Common Roots

• Ambi= both

• Aqua= water

• Aud= to hear

• bene= good

• dict= to say

• fract= to break

• srib/scribe= to write

Common Prefixes

• Pre= before, in front of (prefix, pretax, prequel)

• in/non/un/im= not (inadequate, nonfat, undo, impossible).

• dis= lack of, apart, not (disappear, disconnect)

• mis= wrong (misstep, miscommunicate)

Common Suffixes

• able/ible= able to (understandable, visible)

• ful= full of (graceful, beautiful)

• less= without (meaningless, pointless)

• ment= action/resulting state (resentment, retirement)

• ly= in a specified manner (quickly, carefully)

Using Roots and Affixes

• Take a word such as unsuccessfully

• break it down into roots and affixes

• un-success-ful-ly

• we know that un- means not, -ful means ful, and -ly means in a certain way, so we can figure out that this means not in a way that is full of success.

Using Roots and Affixes

• inaudible

• break it down into roots and affixes

• in-aud-ible

• not-to hear-able

• not able to be heard

Using Roots and Affixes

• ambidextrous

• break it down into roots and affixes

• ambi-dext-(r)ous

• both-right hand-full of

• ability to use both hands skillfully