Word study

STEMS AND AFFIXES

Using context clues is one way to discover the meaning of an unfamiliar word. Another way is word
analysis, that is, looking at the meaning s of parts of words. Many English words have been formed by
combining parts of older English, Greek, and Latin words. If you know the meaning of some of these
word parts, you can often guess the meaning of unfamiliar English word, particularly in context.

For example, report is formed from re. which means back, and port, which means carry. Scientist is
derived from sci, which means know, and ist, which means one who. Re and ist are called stems. A
stem is the basic part on which groups of related words are built. Re and ist are called affixes, that is,
word parts that are attached to stems. Affixes like re which are attached to the beginning of stems, are
called prefixes. Affixes attached to the end, like ist, are called suffixes. Generally, prefixes change the
meaning of a word and suffixes change its part of speech. Here is an example.

Stem : pay (verb) honest (adjective)

Prefix : repay (verb) dishonest (adjective)

Suffix : repayment (noun) dishonestly (adverb)

Word analysis is not always enough to give you the precise definition of a word you encounter in
a reading passage, but often along with context it will help you to understand the general meaning of
the word so that you can continue reading without stopping to use a dictionary.

Below is a list of some commonly occurring stems and affixes. Study their meaning:

Prefixes meaning words

a-, an- Without, lacking, mot
Ante- before
Bene- good
Bi- Two
By- Aside or apart from the
co,,on, secondary
Circum- Around
Com-, col-, Together, with
con-, cor-, co
Contra-, anti- Against
De- Down from, away
Dia- Through, across
Epi- Upon, over, outer
Hyper- Above, beyong,
 excessive
Hypo- Under, beneath, down
In-,im-, il-, ir- In, into, on
In-, im-, il-, ir- Not
inter Between
Intro-, intra- Within
Micro- Small
Mis- Wrong
Mono- One, alone
Multi- Many
Peri- Around
Poly- Many
Post- After
Pre- Before
Re-, retro- Back, again
Semi-, Half, partly
Sub-,suc-, suf-, Under
sug-, sup-, sus-,
Super- Above, greater, better
Syn-, sym-, syl- With, together
Trans- Across
tri Three
Ultra- Beyond, excessive,
extreme
Uni- one

stems meaning words

-antro-, antropo- Human
-arch- First, chief, leader
-aster-, -astor-, Star
-stellar-
-audi-, -audit- Hear
-auto- Self
-bio- Life
-capit- Head, chief
-ced- Go, move, yield
-chron- Time
-crop- Body
-cycle- Circle
-derm- Skin
-dic-, -dict- Say, speak
-duc- Lead
-fact-, -fect Make. Do
-flect- Bend
-gam- Marriage
-geo- Earth
-graph-, -gram- Write, writing
-hetero- Different, other
-homo- Same
-hydr-, hydro- Water
-log-, -ology- Speech, word, study
-man-, - manu Hand
-mega- Great, large
-mit-,-miss- Send
-morph- Form, structure
-onym-,-nomen- Name
-ortho- Straight, correct
-pathy- Feeling, disease
-phil- Love
-phon- sound
-pod-,-ped- Foot
-pon-,-pos- Put, place
-polis- City
-port- Carry
-psych- mind
Scrib-, -script- Write
-sequ-, -secut- Follow
-son- Sound
-spect- Look at
-spir- Breath
-soph- Wise
-tele- Far
-theo, -the- god
-therm-, -thermo- Heat
-ven-, -vene- Come
-ver-, True
-vid-, -vis- see
-voc-,-vok- call

suffixes meaning Words

-able-, ible, -ble Capable of, fit for
-ate To make
-er, -or One who
-fy To make
-ic, -al Relating to, having the nature of
-ism Action or practice, theory or
doctrine
-ist One who
-ity Condition, quality, state of being
-ize To make
-ness Condition, quality. State of being
-oid Like, resembling
-ous, -ious, -ose Full of, having the quality of
-tion, -ation Condition, the act of