50 Common Word Roots

Question 1

Ab

Answer 1

away
- abrogate (deny, repeal (make it go away)
-abstain (do away with)

Question 2

Ambi

Answer 2

both
ambidextrous, ambivalent

Question 3

Ambul

Answer 3

move or walk
-ambulate (walk around)
-somnambulate (sleepwalk)

Question 4

Ami

Answer 4

love
-amiable, amicable (done in a friendly way), amity (friendship)

Question 5

contra

Answer 5

against
contradict, contraposition (opposition)

Question 6

cred

Answer 6

believe
credible, credulous (overly eager to believe something, gullible), indredulous

Question 7

crypt

Answer 7

hidden
cryptic, decrypt, encrypt

Question 8

cycl

Answer 8

circle or ring
-cycloid (circular)
-cyclone (circular storm)
-cyclotron (a circular machine that physicists use to accelerate particles)

Question 9

dem

Answer 9

people
-demagogue (leader who appeals to popular prejudice instead of rationality)
-democracy,
-demography (study of human population stats)

Question 10

derm

Answer 10

skin
dermatology, hypodermic (related to the parts beneath the skin), intradermal (between the layers of the skin)

Question 11

dict

Answer 11

speak
-edict (an order from an authority figure)
indict (formally accuse someone of a crime)
-malediction (curse)

Question 12

domin

Answer 12

master
dominant, domineering (controlling/overbearing), dominion

Question 13

dur

Answer 13

hard
durable, endurance, obdurate (stubborn)

Question 14

ego

Answer 14

I, self
alter ego (second version of oneself), egomaniacal (obsessed with oneself), egotistical

Question 15

esth

Answer 15

feeling
aesthetic, anesthetic

Question 16

extra

Answer 16

outside
extralegal (outside of the law), extraneous, extrapolate (make a prediction based on past data and experiences)

Question 17

fid

Answer 17

faith
confidant, fidelity, perfidy (being faithless, disloyal)

Question 18

flect

Answer 18

bend
deflect, genuflect, inflection (make voice rise and fall)

Question 19

flor

Answer 19

flower
efflorescence (blossoming), florid (flowery)

Question 20

fract/frag

Answer 20

break
fracture, fragile, refract (alterwaves on a straight path)

Question 21

fug

Answer 21

run away
fleeting, refugee, subterfuge (evasion, deceit)

Question 22

gen

Answer 22

birth, production
genesis (creation), genteel (well-bred, refined), progeny (descendants)

Question 23

gram

Answer 23

something written
epigram (witty saying), monogram (decorative design made of two or more letters), phonogram (symbol representing a spoken sound)

Question 24

graph

Answer 24

to write
bibliography, cosmography (description of universe), typography (style of printed material)

Question 25

grat

Answer 25

pleasing
gratify (give satisfaction), gratuitous (done freely, unwarranted), ingratiate (gain favor by helping someone)

Question 26

gress

Answer 26

to step/to go
digress, egress (exit), transgress

Question 27

hetero

Answer 27

different
heterodox (nonconformist), heterogeneous, heteromorphic (having different forms)

Question 28

homo

Answer 28

same
homogeneous, homologous (similar, especially biologically), homophone (words with same pronunciation but different meanings)

Question 29

idio

Answer 29

peculiar, distinct
idiom (distinct expression), idiosyncrasy (individual peculiarities)

Question 30

judi

Answer 30

judge, lawyer
adjudicate, judicial, judicious

Question 31

ling

Answer 31

language
linguist, linguistics

Question 32

loqu

Answer 32

speak
colloquial (used in informal converation), eloquent, loquacious (talkative)

Question 33

magn

Answer 33

large, great
magnanimous, magnate (greatly influential person), magnitude

Question 34

mal

Answer 34

bad
malcontent (difficult person), malevolent (showing evil intent), malign (evil)

Question 35

mut

Answer 35

change
immutable, permutation (change in arrangement of a set of items), transmute (change in form)

Question 36

ob

Answer 36

against
obdurate (stubborn), obtrusive

Question 37

phil

Answer 37

love
philanthropist, philosophy, technophile (a person who loves advanced technology)

Question 38

plac

Answer 38

calm
complacent, placate, placid

Question 39

re

Answer 39

back, again
relegate (downgrade, lower), remunerate (pay back for services), renege (to go back on a promise)

Question 40

sagac

Answer 40

wise
sagacious (having wisdom, good judgement), sagacity (wisdom)

Question 41

sang

Answer 41

having to do with blood
sanguinary (bloody or bloodthirsty)
sanguine (cheerful and optimistic)

Question 42

sequ

Answer 42

follow
consequently, obsequious (excessively obedient), subsequent

Question 43

somn

Answer 43

sleep
insominia, somnambulate, somnolent (sleepy)

Question 44

tac/tic

Answer 44

be silent
reticent (reluctant to speak), tacit (unspoken), taciturn (uncommunicative)

Question 45

troph

Answer 45

feed/grow
autotroph (organism that makes its own food)
heterotroph (organism that obtains its food from sources outside of itself)

Question 46

ultim

Answer 46

last
penultimate (second to last)
ultimate (last)
ultimatum (final demand)

Question 47

vener

Answer 47

respectful
venerable, venerate, veneration (great respect)

Question 48

vit

Answer 48

life
vitality (life force, energy)

Question 49

voc

Answer 49

voice
advocate, invocation (act of summoning divine help), vociferous (loudly and repeatedly expressive)

Question 50

vol

Answer 50

fly/wish
benevolent (wishing kindness), volition (using one’s ability to choose), voluntary