Vocabulary
Roots, prefixes, and suffixes
You will meet words on the HSPT that you have never seen. A word part you recognize turns a blind guess into an educated one. Learn a handful per study session, not the whole table at once.
Prefixes
Attached to the front of a word. They usually flip, negate, or point the meaning in a direction.
| Word part | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| a-, an- | not, without | atypical (not typical); anonymous (without a name) |
| ab- | away from | absent (away, not present); abduct (to lead away by force) |
| ambi- | both | ambivalent (feeling both ways at once); ambidextrous (able to use both hands) |
| anti- | against | antidote (a cure that works against a poison); antisocial (against mixing with others) |
| auto- | self | autobiography (the story of one's own life); autonomous (self-governing) |
| bene- | good, well | benevolent (wishing others well); beneficial (producing good results) |
| bi- | two | bilingual (speaking two languages); biannual (twice a year) |
| circum- | around | circumference (the distance around a circle); circumvent (to get around an obstacle) |
| co-, com-, con- | with, together | coherent (holding together, making sense); concord (agreement) |
| contra-, counter- | against, opposite | contradict (to say the opposite); counteract (to act against) |
| de- | down, away, undo | descend (to go down); deflate (to let the air out) |
| dis- | not, apart | disparage (to speak of as worthless); dispel (to drive apart, scatter) |
| e-, ex- | out | emit (to send out); exclude (to shut out) |
| extra- | beyond, outside | extraordinary (beyond the ordinary); extraneous (coming from outside, not needed) |
| fore- | before, in front | foresight (seeing ahead); forerunner (one who comes before) |
| hyper- | over, too much | hyperactive (overly active); hyperbole (exaggeration) |
| hypo- | under, too little | hypothermia (dangerously low body heat); hypothesis (an idea placed under a test) |
| il-, im-, in-, ir- | not | illegible (not readable); impartial (not taking sides); irrelevant (not related to the matter) |
| in-, im- | in, into | induct (to bring into a group); immerse (to plunge into) |
| inter- | between | intervene (to come between); intermittent (stopping and starting) |
| intra- | within | intramural (within the walls of one school); intrastate (within one state) |
| mal- | bad, badly | malicious (meaning harm); malfunction (to work badly) |
| mis- | wrong, wrongly | misconstrue (to understand wrongly); mishap (an unlucky accident) |
| mono- | one | monotonous (all on one note, dull); monopoly (control by one seller) |
| multi- | many | multitude (a great many); multifaceted (having many sides) |
| non- | not | nonchalant (not concerned, casual); nondescript (not easy to describe, plain) |
| omni- | all | omnivore (an eater of all foods); omnipresent (present everywhere) |
| post- | after | postpone (to put off until after); posthumous (after death) |
| pre- | before | precaution (care taken beforehand); premonition (a feeling about what is coming) |
| pro- | forward, in favor of | proceed (to go forward); proponent (one who argues in favor) |
| re- | again, back | rectify (to set right again); recede (to move back) |
| semi- | half, partly | semicircle (half a circle); semiconscious (partly aware) |
| sub- | under, below | subside (to sink down, settle); subordinate (lower in rank) |
| super- | above, beyond | superfluous (beyond what is needed); supervise (to watch over) |
| trans- | across | transient (passing across, brief); transparent (letting light across, clear) |
| un- | not, reverse of | unyielding (not giving way); unravel (to undo the threads) |
| uni- | one | uniform (all of one form); unanimous (of one mind) |
Roots
The core of the word. If you know the root, you know what the word is about, even if not exactly what it means.
| Word part | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| am, amic | love, friend | amiable (friendly); amicable (done in a friendly way) |
| anim | life, spirit | animated (full of life); unanimous (of one spirit) |
| aud | hear | audible (able to be heard); auditorium (a place for hearing) |
| bell | war | belligerent (eager to fight); rebellion (war against authority) |
| cap, capt | take, seize | captivate (to seize the attention); capacity (how much can be taken in) |
| ced, cess | go, yield | concede (to yield a point); recess (a going back, a break) |
| chron | time | chronological (in time order); chronic (lasting a long time) |
| cred | believe | credible (believable); incredulous (not believing) |
| dict | say, speak | contradict (to speak against); verdict (a true saying, a judgment) |
| duc, duct | lead | induce (to lead someone to act); conduct (to lead along) |
| fid | faith, trust | confide (to tell in trust); fidelity (faithfulness) |
| flect, flex | bend | flexible (able to bend); deflect (to bend away) |
| gen | birth, kind | generate (to bring into being); genuine (of the true kind, real) |
| graph, gram | write | autograph (one's own writing); epigram (a short clever writing) |
| ject | throw | dejected (thrown down in spirit); reject (to throw back) |
| loqu, locu | speak | eloquent (speaking with skill); loquacious (very talkative) |
| luc, lum | light | lucid (clear, easy to see through); illuminate (to light up) |
| man | hand | manual (done by hand); manipulate (to handle skillfully) |
| mit, miss | send | omit (to leave out, not send); dismiss (to send away) |
| mort | death | mortal (subject to death); mortify (to shame nearly to death) |
| nov | new | novice (a newcomer); innovative (bringing in new ideas) |
| pac | peace | placate (to make peaceful, calm down); pacify (to bring peace to) |
| path | feeling, suffering | apathetic (without feeling); empathy (feeling with another) |
| ped | foot | pedestrian (one on foot); impede (to get in the way of the feet, hinder) |
| pel, puls | push, drive | compel (to drive to act); repulse (to push back) |
| port | carry | portable (able to be carried); export (to carry out of a country) |
| rupt | break | abrupt (broken off, sudden); disrupt (to break apart) |
| scrib, script | write | inscribe (to write on); transcript (a written copy) |
| sect | cut | dissect (to cut apart); intersect (to cut across) |
| spec, spect | look, see | circumspect (looking all around, careful); spectator (one who looks on) |
| tact, tang | touch | tactile (having to do with touch); intangible (not able to be touched) |
| ten, tain | hold | tenacious (holding on firmly); retain (to hold back, keep) |
| terr | earth, land | terrain (the lay of the land); subterranean (under the ground) |
| tract | pull, draw | retract (to pull back); distract (to draw attention away) |
| ven, vent | come | convene (to come together); intervene (to come between) |
| ver | true | verify (to prove true); veracity (truthfulness) |
| vid, vis | see | evident (easily seen); vigilant (keeping watch) |
| voc, vok | call, voice | vocation (a calling); provoke (to call forth, stir up) |
Suffixes
Attached to the end. They tell you the part of speech and sometimes add a meaning such as 'without' or 'full of.'
| Word part | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| -able, -ible | able to be | durable (able to last); audible (able to be heard) |
| -ful | full of | wistful (full of longing); fretful (full of worry) |
| -ify, -ize | to make | rectify (to make right); scrutinize (to make a close study of) |
| -ism | belief, practice | optimism (the practice of expecting the best); skepticism (the habit of doubting) |
| -ist | one who | pessimist (one who expects the worst); novelist (one who writes novels) |
| -ity | quality of | brevity (the quality of being brief); clarity (the quality of being clear) |
| -less | without | relentless (without letting up); listless (without energy or interest) |
| -ous, -ious | full of, having | meticulous (full of care for detail); precarious (full of risk) |
| -tion, -sion | the act or state of | aversion (the state of turning away, dislike); elation (the state of great joy) |
Next: the word list, or the study method that puts both to work.