4.2.A* RF.4.3.A

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) Roots and Affixes
Grade:	4th Grade
Standard:	4.2.A*
Description:	determine the meaning of grade-level academic English words derived from Latin, Greek, or other linguistic roots and affixes
Standard:	Literacy.RF.4.3a
Description:	Use combined knowledge of all letter-sound correspondences, syllabication patterns, and morphology (e.g., roots and affixes) to read accurately unfamiliar multisyllabic words in context and out of context.

Roots & Affixes

Words are built from meaningful roots and affixes.

Roots are the basic units of meaning of words. Many roots can stand alone as words.

Affixes are word parts added to root words to build on or change their meanings.

align

misalignment: [noun] the state or result of being incorrectly lined up

graph

autobiography: [noun] a self-written story of one's own life

Examples of Roots and Affixes

Prefix	Meaning	Example Words
mis-	wrong, incorrectly	misspell, misjudge
sub-	under	submarine, subtotal
dis-	not, opposite of, apart, away	disappear, disinterested
anti-	against	antivirus, antisocial
en-	make, cause to be	enforce, envision
ex-	out	export, exit
in-	not	inactive, invisible
post-	after	postdate, postscript
pre-	before	prefix, pretest
un-	no, not, opposite	unafraid, unlikely
under-	below, lacking	underage, underground
re-	again	redo, realign
Suffix	Meaning	Example Words
-ment	result, state, quality, process, or action of	judgment, involvement
-ity, -ty	state or condition of	equality, royalty
-ist	one who does something	violinist, artist
-en	to do something	strengthen, fasten
-able	able to be or cause	flammable, teachable
-less	without, lacking	heartless, clueless
-ly	in what way	happily, safely
-ful	full of, having	beautiful, truthful
-ness	state, condition, or quality of	freshness, happiness
-y	having the quality of	lumpy, cloudy
Root	Meaning	Example Words
auto	self	autograph, automatic
graph	write, draw	graphic, photograph
meter	measure	millimeter, metric
bio	life	biology, biodiversity
com	with, together	companion, compare
port	carry	portable, import
rupt	break, burst	disrupt, interrupt
terr	land	territory, terrain
geo	earth, ground, soil	geography, geode

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Go to the next page to practice working with roots and affixes.

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)