Greek and Latin Roots

ByDenise

Most of our English words originated from other languages. Below please find a list of the more common Greek and Latin roots.

Greek & Latin Roots – PDF Greek Roots – PDF Latin Roots – PDF

Greek and Latin Roots

Root Origin Meaning Examples
act Latin do action, actor, react, transact & enact
aero Greek air aerobics, aerodynamics, aeronautics & aerate
agr Latin field agriculture, agrarian, agronomy & agribusiness
alter Latin other alter, alternate, alternative, altercation & alter ego
anim Latin life, spirit animate, animosity, animal & inanimate
ann Latin year annual, anniversary & annuity
enn Latin year biennial & millennium
aqua Latin water aquarium, aquatic, aqueous & aquamarine
ast Greek star astronaut, astronomy, asterisk & asteroid
aud Latin hear audience, auditorium, audible & audition
biblio Greek book bibliography, bibliophile, & Bible ( portion of)
bio Greek life biology, biography, biochemistry, biopsy & biosphere
card Latin heart cardiac, cardiology, cardiogram & cardiovascular
cord Latin heart cordial, accord, concord & discord
chron Greek time chronological, synchronize, chronicle & chronic
claim Latin shout proclaim, exclaim & acclaim
clam Latin shout clamor & exclamation
cogn Latin know recognize, incognito, cognition & cognizant
corp Latin body corporation, corpse, corps, corpus & corpuscle
cosm Greek universe cosmos, cosmopolitan, microcosm & cosmonaut
cred Latin believe credit, discredit, incredible, credential & credulous
cycl Greek circle, ring bicycle, cyclone, cycle & recycle
dic Latin speak dictate, predict, contradict, verdict & diction
doc Latin teach doctrine, document, doctor, indoctrinate & docile
don Latin give donor & pardon
donat Latin give donation & donate
duc Latin lead duct, conduct, educate, induct & aqua duct
fac Latin make, do factory, manufacture, benefactor & facsimile
fic Latin make, do efficient, proficient, sufficient & beneficial
flect Latin bend reflect, deflect, reflection, inflection & genuflect
flex Latin bend reflex & flexible
form Latin shape form, uniform, transform, reform & formal
gen Greek birth, race generation, generate, genocide, progeny & genealogy
geo Greek earth geography, geometry, geology & geophysics
gram Greek letter, written telegram, diagram, grammar, epigram & monogram
graph Greek write photograph, autograph, biography & phonograph
homo, hom Latin man Homo sapiems, homicide, homage & hombre
inner Latin within innermost, innerspring
inter Latin among, between or shared by interchange, intercom & interface
intro Latin into, inward or within introduce, introvert & introspection
junct Latin join juncture, conjunction, adjunct & injunction
jud Latin law judge & judicial
jur Latin law jury & jurisdiction
jus Latin law justice & justify
lab Latin work labor, laboratory, collaborate & elaborate
liber Latin free liberty, liberal, liberate & libertine
loc Latin place location, locate, dislocate, allocate & local
man Latin hand manual, manufacture, manuscript & manipulate
mar Latin sea marine, submarine, mariner & maritime
mater Latin mother maternal, maternity & matricide
matr Latin mother matrimony, matron & matriarch
meter Greek measure thermometer, centimeter, diameter & barometer
migr Latin change, move migrate, immigrant, emigrate & migratory
miss Latin send missile, dismiss, mission & remiss
mit Latin send submit, remit, admit & transmit
mob Latin move mobile, automobile & mobilize
mot Latin move motion, motor, promote, demote & motile
mov Latin move remove, movement
morph Greek shape amorphous, metamorphoses & morphology
mort Latin death mortician, mortuary, mortal, immortal & mortify
nat Latin born natal, native, nation, nativity & innate
ordin, order Latin row, rank ordinary, ordinal, extraordinary, ordinance & order
ortho Greek straight, right orthodontist, orthodox, orthopedist & orthography
pater, patr Latin father paternity, paternal, patricide & patriarch
path Greek disease, feeling pathology, sympathy, empathy, antipathy & pathos
ped Greek child pediatrician, pedagogy & encyclopedia
ped Latin foot pedal, pedestrian, biped & pedestal
phil Greek love philosophy, philanthropist, philharmonic & philology
phon Greek sound phonograph, symphony, telephone, microphone & phonics
photo Greek light photograph, telephoto, photosynthesis & photogenic
pod Greek foot podiatrist, podium & tripod
poli Greek city metropolis, cosmopolitan, police & political
port Latin carry portable, transport, import, export & porter
pysch Greek mind, soul psychology, psyche, psychopath & psychiatrist
ques, quer, quis Latin ask, seek question, inquest, request, query & inquisitive
rad Latin ray, spoke radius, radio, radiation, radium, radiator & radiology
rect Latin straight erect, rectangle, rectify, direction & correct
rupt Latin break rupture, erupt, interrupt, abrupt & bankrupt
san Latin health sanitary, sanitation, sane, insanity & sanitarium
saur Greek lizard dinosaur, brontosaurus & stegosaurus
sci Greek know science, conscience, conscious & omniscient
scop Greek see microscope, telescope, periscope & stethoscope
scribe Latin write inscribe, describe & prescribe
script Latin write script, transcript & scripture
sign Latin mark signal, signature, significant & insignia
spec Latin see inspect, suspect, respect, spectator & spectacle
struct Latin build structure, construct, instruct & destruction
tact Latin touch tactile, intact, contact & tact
terr Latin land territory, terrain, terrestrial & terrace
therm Greek heat thermometer, thermal, thermostat & thermos
tract Latin pull, drag tractor, attract, subtract, traction, extract & contract
trib Latin give contribute, tribute, tributary & attribute
urb Latin city urban, suburb, urbane & suburban
vac Latin empty vacant, evacuate, vacate & vacuum
var Latin different vary, invariable, variant, variety & various
vid Latin see video, evidence, provide, providence
vis Latin see visible, vision, visual & visualize
voc Latin voice vocal, advocate, evocation & convocation
void Latin empty void, devoid, avoid, voided & unavoidable
vol Latin wish, will volition, volunteer, voluntary & benevolent
volv Latin turn revolve, involve, evolve, revolver & revolution

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Greek Roots

Root Origin Meaning Examples
aero Greek air aerobics, aerodynamics, aeronautics & aerate
ast Greek star astronaut, astronomy, asterisk & asteroid
biblio Greek book bibliography, bibliophile, & Bible ( portion of)
bio Greek life biology, biography, biochemistry, biopsy & biosphere
chron Greek time chronological, synchronize, chronicle & chronic
cosm Greek universe cosmos, cosmopolitan, microcosm & cosmonaut
cycl Greek circle, ring bicycle, cyclone, cycle & recycle
gen Greek birth, race generation, generate, genocide, progeny & genealogy
geo Greek earth geography, geometry, geology & geophysics
gram Greek letter, written telegram, diagram, grammar, epigram & monogram
graph Greek write photograph, autograph, biography & phonograph
meter Greek measure thermometer, centimeter, diameter & barometer
morph Greek shape amorphous, metamorphoses & morphology
ortho Greek straight, right orthodontist, orthodox, orthopedist & orthography
path Greek disease, feeling pathology, sympathy, empathy, antipathy & pathos
ped Greek child pediatrician, pedagogy & encyclopedia
phil Greek love philosophy, philanthropist, philharmonic & philology
phon Greek sound phonograph, symphony, telephone, microphone & phonics
photo Greek light photograph, telephoto, photosynthesis & photogenic
pod Greek foot podiatrist, podium & tripod
poli Greek city metropolis, cosmopolitan, police & political
pysch Greek mind, soul psychology, psyche, psychopath & psychiatrist
saur Greek lizard dinosaur, brontosaurus & stegosaurus
sci Greek know science, conscience, conscious & omniscient
scop Greek see microscope, telescope, periscope & stethoscope
therm Greek heat thermometer, thermal, thermostat & thermos

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Latin Roots

Root Origin Meaning Examples
act Latin do action, actor, react, transact & enact
agr Latin field agriculture, agrarian, agronomy & agribusiness
alter Latin other alter, alternate, alternative, altercation & alter ego
anim Latin life, spirit animate, animosity, animal & inanimate
ann Latin year annual, anniversary & annuity
enn Latin year biennial & millennium
aqua Latin water aquarium, aquatic, aqueous & aquamarine
aud Latin hear audience, auditorium, audible & audition
card Latin heart cardiac, cardiology, cardiogram & cardiovascular
cord Latin heart cordial, accord, concord & discord
claim Latin shout proclaim, exclaim & acclaim
clam Latin shout clamor & exclamation
cogn Latin know recognize, incognito, cognition & cognizant
corp Latin body corporation, corpse, corps, corpus & corpuscle
cred Latin believe credit, discredit, incredible, credential & credulous
dic Latin speak dictate, predict, contradict, verdict & diction
doc Latin teach doctrine, document, doctor, indoctrinate & docile
don Latin give donor & pardon
donat Latin give donation & donate
duc Latin lead duct, conduct, educate, induct & aqua duct
fac Latin make, do factory, manufacture, benefactor & facsimile
fic Latin make, do efficient, proficient, sufficient & beneficial
flect Latin bend reflect, deflect, reflection, inflection & genuflect
flex Latin bend reflex & flexible
form Latin shape form, uniform, transform, reform & formal
homo, hom Latin man Homo sapiems, homicide, homage & hombre
inner Latin within innermost, innerspring
inter Latin among, between or shared by interchange, intercom & interface
intro Latin into, inward or within introduce, introvert & introspection
junct Latin join juncture, conjunction, adjunct & injunction
jud Latin law judge & judicial
jur Latin law jury & jurisdiction
jus Latin law justice & justify
lab Latin work labor, laboratory, collaborate & elaborate
liber Latin free liberty, liberal, liberate & libertine
loc Latin place location, locate, dislocate, allocate & local
man Latin hand manual, manufacture, manuscript & manipulate
mar Latin sea marine, submarine, mariner & maritime
mater Latin mother maternal, maternity & matricide
matr Latin mother matrimony, matron & matriarch
migr Latin change, move migrate, immigrant, emigrate & migratory
miss Latin send missile, dismiss, mission & remiss
mit Latin send submit, remit, admit & transmit
mob Latin move mobile, automobile & mobilize
mot Latin move motion, motor, promote, demote & motile
mov Latin move remove, movement
mort Latin death mortician, mortuary, mortal, immortal & mortify
nat Latin born natal, native, nation, nativity & innate
ordin, order Latin row, rank ordinary, ordinal, extraordinary, ordinance & order
pater, patr Latin father paternity, paternal, patricide & patriarch
ped Latin foot pedal, pedestrian, biped & pedestal
port Latin carry portable, transport, import, export & porter
ques, quer, quis Latin ask, seek question, inquest, request, query & inquisitive
rad Latin ray, spoke radius, radio, radiation, radium, radiator & radiology
rect Latin straight erect, rectangle, rectify, direction & correct
rupt Latin break rupture, erupt, interrupt, abrupt & bankrupt
san Latin health sanitary, sanitation, sane, insanity & sanitarium
scribe Latin write inscribe, describe & prescribe
script Latin write script, transcript & scripture
sign Latin mark signal, signature, significant & insignia
spec Latin see inspect, suspect, respect, spectator & spectacle
struct Latin build structure, construct, instruct & destruction
tact Latin touch tactile, intact, contact & tact
terr Latin land territory, terrain, terrestrial & terrace
tract Latin pull, drag tractor, attract, subtract, traction, extract & contract
trib Latin give contribute, tribute, tributary & attribute
urb Latin city urban, suburb, urbane & suburban
vac Latin empty vacant, evacuate, vacate & vacuum
var Latin different vary, invariable, variant, variety & various
vid Latin see video, evidence, provide, providence
vis Latin see visible, vision, visual & visualize
voc Latin voice vocal, advocate, evocation & convocation
void Latin empty void, devoid, avoid, voided & unavoidable
vol Latin wish, will volition, volunteer, voluntary & benevolent
volv Latin turn revolve, involve, evolve, revolver & revolution

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9 Comments

  1. Nice, thank you. These helped my two youngest when they were homeschooled. Now We are sharing them with our grandchildren who are learning English from Japan.

    Reply

  3. what a website for these latin and greek words.Thank you so much for this website! It really helped me with my Latin word paper!That helped me with my greek and latin packet.Nice, thank you. These helped my two youngest when they were homeschooled. Now We are sharing them with our grandchildren who are learning English from Japan.

    Reply

  5. this is so helpful when it comes to my work in some of my classes in high school since i’m a sophomore it helps me in English 2 and Reading 2

    Reply

  7. Can you make this list printable? I would love a list of latin roots suffixes and prefixes in a printable form.

    Reply

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