Practice
Root words exercise: use word parts to predict meaning
Sign in to saveYou may not know reread the first time you see it. If you recognise read and know that re- often points to doing something again, you already have a useful clue. The rest of the sentence tells you whether that clue fits.
Use a familiar root and common prefix or suffix to make a careful first guess about an unfamiliar word, then check that guess against the sentence.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
root word /ˈruːt wɜːd/
The short answer
Find a familiar root, notice any prefix or suffix, and read the whole sentence. The word parts can suggest a meaning, while the context checks whether your first guess is right.
After the noisy break, Mia reread the question quietly.
Why it works: Read is the root and re- suggests doing that action again. The sentence confirms that Mia reads the question a second time.
6 more examples
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Please rewrite the final paragraph before you send the email.
Write is the familiar root. The prefix re- suggests writing the paragraph again.
Not this:Please
writethe final paragraph before you send the email. What changes: Write asks for the action once. Rewrite asks for the action again. -
The guide's helpful directions made the station easy to find.
Help is the root. The suffix -ful helps form an adjective for something that gives useful help.
Not this:The guide felt
helplesswhen the map was missing. What changes: Helpless means unable to help or act effectively. It does not describe directions that solve a problem. -
Her kindness made the new student feel welcome.
Kind is the familiar adjective. The suffix -ness forms a noun for the quality shown in her actions.
Not this:Her
kindmessage made the new student feel welcome. What changes: Kind describes message. Kindness names the quality itself. -
The two engineers disagreed about the safest route.
Agree is the root. The prefix dis- signals that the engineers did not share the same opinion.
Not this:The two engineers
agreedabout the safest route. What changes: Without dis-, the sentence says that their opinions matched. -
The runner improved her time by practising regularly.
Improve is the verb. It describes becoming better or making something better.
Not this:The runner noticed an
improvementin her time. What changes: The suffix -ment forms a noun for the better result or change. -
The mechanic carefully inspected the bicycle before the race.
The root spect relates to looking. In this context, inspect means examine carefully.
Not this:The
spectatorswatched the bicycle race from the hill. What changes: The shared root points to looking, but spectators are people who watch; inspect is an action of careful examination.
Read the full guide
Start with the part you know. In disagreement, agree gives you an idea about shared opinion, while dis- suggests the opposite or a lack of agreement. Do not stop there. Read the surrounding words, because word parts offer a clue rather than a guaranteed translation.
Find the word part you recognise
Begin with the part that already has meaning for you. In reread, read is the familiar action. In helpful, help is the familiar idea. A root is often the best starting point, even when it is not a complete word on its own.
The editor asked Leo to reread the report before the meeting.
Read names the action. Reread adds the idea that Leo should do the action again.
Which familiar root can you see in unhelpful: help or full?
Help is the root that gives the central idea. The parts un- and -ful change how that idea is expressed.
Use prefixes as a first clue
A prefix appears before a root. Re- often suggests again, while un- often suggests not or an opposite state. Dis- can suggest a lack of agreement or an opposite action. Check the complete word because the same prefix does not have exactly one meaning in every case.
I need to reconnect the cable before the screen will work.
Connect means join something. Reconnect means join it again after it was disconnected.
What does un- suggest in unhappy: a repeated feeling, a positive feeling, or the absence of a happy feeling?
It suggests the absence of a happy feeling. The root happy gives the feeling, and un- reverses it in this common word.
Notice what a suffix changes
A suffix follows the root. It can change grammar as well as meaning. The suffix -ness often changes an adjective into a noun, and -ment often makes a noun from a verb. The sentence will show which grammatical form you need.
The class celebrated the improvement in their test scores.
Improve is a verb: scores improve. Improvement is a noun: the class celebrates an improvement.
In Her kindness helped the visitor, is kindness an action word or the name of a quality?
Kindness is the name of a quality. The suffix -ness changes kind into a noun.
Read the whole sentence
A root may point you in the right direction without providing the final meaning. Context tells you what the word is doing in this particular sentence. Look at the subject, nearby verbs, and the result of the action.
The inspector examined the fire exit before the shop opened.
Inspector is related to careful looking, but this sentence shows that the person checks something rather than simply watches it.
You see unfamiliar with un- at the start. What should you do after noticing the prefix?
Find a possible root and read the full sentence. The prefix may give a clue, but the context checks whether the clue is right.
Check the word family and dictionary
A word family can help you remember related forms together: agree, disagreement, helpful, helpless, and kindness. It also helps you choose the form required by a sentence. When exact meaning matters, confirm your prediction in a reliable learner's dictionary and read an example sentence there.
They had a disagreement, but they agreed to meet again on Friday.
Disagreement is a noun for a difference of opinion. Agreed is a verb for reaching the same decision.
Why should you check a dictionary after making a root-word guess?
Word parts give a possible meaning, not always the exact modern meaning. A dictionary and its examples confirm the word's usual use.
Before you go
Remember this
Use word parts as evidence, not as a final answer. Find the familiar root, consider the prefix or suffix, and read the full sentence. Then check the word class and exact meaning before you use the word yourself.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Root words exercise: use word parts to predict meaning"
What is a root word in English?
A root is the part that carries a central idea in a word family. In rewrite, write is the familiar root. In helpful, help gives the central idea. Other parts can be added before or after the root.
Please rewrite the final paragraph before you send the email.
How can I use root words to guess meaning?
First find a part you know, then notice any prefix or suffix. In reread, re- and read suggest reading again. Read the full sentence next, because context decides whether your first guess fits.
Please write the final paragraph before you send the email.
What is the difference between a prefix and a suffix?
A prefix comes before the root, as in dis-agree. A suffix comes after it, as in kind-ness. Both can change meaning, and a suffix can also change the word's grammatical job.
The guide's helpful directions made the station easy to find.
Why does -ness change kind into kindness?
Kind is an adjective that describes a person or action. Kindness is a noun for the quality itself. You can say Her kind message helped, or Her kindness helped; the sentence needs a different form.
The guide felt helpless when the map was missing.
Can I always work out a word from its parts?
No. Word parts give a useful clue, but they do not always produce the exact meaning. Make a careful prediction, then check the full sentence and a reliable learner's dictionary before using the new word.
Her kindness made the new student feel welcome.