List of Use words as clues to the meanings of Greek and Latin roots

Word	Root	Root Meaning	Word Meaning
biography	bio	life	A written account of someone’s life
geography	geo	earth	Study of Earth’s surface and features
photograph	photo	light	A picture made using light
autograph	auto	self	A person’s own signature
microscope	micro	small	Tool to see very small things
telescope	tele	far	Device for seeing distant objects
telephone	phon	sound	A device for transmitting sound over distances
phonics	phon	sound	A method for teaching reading based on sound
biology	bio	life	Study of living things
thermostat	therm	heat	Device that controls temperature
thermal	therm	heat	Relating to heat
grammar	gram	writing	The rules of a language
diagram	gram	writing	A drawing that explains something
audience	aud	hear	People who listen to a performance
auditorium	aud	hear	A large room for performances
visible	vis/vid	see	Able to be seen
vision	vis/vid	see	The ability to see
transport	port	carry	To carry from one place to another
import	port	carry	To bring goods into a country
export	port	carry	To send goods out of a country
manual	man	hand	Done by hand
manufacture	man	hand	To make by hand or machine
pedal	ped	foot	A lever operated by the foot
pedestrian	ped	foot	A person who walks
script	scrib/script	write	Handwriting or printed text
describe	scrib/script	write	To say or write what something is like
inspect	spec	look	To look at closely
spectator	spec	look	A person who watches something
construct	struct	build	To build or put together
structure	struct	build	Something built, like a building
benefit	bene	good	A good result
benign	bene	good	Kind or harmless
predict	dict	say	To say what will happen next
dictionary	dict	say	A book of word meanings
erupt	rupt	break	To explode or burst out
interrupt	rupt	break	To break into a conversation
cycle	cycl	circle	A series that repeats
bicycle	cycl	circle	A two-wheeled vehicle
astronomy	astro	star	Study of space and stars
astronaut	astro	star	A person trained to travel in space
democracy	demo	people	Rule by the people
demographic	demo	people	Data about people (age, gender, etc.)
terrain	terr	earth	Land or ground
territory	terr	earth	A specific area of land
submarine	sub	under	A vessel that goes under the sea
subway	sub	under	An underground train system
reject	ject	throw	To throw away or refuse
eject	ject	throw	To throw out
credit	cred	believe	Trust in someone to pay back money
incredible	cred	believe	Unbelievable
fracture	fract	break	A break in a bone
fraction	fract	break	A part or piece of a whole
migrate	migr	move	To move from one place to another
immigrant	migr	move	A person who moves to a new country
equal	equ	equal	The same in value or amount
equation	equ	equal	A math statement that two things are equal
unify	uni	one	To make one
universe	uni	one	All of space and everything in it
triangle	tri	three	A shape with three sides
tricycle	tri	three	A vehicle with three wheels
centipede	cent	hundred	An insect with many legs (some say 100)
century	cent	hundred	A period of 100 years
vocal	voc	voice	Related to speaking
advocate	voc	voice	To speak in favor of something
conduct	duct	lead	To lead or guide
aqueduct	duct	lead	A channel for water
local	loc	place	Related to a particular place
location	loc	place	A specific place
chronicle	chron	time	A record of events in time order
synchronize	chron	time	To do at the same time
sympathy	path	feeling	Sharing someone’s feelings
empathy	path	feeling	Feeling what another feels
thermometer	meter	measure	Tool to measure temperature
perimeter	meter	measure	The boundary around a shape
revisit	vis/vid	see	To visit again
telephone	tele	far	Device to hear from far away
telescope	tele	far	Tool to see far
export	port	carry	To send out goods
deport	port	carry	To carry away from a country
video	vis/vid	see	Recording of moving visual images
visual	vis/vid	see	Related to seeing
insect	sect	cut	A small animal with a body divided into parts
section	sect	cut	A separate part of something
dismiss	miss	send	To send away
mission	miss	send	A task or duty someone is sent to do
escape	cap	take	To take oneself out of a situation
capture	cap	take	To take or catch something
flexible	flex	bend	Able to bend easily
reflect	flex	bend	To bend light back
insecticide	cide	kill	A substance that kills insects
homicide	cide	kill	The killing of a person
lunar	luna	moon	Related to the moon
lunatic	luna	moon	Mentally ill (old belief: caused by moon phases)
agriculture	agri	field	Farming or cultivation of land
agrarian	agri	field	Related to farming

Let’s practice!