There are many important roots that you should know for the National Spelling Bee, over 300 of them! In Monday's article, you learned about 60+ of the most common roots and affixes. In this lesson, you will learn some of the other roots that are often seen in spelling bees.
As you look through these roots, notice how the definition gives clues that the root is present in the word. Notice how some words use metaphorical or indirect meanings of the root, instead of taking the root's meaning literally. Search for example words for each of these roots to see them in action.
L = Latin Gk = Greek New L = New Latin
| Root | Origin | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| -agogue/-agogic | Gk | leading |
| -algia | Gk | pain |
| andr- | Gk | man |
| angi- | Gk | blood vessel |
| anth-/-anthemum | Gk | flower |
| anthrop- | Gk | human |
| arch-/arche-/archi- | Gk | primitive, original |
| argyr- | Gk | silver |
| aster-/astr- | Gk | star |
| aur- | L | gold |
| bary- | Gk | heavy |
| bathy- | Gk | deep |
| bell- | L | war |
| biblio- | Gk | book |
| brachy- | Gk | short |
| brady- | Gk | slow |
| brevi- | L | short |
| caco-/kako- | Gk | bad |
| cap-/capit-/cipit- | L | head |
| card-/cardio- | Gk | heart |
| caud- | L | tail |
| cephal-/-cephaly | Gk | head |
| -chore | Gk | spread |
| -chrom/chro- | Gk | color |
| chron- | Gk | time |
| cing-/cinct- | L | gird, wrap around |
| clin- | L | to lean |
| cocc- | Gk | berry |
| -cole/-colous | L | inhabiting (a place) |
| -cracy | Gk | government |
| cryo-/crymo- | Gk | cold |
| cryst- | Gk | crystal, ice |
| cumb- | L | to lie |
| cyt-/cyto-/-cyte | Gk | cell |
| cycl- | Gk | circle, cycle, wheel |
| dactyl- | Gk | digit |
| dendr- | Gk | tree |
| dent- | L | tooth |
| derm-/dermato- | Gk | skin |
| drom- | Gk | running |
| duc-/-duce/-duct | L | lead, carry |
| dys- | Gk | abnormal, diseased |
| erg-/ergo-/ergato- | Gk | work |
| erythr- | Gk | red |
| eury- | Gk | broad |
| gastr- | Gk | stomach |
| gen- | L | create, birth |
| gloss-/glott-/-glot | New L from Gk | tongue |
| gnos-/gnot-/gnom- | Gk | knowledge |
| grav-/gravi- | L | heavy |
| hapt-/haps- | Gk | to touch, fasten |
| helio- | Gk | sun |
| hidr- | Gk | sweat |
| hypno- | Gk | sleep |
| iatro-/-iater | Gk | doctor |
| -iasis | Gk | medical condition |
| ichthy- | Gk | fish |
| -itis | Gk | inflammation |
| jur- | L | law |
| kal- | New L | potassium |
| karyo-/caryo- | Gk | nucleus, nut |
| leuc-/leuk- | Gk | white, light |
| -latry/-later | Gk | worship/worshipper |
| nav- | L | ship |
| neo- | Gk | new |
| neur- | Gk | nerve |
| noci- | L | hurt |
| noct- | L | night |
| o-/oo- | Gk | egg |
| odont- | Gk | tooth |
| -odynia | Gk | condition of pain |
| olig- | Gk | few, little |
| ortho- | Gk | right, straight |
| -machy | Gk | fight |
| macro-/megalo- | Gk | large |
| -mancy | Gk | divination |
| manu-/man- | L | hand |
| meio-/mio- | Gk | less, fewer |
| -mel/melli- | Gk/L | honey |
| melo- | Gk | song, music |
| mycet-/myc- | Gk | mushroom |
| ped-/paed- | Gk | child |
| paleo-/palaeo- | Gk | old |
| pan- | Gk | all |
| part-/para- | L | birth |
| patr- | L | father |
| phag-/-phage/-phagy | Gk | eating/eater/eat |
| phil-/-phile/-phily | Gk | loving/one that loves/love |
| -phobia | Gk | fear |
| phor-/-phore | Gk | bearing |
| phys-/-physis | Gk | growth |
| plat-/platy- | Gk | flat |
| pneumo- | Gk | air, lung |
| -poiesis | Gk | making, creation |
| potam- | Gk | river |
| psych-/psycho- | Gk | soul, spirit, mind |
| pter- | Gk | wing |
| puerper-/puer- | L | child |
| punct- | L | point |
| ptil- | Gk | feather |
| -pus | Gk | foot |
| rhin-/-rhine | Gk | nose |
| rhiz- | Gk | root |
| -rhynch- | Gk | beak, snout |
| -rrhagia | Gk | flow |
| -rrhaphy | Gk | suture, sewing |
| -rrhea/-rrhoea | Gk | flow |
| -rrhexis | Gk | rupture, splitting, break |
| sacchar- | L from Gk | sugar |
| sanguin- | L | blood |
| sci- | L | know, to know |
| scler- | Gk | hard, hardened |
| schiz- | Gk | to split, divided |
| tachy- | Gk | fast, quick |
| temp-/tempor- | L | time |
| terr- | L | land |
| theo- | Gk | god |
| therio- | Gk | animal |
| -tomy | Gk | cut, remove |
| trop- | Gk | to turn |
| ven- | L | to come |
| -vert- | L | to turn |
| viv- | L | life, living |
| -vore/-vorous | L | one that eats/eating |
| zo- | Gk | animal, life, living |
Whew! That was a lot of roots! Be sure to review these and search for example words for each of these roots.
As you look through these examples, notice how the definition gives clues that the root is present in the word. Notice how some words use metaphorical or indirect meanings of the root, instead of taking the root's meaning literally.
Be sure to ask yourself these questions as you not only learn what roots mean, but how roots work. Understanding how roots behave in different words is what separates memorization from real mastery.