Etymology and Word Roots

Latin and Greek roots unlock vocabulary.

Examples

• bio = life, graph = write

Key rules

• Many English words come from Latin and Greek roots, such as bio (life) and graph (write)
• Learning roots helps you guess the meaning of new words
• Prefixes and suffixes add to the root's meaning

Common mistakes

• biology explained as the study of life → Biology = study of life (use the root bio + logy)
• telephone explained as far sound → Telephone = far + sound (tele + phone)

Use cases

• Vocabulary building
• Reading academic texts
• Preparing for exams