Match words with Greek and Latin roots to their meanings

Key Notes :

Introduction to Greek and Latin Roots

  • Explain that many English words are derived from Greek and Latin roots.
  • Understanding these roots helps to decode the meaning of unfamiliar words.

Common Greek Roots

  • “bio-“: Life (e.g., biology, biography)
  • “geo-“: Earth (e.g., geography, geology)
  • “photo-“: Light (e.g., photograph, photosynthesis)
  • “thermo-“: Heat (e.g., thermometer, thermostat)

Common Latin Roots

  • “aqua-“: Water (e.g., aquarium, aquatic)
  • “dict-“: Say, speak (e.g., dictionary, predict)
  • “scrib-/script-“: Write (e.g., describe, manuscript)
  • “port-“: Carry (e.g., transport, portable)

Prefixes and Suffixes

  • Understanding prefixes and suffixes that come from Greek and Latin can also help.
  • Prefixes: “un-“, “re-“, “pre-“
  • Suffixes: “-ology” (study of), “-phobia” (fear of)

Strategies for Matching Words to Meanings

  • Break down the word into its root(s), prefix, and suffix.
  • Identify the meaning of each part and combine them to understand the whole word.
  • Use context clues from sentences to infer meanings.

Practice with Examples

  • Provide students with a list of words and their Greek or Latin roots. Have them match the words to their meanings.
  • Example:
    • “Telegraph”: “tele-” (far) + “graph” (write) = a device for writing messages from a distance.
    • “Aquarium”: “aqua-” (water) + “-rium” (place) = a place for water creatures.
List of Match words with Greek and Latin roots to their meanings

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