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A root word has no prefix or suffix — it's the most basic part of a word. The root word at the heart of "conformity," for example, is "form." In linguistics, a root word holds the most basic meaning of any word.
Root words are a type of morpheme (small part of a word) with a distinct meaning that can combine with affixes to create new words or sometimes act alone as independent words. Root words are instrumental in grammar for forming words, and understanding their meanings can help you define new words with those same roots.
A root word is the most basic form of a word that cannot be further divided into meaningful segments. Root words are used to form new words by adding letters at the beginning (i.e., a prefix) and/or the end (i.e., a suffix).
A root word is the most basic part of a word, known as a morpheme. Root words that can stand alone as words (such as hero or ego) are known as free morphemes. If a root word must use a prefix and/or suffix to be an English word, it's known as a bound morpheme. For example, take the word biology:
Familiarity with Greek and Latin roots, as well as prefixes and suffixes, can help students understand the meaning of new words. This adapted article includes many of the most common examples.
Differentiated vocabulary for your students is just a click away. Learning about the building blocks of words can help you make sense of unfamiliar words.
A root word is a word or word part that forms the basis of new words through the addition of prefixes and suffixes. In traditional root words, these words come from Latin and Greek, and typically do not stand alone as a complete word.