As its name suggests, a root is a word from which other words grow, usually through the addition of prefixes or suffixes. From the Latin root -dic- or -dict- (“speak”), for instance, grows a whole range of words in English: contradict, dictate, dictator, diction, dictionary, predict, and others. Here are some other Latin (L) and Greek (G) roots and examples of words derived from them.
| ROOT | MEANING | EXAMPLES |
| -audi- (L) | to hear | audience, audio |
| -bene- (L) | good, well | benevolent, benefit |
| -bio- (G) | life | biography, biosphere |
| -duc(t)- (L) | to lead or to make | ductile, reproduce |
| -gen- (G) | race, kind | genealogy, gene |
| -geo- (G) | earth | geography, geometry |
| -graph- (G) | to write | graphic, photography |
| -jur-, -jus- (L) | law | justice, jurisdiction |
| -log(o)- (G) | word, thought | biology, logical |
| -luc- (L) | light | lucid, translucent |
| -manu- (L) | hand | manufacture, manual |
| -mit-, -mis- (L) | to send | permit, transmission |
| -path- (G) | feel, suffer | empathy, pathetic |
| -phil- (G) | love | philosopher, bibliophile |
| -photo- (G) | light | photography, telephoto |
| -port- (L) | to carry | transport, portable |
| -psych- (G) | soul | psychology, psychopath |
| -scrib-, -script- (L) | to write | scribble, manuscript |
| -sent-, -sens- (L) | to feel | sensation, resent |
| -tele- (G) | far away | telegraph, telepathy |
| -tend- (L) | to stretch | extend, tendency |
| -terr- (L) | earth | inter, territorial |
| -vac- (L) | empty | vacant, evacuation |
| -vid-, -vis- (L) | to see | video, envision, visit |