Learning word roots

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