English is rich in word families that have been derived from Latin and Greek. Getting to know these word families helps build up our vocabulary (and helps us to understand why certain words are spelt the way that they are spelt). If we know one word in the family, it helps us to understand what other words in the family mean.
A list of some of the common word families is provided in the following table. You might like to set yourself the challenge of becoming familiar with one word family each day - or maybe just read through the list to get a better idea of word families. Refer to a dictionary as necessary.
| Some word families based on Latin and Greek elements | ||
|---|---|---|
| animus | life | animal, animate, animosity, inanimate, animation |
| annus | a year | annual, biennial, annuity, anniversary, perennial |
| archos (Gk) | rule | archangel, architect, monarchy, matriarchy, patriarchy |
| aster | star | asterisk, asteroid, astronomy, astronaut, cotoneaster |
| audio, aur | to hear | audience, audible, auditorium, audition, aural |
| bios | life | autobiography, biography, biology, biosphere |
| caput | head | decapitate, capital, captain, caption |
| carn | flesh | carnivorous, incarnate, reincarnation, carnal, carnation |
| cedo | to go | proceed, precede, recede, secession, exceed, succeed |
| centum | hundred | cent, centennial, century, centipede, bicentennial |
| chronos (Gk)/td> | time | chronology, chronic, chronicle, synchronise |
| cido | to kill | homicide, insecticide, suicide, fratricide, regicide |
| cis | to cut | scissors, incision, excise, concise, circumcision |
| clam, claim | cry out | exclamation, clamour, proclamation, acclaim |
| claud, claus | to close, shut | include, exclude, clause, claustrophobia, enclose, exclusive, reclusive, conclude |
| clino | to lean | decline, inclination, recline |
| cratos (Gk) | rule | autocrat, aristocrat, theocracy, technocracy |
| credo | believe | creed, credence, credit, credulous, incredible |
| cyclos (Gk) | wheel, circle | Cyclops, unicycle, bicycle, cyclone, cyclic |
| dermis (Gk) | skin | hypodermic, dermatology, epidermis, taxidermy |
| dicto, dictus | say, speak | dictionary, dictate, dictator, edict, predict, verdict, contradict, benediction |
| ferre | bear, carry | ferry, coniferous, fertile, defer, infer, refer, transfer |
| fluo, flux | flow | fluid, flue, flush, fluently, fluctuate, reflux, influx |
| fortis | strength | effort, fort, forte, fortifiable, fortify, fortitude |
| gnosis (Gk) | knowledge | recognise, cognisant, diagnose, agnostic, incognito, prognosis |
| gradus | a step | grade, degree, progress, gradual, graduate |
| graph,gram | to write | graphite, polygraph, grammar, biography, graphic |
| hydra (Gk) | water | dehydrate, hydrant, hydraulic, hydrophobia |
| igni | fire | ignite, igneous, ignition |
| jecto | throw | reject, eject, project, trajectory, interject, dejected, inject |
| jungo, junct | to join | adjoining, conjugal, enjoin, junction, conjunction |
| legis | law | legal, legislate, legislature, legitimise |
| levi | light | alleviate, levitate, levity |
| liber, liver | free | liberty, liberal, liberalise, deliverance |
| locutio | speak | eloquent, loquacious, colloquial, circumlocution |
| logo | study | catalogue, prologue, dialogue, zoology, logo |
| mal | bad | malfunction, maladjusted, dismal, malady, malcontent |
| manus | hand | manual, manufacture, manacle, manicure, manoeuvre |
| mater | mother | matrimony, maternal, matriarch, matron, mater |
| medi | middle | mediate, medieval, Mediterranean, mediocre, medium |
| mitere | send | emit, submit, admit, commit, permit, transmit, mission |
| morphos | shape | amorphous, metamorphosis, polymorphic, morpheme |
| mortis | death | mortal, immortal, mortality, mortician, mortuary |
| nasc, nat | birth | native, pregnant, naive, innate, natal, renaissance |
| nom | law | autonomy, astronomy, gastronomy, economy |
| nomen | name | nominate, nomenclature, ignominious |
| novus | new | novel, renovate, novice, nova, innovate |
| nox, noc | night | nocturnal, equinox, noctilucent |
| onym (Gk) | onym | anonymous, pseudonym, antonym, synonym |
| opera | work | opera, operate, cooperate, opus |
| ortho | straight | orthodox, orthodontist, orthopedic, unorthodox |
| pac, pax | peace | pacifist, pacify, Pacific Ocean, pax Romana |
| pater | father | paternity, patriarch, patriot, patron, patronise |
| ped, pod | foot | pedal, impede, pedestrian, centipede, tripod, podiatry |
| pendere | hang, weight | pendant, pendulum, suspend, appendage, pensive |
| philos (Gk) | love, friend | philosopher, philanthropy, philharmonic, bibliophile |
| phobos | fear | phobia, claustrophobia, acrophobia, aquaphobia |
| phon(e) (Gk) | sound | telephone, phonics, phonetic, homophone, microphone, symphony, euphonious |
| photo (Gk) | light | photograph, photoelectric, photosynthesis, photon |
| polis | city | metropolis, police, politics, megalopolis, acropolis |
| ponere, pos | place, put | postpone, component, opponent, proponent, expose, impose, deposit, posture, position, expound, impound |
| populorum | people | population, populous, popular |
| porto | carry | porter, portable, transport, report, export, import |
| punct | point, dot | punctual, punctuation, puncture, acupuncture |
| scientia | knowledge | science, conscious, conscience, omniscient |
| scope (Gk) | see, watch | telescope, microscope, kaleidoscope, periscope |
| scripto | write | scribe, scribble, inscribe, describe, subscribe, prescribe, manuscript |
| sect | cut | intersect, transect, dissect, secant, section |
| signi | sign | signal, signature, design, insignia, significant |
| solus | alone | solo, soliloquy, solitaire, solitude, solitary, isolate |
| spect | look, see | specimen, spectator, spectacle, aspect, speculate, inspect, respect, prospect, retrospective, introspective |
| struct, stroy | build | construe, structure, construct, obstruct, destruction |
| tain, ten | hold, keep | retain, tenacious, tenant, tenure, untenable, detention, retentive, content, contain, abstain, pertain, detain |
| tangere, tact | touch | tactile, contact, intact, tangible, contagious, contiguous |
| tem, tempo | time | tempo, temporary, contemporary, temporal |
| tendere, tens | stretch | tendency, extend, intend, contend, pretend, superintend, tender, extent, tension, pretense |
| terra | earth | subterranean, terrain, terrarium, territory, terrestrial |
| theos | god | monotheism, polytheism, atheism, theology |
| thermos | heat | thermometer, thermal, thermostat, hypothermia |
| trahere, tractd | rag, draw | attract, tractor, traction, extract, retract, protract, detract, subtract, contract, intractable |
| valere | value, worth | equivalent, valiant, validity, evaluate, value, valor |
| venio | come | convene, intervene, venue, convenient, circumvent, invent, convent, venture, event, advent, prevent |
| verit | true | very, aver, verdict, verity, verify, verisimilitude |
| verto, vers | turn, change | convert, revert, , reverse, advertise, versatile, invert, extravert, introvert, divert, convertible, controversy |
| video, vis | to see | evident, provide, providence, visible, revise, supervise, vista, visit, vision, review |
| vincere, vict | conquer | victor, evict, convict, convince, invincible |
| viv, vita | life | revive, survive, vivid, vivacious, vitality, vivisection, vital |
| voco, voke | call | vocation, avocation, convocation, invocation, evoke, provoke, revoke, advocate, provocative, vocal |
| vol | will | voluntary, malevolent, benevolent, volunteer, volition |
| volvo, volt | turn, roll | revolve, voluble, voluminous, convolution, revolt, evolve |
| vorare | devour | voracious, carnivore, herbivore, omnivorous, devour |
| zo | animal | zoo (zoological garden), zoology, zodiac, protozoan |