Base words vs Root words

A root word is a word that comes from....

A root word...

• is a standalone word with meaning on its own.

• only has meaning when combined with a prefix or suffix.

• usually can't standalone but sometimes can.

• has no meaning.

How does knowing Greek & Latin roots help us to predict the meaning of unfamiliar words?

• All words with the same root have a connected meaning.

• Knowing word roots supports pronunciation.

• More than one root are often combined in the same word.

• We can learn a variety of words with the same root at one time to help grow our vocabulary.

A base word is....

A base word...

• is a standalone word with meaning on its own.

• only has meaning when combined with a prefix or suffix.

• usually can't standalone but sometimes can.

• has no meaning.

How does knowing base words help us to predict the meaning of unfamiliar words?

• Base words are the foundation of the word and the main part of the word's meaning.

• Base words are often combined in the same word to have a different meaning.

• Words that contain a base word that we know should never be unfamiliar.

• Knowing a base word + prefixes + suffixes unlocks the meaning to a huge amount of words.

Base word or root word.

tele

• Base word

• Root word

Base word or root word.

dict

• Base word

• Root word

• Base word & Root word

Base word or root word.

home

• Base word

• Root word

• Base word & Root word

Base word or root word.

photo

• Base word

• Root word

• Base word & Root word