Guided Practice: Using Roots and Prefixes
Now that you know common roots and prefixes, let's practice using them together to figure out word meanings. Remember: roots carry the main meaning, and prefixes change or add to that meaning!
Quick Review
Root + Prefix = New Word!
When you see an unfamiliar word, look for parts you know. The root gives the main meaning, and the prefix modifies it.
Practice Questions
Use your knowledge of roots and prefixes to answer these questions. Click "Answer" to check your work!
1. The word "unhappy" has the prefix "un-" (meaning "not") and the root "happy." What does "unhappy" mean?
A) Very happy
B) Not happy
C) Happy again
D) Before happy
Answer
B) - "Un-" means "not," so unhappy means "not happy" or sad.
2. If "bio" means "life" and "graph" means "write," what does a "biography" tell about?
A) How to draw pictures
B) The story of someone's life
C) How sounds are made
D) How to carry things
Answer
B) - Biography = bio (life) + graph (write) = writing about someone's life.
3. The prefix "re-" means "again." What does "reread" mean?
A) Read before
B) Not read
C) Read again
D) Read wrongly
Answer
C) - "Re-" means "again," so reread means to read something again.
4. "Tele" means "far" and "phone" means "sound." A telephone carries:
A) Light from far away
B) Sound from far away
C) Earth from far away
D) Life from far away
Answer
B) - Telephone = tele (far) + phone (sound) = sound from far away.
5. If "port" means "carry" and "trans" means "across," what does "transport" mean?
A) Write across
B) See across
C) Carry across
D) Hear across
Answer
C) - Transport = trans (across) + port (carry) = to carry across, or move from one place to another.
6. The prefix "pre-" means "before." What does "preview" mean?
A) View again
B) View wrongly
C) Not view
D) View before
Answer
D) - Preview = pre (before) + view = to see something before others do, or before the main event.
7. If "geo" means "earth" and "graph" means "write/draw," what is geography?
A) The study of life
B) Drawing or describing the earth
C) Sounds of the earth
D) Carrying earth
Answer
B) - Geography = geo (earth) + graph (write/draw) = writing about or describing the earth and its features.
8. The prefix "mis-" means "wrongly." What does "misspell" mean?
A) Spell again
B) Spell before
C) Not spell
D) Spell wrongly
Answer
D) - Misspell = mis (wrongly) + spell = to spell a word incorrectly.
9. If "vis" means "see," what would "invisible" mean?
A) Can be seen
B) Cannot be seen
C) See again
D) See before
Answer
B) - Invisible = in (not) + vis (see) + ible (able) = not able to be seen.
10. The word "autograph" has "auto" (meaning "self") and "graph" (meaning "write"). An autograph is:
A) A picture you take yourself
B) A signature you write yourself
C) A sound you make yourself
D) A map you draw yourself
Answer
B) - Autograph = auto (self) + graph (write) = writing done by yourself, which is your signature!