ISEE/SSAT Vocabulary BuilderWord library

Word roots and prefixes for the ISEE and SSAT

200 Greek and Latin word parts, each with the words actually built from it, the breakdown of every one, and the look-alikes that are not related at all.

Prefixes

Roots

Suffixes

  • -able/-ible — turns a verb into an adjective meaning capable of, fit to be, or worthy of the action
  • -al — turns a noun or root into an adjective meaning related to or characterized by it
  • -ance/-ence — Turns a verb or adjective into a noun naming a state, quality, or act.
  • -ary/-ory — Makes adjectives meaning relating to, or nouns for associated people, things, or places.
  • -ate — Makes verbs meaning to make or perform, or adjectives and nouns describing a state or role.
  • -cide — forms words naming an act of killing or the person or substance that kills
  • -en — turns an adjective or noun into a verb meaning to make or become that quality
  • -ful — turns a noun into an adjective meaning full of or strongly marked by it
  • -ic — turns a noun into an adjective meaning related to or characterized by it
  • -ify — turns a noun or adjective into a verb meaning make or cause to become
  • -ism — turns an idea or practice into a noun naming a doctrine, system, practice, or characteristic behavior
  • -ist — turns a field, practice, or belief into a noun for a person associated with it
  • -ity — turns an adjective or root into a noun naming a state or quality
  • -ive — turns a verb or root into an adjective meaning tending to, able to, or serving to do it
  • -ize — turns a noun or adjective into a verb meaning make, become, or treat in that way
  • -less — turns a noun into an adjective meaning without or lacking it
  • -ment — turns a verb into a noun naming the action, result, or means
  • -ness — turns an adjective into a noun naming its state, condition, or quality
  • -ology — turns a subject into the name of its study or body of knowledge
  • -ous — turns a noun or root into an adjective meaning full of, having, or characterized by it
  • -phobia — names an intense fear of or aversion to the thing named
  • -tion/-sion — turns a verb into a noun naming an action, process, or result
  • -tude — turns an adjective into a noun naming a state or quality
  • -ure — Turns a verb into a noun naming an act, result, or state.
  • -ward — turns a place or direction into a word showing movement or orientation that way

Number parts