Back to Vocabulary

Word Roots

Learn how prefixes and roots combine to create different meanings. Understanding these patterns helps you decode unfamiliar words.

Why Learn Word Roots?

Once you know that -ject means “to throw” and re- means “back,” you can understand that reject literally means “to throw back” = to refuse. This technique helps you understand thousands of English words!

12

Word Roots

81

Total Words

20

Prefixes

Study Tips

  • • Focus on understanding the root meaning first
  • • Practice breaking down unfamiliar words into prefix + root
  • • Create your own example sentences
  • • When you see a new word on TOEFL, try to identify its root