspect, spectacle, spectator
Learning Target
I will determine the meaning of unknown
words by using Greek/Latin root word
meanings to decode the word.
Root Words
The original word without any prefixes or suffixes
is a root word.
These root words used in English often come from
other languages, like Latin & Greek.
Five words in this sentence have Latin root words:
Ex. Not all of the soloists who auditioned were
audible to the audience in the auditorium.
Aud
auditioned, audible, audience, auditorium
*aud – to hear
• What happens at a singer’s audition?
• What can you say about a sound that is audible?
• So, what is an audience? Auditorium?
Struct
Copy these words, circle the root, & write what
each word means.
• structure – a building
• constructive – to build
• instruct – to build knowledge
• destruction –
destroy something that was
built
Struct
• What do you do when you construct
something?
• What is a structure?
• So…what do you think struct means?
*struct – to build
Rupt
• eruption – to break through (intense)
• rupture – a break or tear
• interrupt – to break an activity
• bankrupt – to break the bank
Rupt
• What does it mean to erupt?
• What does it mean to interrupt?
• So…what do you think the root rupt
means?
*rupt – to break
Wrap- up
• Why does knowing Latin/Greek root words
help you read?
– Knowing Latin roots is useful to help you
pronounce words & determine the meaning of
unfamiliar words.
• Remember to watch for these roots in your
reading, they should help you understand the
words better.