Roots, Prefixes, and Suffixes: Practice Questions & Explanations

The prefix 'pre-' means before. PRECEDE = go before. Examples of 'pre-' words: PREVIEW (view before), PRECAUTION (caution before), PREDICT (say before — i.e., forecast), PREVENT (come before — i.e., stop before it happens), PREVIOUS (before now), PRELIMINARY (before the main event). Knowing common prefixes is one of the highest-leverage ASVAB strategies because so many English words use them. Major prefixes: PRE- (before); POST- (after); ANTE- (before, like antecedent); ANTI- (against, like antibiotic); SUB- (under); SUPER- (above); INTER- (between); INTRA- (within); EX- (out of); IN- (in OR not, depending on context); UN- (not); RE- (again or back); DIS- (not or apart); MIS- (badly or wrongly); MAL- (bad); BENE- (good); MICRO- (small); MACRO- (large); MULTI- (many); UNI- (one); BI- (two); TRI- (three). Mastering prefixes lets you decode unfamiliar words on the test.

The Latin root 'spec' (or 'spect') means to look or see. INSPECT means to look into; SPECTATOR is one who looks on. Other 'spec' words: SPECTACLE (something to look at), PROSPECT (something seen ahead, future possibility), RETROSPECT (looking back), CIRCUMSPECT (looking around — i.e., cautious), SUSPECT (looking under — i.e., having doubt), RESPECT (looking back at — i.e., regard), INTROSPECT (looking inward), CONSPICUOUS (clearly visible), PERSPECTIVE (a view). Major Latin roots: spec (see), aud (hear, like AUDIO and AUDIENCE), tact/tang (touch, like TACTILE and TANGIBLE), dict (say, like DICTATE and PREDICT), scrib/script (write, like INSCRIPTION and PRESCRIBE), port (carry, like TRANSPORT and IMPORT), mit/miss (send, like TRANSMIT and EMISSION), graph/gram (write or draw, like AUTOGRAPH and DIAGRAM), bio (life), geo (earth), phon (sound), photo (light), chrono (time), therm (heat). Greek and Latin roots together unlock a huge portion of English vocabulary.

The suffix '-able' or '-ible' means 'able to be' or 'capable of being.' CAPABLE = able to do something; READABLE = able to be read; EDIBLE = able to be eaten. Adding this suffix to a verb often creates an adjective: WASH (verb) → WASHABLE (adjective); BREAK → BREAKABLE; CREDIT → CREDIBLE; PORT → PORTABLE; ACCEPT → ACCEPTABLE. Common suffixes to recognize: -ER/-OR (one who: TEACHER, ACTOR); -IST (one who: ARTIST, BIOLOGIST); -LESS (without: HOPELESS, FEARLESS); -FUL (full of: HOPEFUL, GRATEFUL); -NESS (state of: HAPPINESS, KINDNESS); -MENT (result or process: GOVERNMENT, ACHIEVEMENT); -TION/-SION (action or state: CREATION, DECISION); -LY (in the manner of: QUICKLY, BOLDLY); -OUS (full of: GLORIOUS, FAMOUS); -ABLE/-IBLE (able to be); -IZE/-ISE (to make: MODERNIZE, REALIZE). Suffixes often signal the part of speech, helping you identify the word's grammatical role even when meaning is unfamiliar.

The prefix MAL- means bad, badly, or wrong. A MALFUNCTION is a faulty or bad operation; a MALADY is an illness (a 'bad' condition); MALICE is ill will; MALNUTRITION is poor nourishment. Knowing common prefixes lets you decode unfamiliar words on the test. MAL- consistently signals something bad or defective, so when you see it leading a word you don't know, you can infer a negative meaning. Other useful prefixes include BENE- (good), MIS- (wrong), and DIS- (not/opposite). Recognizing MAL- = bad narrows down the meaning quickly.

The Latin root PORT means to carry. TRANSPORT is to carry across; PORTABLE means able to be carried; EXPORT is to carry out (goods to other countries); IMPORT is to carry in. Recognizing roots helps you figure out words you haven't memorized. When PORT appears in a word, the idea of carrying or moving is usually involved. Other high-value roots include SPECT (to look, as in inspect), SCRIB/SCRIPT (to write), and DICT (to say). Building a mental list of roots is one of the most efficient ways to expand vocabulary for the test.

The suffix -OLOGY means the study or science of a subject. BIOLOGY is the study of life (bio = life), GEOLOGY the study of the earth (geo = earth), and PSYCHOLOGY the study of the mind (psych = mind). When you see -OLOGY ending an unfamiliar word, you can infer it names a field of study. Combine that with the root to estimate the topic — for example, 'zoology' (zoo = animal) is the study of animals. Knowing common suffixes like -OLOGY (study of), -PHOBIA (fear of), and -ITIS (inflammation) helps decode technical vocabulary on the test.