English 101

Lecture Notes 13

Spring 2022

11 April

Lecture 13

1. Vocabulary Strategies (Cont.)

1. Word Parts

A. The “word parts” strategy means breaking a word down into

its component parts, figuring out what each of those

component parts means, and then figuring out what the word

means based on this information.

B. The three main word parts

1. Root word: The core word part that lays down the baseline

meaning of the word. This meaning can be altered

significantly by added prefixes and suffixes.

2. Prefix(es): Comes before the root word and changes its

meaning (sometimes to the exact opposite. E.g. refundable

vs. nonrefundable)
3. Suffix(es): Come after the root word. Also change the

root word’s meaning. Suffixes often determine or change what

part of speech a word is.

C. It’s important to remember that root words, prefixes, and

suffixes can be looked up on their own to learn what they

mean.