LESSON 1

VOCABULARY: The Key to Meaning

Joe and Rachel were both taking an intensive reading course. Joe was
doing well in the course, but Rachel was not. In particular, Rachel was having
trouble with the vocabulary in the textbook. She complained, “I can’t even
pronounce some of these words, much less know what they mean!. There are so
many words I don’t know that I can’t look them all up. And to make things worse,
the instructor uses these same words on exams.”
Rachel asked Joe if he were having the same trouble, Joe agreed that there
were many new and difficult words, but he said he had worked out a way of
handling them. He figured out the meanings of many words from the way they
were used in a sentence. He also used word parts to figure out meanings. To
pronounce hard words, he broke the words into syllables. Then he used a
dictionary to check meanings or pronunciations of which he was unsure.
Joe has acquired a set of skills that are helping him to handle the
vocabulary in college courses. These skills help him improve his overall everyday
vocabulary as well.
Vocabulary development is a skill worth the effort to improve. Your
vocabulary affects not only your reading skills, but your speaking, listening, and
writing skills as well. In speaking, the words you choose affect how well you are
understood, the impression you make, and how people react to you. In writing,
your vocabulary determines how clearly and accurately you can express your
ideas to others. In listening, your vocabulary influences how much you understand
in class lecture, speeches, and class discussions.
A. RECOGNIZING THE STRUCTURE OF WORDS
This unit will show you how to
1. Figure out words you do not know
2. Use prefixes, roots, and suffixes

USING WORD PARTS TO EXPAND YOUR VOCABULARY

Suppose that you came across the following sentence in a human anatomy
textbook:
Trichromatic plates are used frequently in the text to illustrate the position
of body organs.
If you did not know the meaning of trichromatic, how could you
determine it? There are no clues in the sentence context. One solution is to look
the word up in the dictionary. An easier and faster way is to break the word into
parts and analyze the meanings of the parts. Many words in the English language
are made up of word parts called prefixes, roots, and suffixes. These word parts
have specific meanings that, when added together, can help you determine the
meaning of the word as a whole.
The word trichromatic can be divided into three parts, its prefix, root, and
suffix.

 Prefix – tri (“three”)

 Root – chrome (“color”)
 Suffix – atic (“characteristic of”)
You can see from this analysis that trichromatic means “having three colors.”
Here are a few other examples of words that you can figure out by using
prefixes, roots, and suffixes.”
The parent thought the child was unteachable.
un- = not
teach = help someone learn
-able = able to do something
unteachable = not able to be taught

The student was a nonconformist.

non- = not
conform = go along with others
-ist = one who does something
nonconformist = someone who does not go along with others.

The first step is using the prefix-root-suffix method is to become familiar

with the most commonly used word parts. The prefixes and roots listed in the
table 1 and 2 will give you a good start in determining the meanings of thousands
of words without looking them up in the dictionary. For instance, more than
10.000 words can begin with the prefix non-. Not all these words are listed in a
collegiate dictionary, but they would appear in unabridged dictionary. Another
common prefix, pseudo-, is used in more than 400 words. A small amount of time
spent learning word parts can yield a large payoff in new words learned.
Before you begin to use word parts to figure out new words, there are a
few things you need to know:
1. In most cases, a word is built upon at least one root.
2. Words can have more than one prefix, root, or suffix.
a. Words can be made up of two or more roots (geo/logy).
b. Some words have two prefixes (in/sub/ordination).
c. Some words have two suffixes (beauty/ful/ly)
3. Words do not always have prefix and suffix.
a. Some words have neither a prefix nor a suffix (read)
b. Others have a suffix but no prefix (read/ing)
c. Others have a prefix but no suffix (pre/read)

4. Roots may change in spelling as they are combined with suffixes (root =
aud/audit, meaning = hear, sample word = audible)
5. Sometimes, you may identify a group of letters as a prefix or root, but find that
it does not carry the meaning of the prefix or root. For example, in the word
internal, the letters inter should not be confused with the prefix inter-, meaning
“between.” Similarly, the letters mis in the word missile are part of the root and
are not the prefix mis-, which means “wrong; bad.”
PREFIXES
Prefixes appear at the beginnings of many English words. They alter the
meaning of the root to which they are connected. In Table 1, thirty-two common
prefixes are grouped according to meaning.

Table 1 COMMON PREFIXES

Prefix Meaning Sample Word

Prefixes referring to amount or number
bi two bimonthly
equi equal equidistant
micro small microscope
mono one monocle
multi many multipurpose
poly many polygon
semi half semicircle
tri three triangle
uni one Unicycle

Prefix Meaning Sample Word

Prefixes meaning “not”
(negative)
a, an, ab not asymmetrical
anti against antiwar
contra against, opposite contradict
dis apart, away, not disagree
in/il/ir/im not inactive, Illogical
non not nonfiction
un not unpopular
pseudo false pseudoscientific
mis wrong, bad misunderstand
Prefixes giving direction, location, or placement
Prefix Meaning Sample Word
circum around circumference
com/col/con with, together compile
de away, from depart
extra from, out of, former ex-wife
hyper over, excessive hyperactive
inter between interpersonal
intro/intra within, into, in introduction
post after posttest
pre before premarital
re back, again review
retro backward retrospect
sub under, below submarine
super above, extra supercharge
tele far telescope
trans across, over transcontinental

ROOTS
Roots carry the basic or core meaning of a word. Hundreds of root words
are used to build words in the English language. Thirty of the most common and
most useful are listed in Table 2. Knowledge of the meanings of these roots will
enable you to unlock the meanings of many words. For example, if you know that
the root dic/dict means “tell or say,” then you would have a clue to the meanings
of such words as dictate (speak for someone to write down), dictation (words
spoken to be written down), and diction (wording or manner of speaking).
Table 2 COMMON ROOTS

Root Meaning Sample Word

aud/audit hear audible
aster/astro star astronaut
bio life biology
cap take, seize captive
chron(o) time chronology
corp body corpse
cred believe incredible
dict/dic tell, say predict
duc/duct lead introduce
fact/fac make, do factory
graph write telegraph
geo earth geophysics
log/logo/logy study, thought psychology
mit/miss send dismiss
mort/mor die, death immortal
path feeling sympathy
phono sound, voice telephone
photo light photosensitive
port carry transport
Pod, ped foot podiatrist, pedestrian
Polis city metropolis
scop seeing microscope
scrib/script write inscription
sen/sent feel insensitive
spec/spic/spect look, see retrospect
tend/tent/tens stretch or strain tension
terr/terre land, earth territory
theo god theology
ven/vent come convention
vert/vers turn invert
vis/vid See invisible
voc call provoke

SUFFIXES
Suffixes are word endings that often change the part of speech of a word.
For example, adding the suffix y to the noun cloud produces the adjective cloudy.
Accompanying the change in part of speech is a shift in meaning. (Cloudy means
“resembling cloud; overcast with clouds, dimmed or dulled as if clouds.”)
Often, several different words can be formed from a single root word with
the addition of different suffixes.
Examples: Root: class
Root + suffix = class/ify, class/ification, class/ic
Root: right
Root + suffix = right/ly, right/ful, right/ist, right/eous.
If you know the meaning of the root word and the ways in which different
suffixes affect the meaning of the root word, you will be able to figure out a
word’s meaning when a suffix is added.

Table 3 COMMON SUFFIXES

Suffix Sample Word

Suffixes that refer to a state, condition, or quality
able touchable
ance assistance, relevance
ate activate
ation confrontation
ence reference
ible tangible
ic aerobic, economic
ion discussion, fusion
ism terrorism, vandalism, communism
ity superiority
ive permissive
ment amazement
ness kindness
ous jealous
ty loyalty
y creamy
Suffixes that mean “one who”
ee trainee
eer engineer
er teacher
ist activist
ian librarian
or advisor
Suffixes that mean “pertaining to or referring to”
al autumnal
ship friendship
hood brotherhood
ward homeward

You can expand your vocabulary significantly by learning the variations in

meaning that occur when suffixes are added to words you already know. When
you find a word that you do not know, look for the root word. Then, using the
sentence the word is in (context), figure out what the word means with the suffix
added. Occasionally, you may find that the spelling of the root word has been
changed. For instance, a final e may be dropped, a final consonant may be
doubled, or a final y may be changed into i. Consider the possibility of such
changes when trying to identify the root word.
Examples: The article was a compilation of facts.
root + suffix
compil(e) + -ation = something that has been compiled,
or put together into an orderly form.
Our college is one of the most prestigious in the state.
root + suffix
prestige(e) +-ious = having prestige or distinction

Exercise 1.
Directions: Read each of the following sentences. Use your knowledge of
prefixes to complete the incomplete word.
1. A text titled Botany was ___titled Understanding Plants.
2. The politician delivered his speech in a dull ____tone.
3. The new sweater had a snag, and I returned it to the store because it was
___perfect.
4. The flood damage was permanent and ___reversible.
5. I was not given the correct date and time, I was ___informed.
6. People who speak several different languages are ____lingual.
7. A musical ___lude was played between the events in the ceremony.
8. I decided the magazine was uninteresting, so I ____continued subscription.
9. Merchandise that does not pass factory inspection is considered ____standard
and sold at a customer.
10. The tuition refund policy approved this week will apply to last year’s tuition
as well; it will be ___active to January 1 of last year.
Exercise 2.
Directions: Complete each of the following sentences with one of the words
listed below.
synchronized verdict scripture
graphic visualize spectators
phonic prescribed extensive
apathetic

1. The jury brought in its _____________ after one hour of deliberation.

2. Religious or holy writings are called _________________
3. She closed her eyes and tried to _____________ the license plate number.
4. The ______________ watching the football game were tense.
5. The doctor _____________ two types of medication.
6. The child’s list of toys he wanted for his birthday was _____________.
7. The criminal appeared ______________ when the judge pronounced sentence.
8. The runners ____________ their watches before beginning the race.
9. The textbook contained numerous ____________ aids, including maps, charts,
and diagrams.
10. The study of the way different parts of words sound is _____________
Exercise 3
Directions: For each of the words listed, add a suffix so that the word will
complete the sentence. Write the new word in the space provided. Check a
dictionary if you unsure of the spelling.
1. converse
Our phone ____________ lasted ten minutes.
2. assist
The medical ___________ labeled the patient’s blood samples.
3. qualify
The job applicant outlined his _____________ to the interviewer.
4. intern
The doctor completed her ______________ at Memorial Medical Center.
5. eat
We did not realize that the blossoms of the plant could be _________.

Exercise 4
Directions: For each word listed below, write as many new words as you can
create by adding suffixes.
1. compare_______________________________________________________
2. adapt__________________________________________________________
3. right__________________________________________________________
4. identify________________________________________________________
5. critic__________________________________________________________

B. HOW TO USE WORD PARTS

Think of root words as being at the root or core of a word’s meaning.
There are many more roots than are listed in table 2. You already know many of
these, because they are everyday words. Think of prefixes as word parts that are
added before the root to qualify or change its meaning. Think of suffixes as add –
ion that make the word fit grammatically into the sentence in which it is used.
When you come upon a word you do not know, keep the following pointer
in mind:
1. First look for the root. Think of this as looking for a word inside a larger
word. Often a letter or two will be missing.
Examples: un/utter/able post/operat/ive
defens/ible non/adapt/able
inter/college/iate im/measure/ability
2. If you do not recognize the root, then you will probably not be able to
figure out the word. The next step is to check its meaning in a dictionary.
For tip on locating words in a dictionary rapidly and easily.
Suppose you are looking up the word loathsome. The guide words
on a particular page are livid and lobster. You know that the word
loathsome will be on that page because, alphabetically, loathsome comes
after livid and before lobster.
3. If you did recognize the root word, next look for a prefix. If there is one,
determine how it changes the meaning of the word
Examples: un/utter/able post/operative
un = not post – after
4. Locate the suffix, if there is one, and determine how it further adds to or
changes the meaning of the root word.
Examples: unutter/able postoperat/ive
-able = able -ive = state or condition
5. Next, try out the meaning in the sentence in which the word was used.
Substitute your meaning for the word and see whether the sentence makes
sense.
Examples: Some of the victim’s thoughts were unutterable at the time
of the crime.
Unutterable = not able to be spoken

My sister was worried about the cost of postoperative care.

Postoperative = state or condition after an operation.

C. PRONOUNCING UNFAMILIAR WORDS

Most college students, at one time or another, meet words that they are
unable to pronounce. To pronounce an unfamiliar word, sound it out syllable by
syllable (Knowing how to divide words into syllables is useful for typing term
papers and other written materials. When you have to break a word at the end of a
line, it must be split between syllables).
Here are a few simple rules for dividing words into syllables:
1. Each syllable is a separate, distinct speech sound. Pronounce the following
words and try to hear the number of syllables in each.
Example: expensive ex/pen/sive = 3 syllables
recognize rec/og/nize = 3 syllables
punctuate punc/tu/ate = 3 syllables
complicated com/pli/cat/ed = 4 syllables
2. Each syllable has a least one vowel and usually one or more consonants
(The letter a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes y are vowels. All other letters are
consonants.)
Examples as/sign re/act cou/pon gen/er/al
3. Divide words before a single consonant.
Examples: hu/mid pa/tron re/tail fa/vor
4. Divide words between two consonants appearing together.
Examples: pen/cil lit/ter lum/ber sur/vive
5. Divide words between prefixes (word beginnings) and roots (base words)
and/or between roots and suffixes (word endings)
Example: Prefix+ Root
Pre/read post/pone
Root + suffix
Sex/ist agree/ment list/ing
6. Divide compound word between the individual words that form the
compound word.
Examples: house/broken house/hold space/craft
green/house news/paper sword/fish
7. Divide words between two vowel sounds that appear together.
Example: te/di/ous ex/tra/ne/ous
SUMMARY
When context does not give enough clues to the meaning of an unknown
word, it is helpful to break the word into word part. The beginnings, middles, and
endings of words are called prefixes, roots, and suffixes. Learning the meanings
of the most common prefixes, roots, and suffixes will provide a basis for
analyzing thousands of English words.