Determine the meanings of words with Greek and Latin roots

Key Notes :

What are Roots?

Think of roots like the bottom part of a plant. They hold the plant in place and give it life! Word roots do the same thing. They give a word its basic meaning.

Common Greek Roots

Examples: Photograph: A picture made using light. Photosynthesis: Plants using light to make food. Telephone: A device to hear far away sounds. Television: Seeing things from far away. Graph: A drawing or diagram that writes data. Autograph: Your own written signature. Phone: Something that makes a sound Phonics: The study of how letters make sounds.

Root: photo Meaning: Light Root: tele Meaning: Far Away Root: graph Meaning: Write Root: phon Meaning: Sound

Common Latin Roots

Examples: Aquarium: A tank filled with water for fish. Aquatic: Living in water. Scribble: To write quickly and messily. Script: The written words of a play or movie. Porter: A person who carries luggage. Import: To carry goods into a country. Spectacles: Eye glasses to help you look. Inspect: To look at something carefully.

Root: aqua Meaning: Water Root: scrib/script Meaning: Write Root: port Meaning: Carry Root: spect Meaning: Look

Word Detective Challenge!

Now it’s your turn! Can you figure out what these words mean using the roots we learned?

• Photograph
• Aquatic
• Telephone

Use what you know about the roots to become a super word detective! You got this!

Learning about Greek and Latin roots is like having a secret key to unlock the meanings of tons of words! Keep practicing, and you’ll become amazing word detectives!

Let’s practice!