English·Vocabulary·conceptual
Greek and Latin Roots for Word Meaning
Use knowledge of Greek and Latin affixes (prefixes and suffixes) and roots as clues to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words, building a bank of common roots and their meanings
Suggested ages 9–11
Learning journey
Your child is developing sophisticated language skills — understanding figurative language like metaphors and similes, learning word relationships through synonyms and antonyms, and using Greek and Latin word parts to figure out unfamiliar words.
Evidence of understanding
- Identify common Greek and Latin roots in unfamiliar words and use root meaning to infer word meaning, e.g. 'aqua' (water) in aquarium/aquatic, 'dict' (say) in predict/dictionary
- Break a multi-morpheme word into prefix + root + suffix to determine meaning, e.g. un- (not) + believe + -able = not able to be believed
- Use knowledge of Greek-origin prefixes (auto-, tele-, micro-) and Latin-origin prefixes (inter-, trans-, sub-) to decode and define unfamiliar vocabulary in context
Assessment prompt
If Greek and Latin Roots for Word Meaning comes across an unfamiliar word containing a Greek or Latin root they recognise — like "port" in "transport" or "bio" in "biology" — can they use that to work out the meaning?
Standards alignment
L.4.4bUS · ccss-ela
L.4.4b
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects · 4
L.5.4bUS · ccss-ela
L.5.4b
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects · 5