Meaning of Words

Meaning of Words

All About TOEFL
More TOEFL Exercises


Below is a list of words that often appear on theTOEFL test. The underlined sections of a word provide links to definitions of that word's respective roots, prefixes and suffixes. Sentences are provided as examples of word usage.

A B C D E F G H J L M N O P Q R S T U V



A

act, ag
• react (verb): to act in response to something
• re + act
• How did he react when he heard the news?
• agent (noun): something which acts or acts upon something else


ag + ent
• The travel agent helped her purchase the tickets.
• active (adjective): involving movement, moving about
• act + ive
• Joan is an active child.
• agitate (verb): to excite, to disturb, to stir up
• agit + ate
• The washing machine agitates the load of laundry.


aud, audit, aur
• audible ( adjective): can be heard
• aud + ible
• Your voice is barely audible over the sound of the train whistle.
• auditorium (noun): a place where one goes to hear something
• audit+ orium
• The band played in the school auditorium
• auricular
• aur + ic + ul + ar
• The auricular ability of the cat is well-known.


am, ami
• amorous (adjective): loving
• amor + ous
• The actor played an amorous role.
• amiable (adjective) friendly, agreeable
• ami + able
• He seems to be an amiable man.
• amicable (adjective): friendly
• amic + able
• The two neighbors came to an amicable decision about the fence.


anim
• animal (noun): a living creature
• anim + al
• A dog is an animal.
• animate (verb): to give spirit or support, to supply movement
• anim + ate
• The artist animated the cartoon.
• animosity (noun): hostility, ill will
• animos + ity
• There isn't any animosity between us.


ann, annu, enni
• annals (noun): record of events, historical records
• ann + al + s
• The annals of the organization are kept in notebooks.
• annual (adjective): yearly
• annu + al
• She is planning on going to the company's annual meeting.
• annuity (noun): money payable yearly
• annu + ity
• Joan is going to invest her annuity in the stock market.
• anniversary (noun): the yearly celebration of an event
• anni + vers + ary
• John's parents will celebrate their wedding anniversary in April.
• perrenial (adjective): enduring, persisting for several years
• per + enn + ial
• I would like to buy some perrenial plants.


auc, aug, aut
• author (noun): one that originates or creates, a writer
• auth + or
• Susan met the author of this book.
• augment (verb): to increase, to add to
• aug + ment
• He had to augment his salary by taking another job.
• auction (noun): a sale of goods to the highest bidder
• auct + ion
• I bought this car at the auction.




B

bene
• benevolent (adjective): marked by goodwill
• bene + vol + ent
• The "Salvation Army" is known as a benevolent society for its acts of charity.
• benign (adjective): harmless, mild, gentle
• ben + ign
• The doctor removed a benign tumor from my neck and I went home the same day.


biblio
• bibliography (noun): a list of written works
• biblio + graph + y
• Olaf listed a brief bibliography at the end of his paper.


bio, bi
• biology (noun): the study of life
• bio + log + y
• In biology class the students learned about how the human body works.


brev
• brief (adjective): short
• brief
• Anand gave a brief lecture on the rain forest.
• abbreviate (verb): to shorten
• ab + brevi + ate
• How does one abbreviate the word "Minnesota"?
• brevity (noun): short or concise expression
• brev + ity
• The politician gave short speeches and he became known for his brevity.






C

cad, cap, cas, ceiv, cept, cid
• deceive (verb): to cause or allow someone to believe something is true when it is actually false; to mislead
• de + ceive
• The criminal deceived many people into believing she was honest.
• capable (adjective): having the ability to do something; having the traits necessary to perform some action
• cap + able
• Jose is a very capable lawyer.
• capacious (adective): containing a great deal
• capac + ious
• You have a capacious library with many unusual books.
• captive (noun, adjective): a person held against his or her own will; held prisoner
• cap+ tive
• The captives were taken to the jail.
• Geoff had a captive audience.
• accident (noun): an unplanned event
• ac + cid + ent
• Don't get upset about minor accidents and errors.
• capture (verb): to gain control of, to gain by effort
• capt + ure
• In the game of chess, the object is to capture the king.
• occasion (noun): an opportunity; a happening, instance or celebration
• oc + cas + ion
• Did you have an occasion to speak with your professor?
• receive (verb): to take in, to acquire
• re + ceive
• Imelda received many letters in the mail today.
• concept (noun): an idea
• con + cept
• The concept of using computers in the classroom is relatively new.


ceas, cede, ceed, cess
• predecessor (noun): a person who has previously occupied a position that another has taken over
• pre + de + cess + or
• I hope I can live up to my predecessor's reputation.
• succeed (verb): to follow after another, to do well
• suc + ceed
• To succeed as a student, one must study.
• recede (verb): to move back, to withdraw
• re + cede
• The water receded five days after the flood.
• concede (verb): to accept as true, to yield, to allow
• con + cede
• I conceded to her point of view.
• exceed (verb): to go beyond a limit, to be greater than
• ex + ceed
• The driver exceeded the speed limit by ten miles an hour.
• recess (noun): an indentation, a temporary break
• re + cess
• The children were given a recess from the lessons.
• deceased (adjective): dead
• de + ceas + ed
• The deceased person will be cremated rather than buried.


chron
• chronic (adjective): marked by a long period of time, recurrence
• chron + ic
• Gabrielle has a chronic back disorder and cannot lift heavy objects.
• chronicle (noun): a historical account arranged in order of time
• chron + icle
• The teacher asked us to read a chronicle on the Revolutionary War.
• chronological (adjective): arranged in order of time
• chrono + log + ical
• The text book listed the presidents in chronological order.


clam, claim
• acclaim (verb): praise
• ac + claim
• The restaurant is acclaimed for its desserts.
• exclaim (verb): to speak loudly, to cry out in surprise
• ex + claim
• The children exclaimed "hurray" when they heard there would be no classes tomorrow.
• clamor (noun, verb): n. noise, v. to make noise
• clam + or
• The children clamored for more ice cream.
• proclaim (verb): to declare loudly
• pro + claim
• The president of the university proclaimed March 21 to be a holiday in honor of the school's award winning faculty.


cogn, gnos
• cognizant (adjective): aware
• cogniz + ant
• The man was cognizant of the danger of walking through the park at night.
• diagnose (verb): to recognize (diseases) by symptoms
• dia + gnose
• The patient was diagnosed with Lyme's disease.
• agnostic (noun): one who believes that any ultimate reality is unknowable
• ag + gnost + ic
• John is unsure of the reality of god and considers himself to be an agnostic.
• recognize (verb): to know, to identify
• re + cogn + ize
• I thought I recognized your face from somewhere.


corp
• corpse (noun): a dead body
• corpse
• A corpse was found floating in the river.
• corpulent (adjective): having a large body
• corp + ul + ent
• The corpulent politician jabbed a fat finger in the air.
• incorporate (verb): to unite into one being
• in + corp + or + ate
• The artist incorporated paint, photographs, and fabric into her artwork.
• corporate (adjective): formed into a body or association, united in one group
• corp + or + ate
• The corporate structure allowed many people to work as a group.


cre, cresc, cret
• crescent (noun, adjective): a narrow curved shape; a quarter moon or smaller
• cresc + ent
• The crescent moon could be glimpsed through the clouds.
• create (verb): to originate, to produce through imagination
• cre + ate
• The musician created a new musical arrangement.
• accretion (verb): growth by gradual addition
• ac + cret + ion
• The accretion of dirt on windows is sometimes hard to detect.
• increase (verb): to grow in size or amount
• in + crease Alfonse wishes he could find a way to increase his salary.


cred
• credible (adjective): can be believed, reasonable
• cred + ible
• The witness gave a credible account of the accident.
• credulous (adjective): too ready to believe
• cred + ul + ous
• The credulous child believed the story about flying horses.
• incredible (adjective): unbelievable, amazing
• in + cred + ible
• Makiko said she just saw an incredible horror movie.


cour, cur, curr, curs
• excursion (noun): a trip
• ex + curs + ion
• The father planned an excursion to the zoo for his children.
• discourse (noun, verb): a conversation, to talk
• dis + course
• The discourse between the speaker and the audience was informal.
• courier (noun): a messenger
• couri + er
• The courier gave the message to the secretary.
• course (noun, verb): forward movement, movement from point to point; to run along a path
• course
• Blood courses through your veins with every beat of your heart.
• occur (verb): to happen, to come to mind
• oc + cur
• It just occurred to me that tomorrow is your birthday.
• current (adjective, noun): happening now, up to date; the movement of water
• curr + ent
• Is this information current or out of date?




D

dic, dict, dit
• dictionary (noun): a book of definitions
• dict + ion + ary
• Juliana looked up the word in the dictionary.
• condition (noun): the state of something or someone
• con + dit + ion
• Is your car in good condition?
• indicate (verb): to show, to point out
• in + dic + ate
• The gas gauge indicates that we are almost out of gas.
• dictate (verb): to speak for a person to record, to issue an order
• dict + ate
• The lawyer dictated the letter to her secretary.
• predict (verb): to say what will happen in the future
• pre + dict
• Joseph predicts that he will get married in ten years.
• addict (verb): to be devoted to something in an obsessive manner
• ad + dict
• Leslie is addicted to betting on the horse races.


doc, doct
• doctor (noun): a person who has received the highest degree a university offers, a physician
• doct + or
• Andre is going to medical school so that he can be a doctor like his mother.
• doctrine (noun): something that is taught, dogma
• doctr + ine
• We learned about the doctrine of "manifest destiny" in our American history class.
• docile (adjective): obedient, easily taught
• doc + ile
• Mrs. Galindez wants to buy a docile dog for her son.
• document (noun): an official paper
• docu + ment
• The library houses many government documents in its collection.


dog, dox
• orthodox (adjective): holding conventional beliefs
• ortho + dox
• I don't know if my interpretation of that book is orthodox or not.
• dogma (noun): an established opinion
• dog + ma
• Some people find the dogma associated with that organization disturbing.
• paradox (noun): a statement that seems to contradict itself but contains some truth
• para + dox
• The paradox of the matter is that I want to see the opera but I also want to stay home.


dec, dign
• decorate (verb): to make something look attractive or suitable
• dec + or + ate
• Linda decorated her apartment with paintings and plants.
• decent (adjective): conforming to standards, good, kind
• dec + ent
• This magazine contains a decent article on home improvement.
• dignity (noun): quality of being worthy, noble, honored
• dign + ity
• I haven't yet had the dignity and honor of being grand marshall of the parade.


duc, duct
• conduct (verb, noun): v. to lead or guide, n. a person's behavior
• con + duct
• Jared was conducted into the doctor's office by the nurse.
• Arnelle's conduct was inexcusable and she should apologize to the class.
• educate (verb): to train, to provide schooling for
• e + duc + ate
• The school tries to educate its students to be productive members of society.
• induct (verb): to install in office or to enroll in military service
• in + duct
• Mindy was inducted into the army last month.
• deduct (verb): to subtract
• de + duct
• The salesperson deducted five dollars off the purchase price of the radio.
• deduce (verb): to make a decision or draw a conclusion by reasoning
• de + duce
• I deduced from the trail of crumbs and the empty milk carton that the children were home.
• produce (verb, noun): to bring forward, to make to bear or yield; something made or grown
• pro + duce
• The lawyer produced new evidence at the trial.
• The produce from the farm will go to the market next week.
• seduce (verb): to persuade (especially into doing something wrong), to tempt
• se + duce
• Money and power have been known to seduce many honest people.
• induce (verb): to persuade, cause, or bring about by artificial means.
• in + duce
• If a child swallows poison, it is suggested that vomiting should be induced.




E

ev, et
• eternal (adjective): not effected by time, without beginning or end, ceaseless
• etern + al
• The lecture seemed eternal and many in the audience had fallen asleep.
• medieval (adjective): relating to the Middle Ages (500 - 1500 AD)
• med + ieval
• There are many styles to medieval architecture and a building built in 500 AD looks different from one built in 1000 AD.




F

fict, feign, fain
• faint (adjective, verb): indistinct, not clearly perceived, weak; to lose consciousness from lack of blood to the brain
• faint
• There is a faint odor of apples in this room.
• Some people faint at the sight of blood.
• feign (verb): to pretend
• feign
• The child feigned illness in an attempt to avoid the test.
• fiction (noun): something produce from imagination, an invented story
• fict + ion
• The excuse Marvin just gave for not doing his homework is pure fiction.


fig
• effigy (noun): a figure representing a disliked person.
• e f + fig + y
• The children made an effigy of their nasty neighbor.
• figure (noun): shape, pattern, drawing
• fig + ure
• The figure Louise drew on the paper looks nothing like an apple.
• figment (noun): a thing that does not exist, something made up
• fig + ment
• Ghosts and monsters are figments of an active imagination.


fac, fact, fec, fic, fas, fea
• fashion (noun, verb): the form of something, style; to give shape or form to
• fash + ion
• The current fashion is hair worn short.
• feasible (adjective): capable of being done
• feas + ible
• The engineer thought that building the bridge across the river was a feasible project.
• feature (noun, verb): the appearance or form of a person or object; to picture or portray
• feat + ure
• Lisette's best feature is her eyes.
• factory (noun): a place where things are made or built
• fact + ory
• There is a boat factory near the river.
• difficult (adjective): hard to do, troublesome, hard to understand
• di + fic + ult
• The test was difficult and I answered only eight of the ten questions.
• fact (noun): something known to be true
• fact
• It's a fact that the world is round.
• effect (noun): a change caused by something, a result, influence
• e + fect
• The sun's effect on human skin is known to be harmful.


fer
• fertile (adjective): productive, bearing or capable of bearing fruit in large quantities
• fert + ile
• The land by the river is quite fertile and many crops are grown there.
• refer (verb): to classify within a general category, to send or direct to another source
• re + fer
• The patient was referred to a physical therapist for additional treatment.
• infer (verb): to come to a conclusion from facts or ideas, to guess
• in + fer
• Sometimes a reader has to infer from the facts presented in an article what the main idea is about.


fid
• diffident (adjective): hesitant in acting, shy
• dif + fid + ent
• The diffident student would not speak in front of the class.
• fidelity (noun): the quality of being faithful, accuracy
• fid + el + ity
• The fidelity of this video reproduction is quite good.
• confide (verb): to trust, to trust another person with a secret
• con + fide
• Joan confided in her friend and told her a secret.


flu, fluct, flux
• fluent (adjective): capable of moving with ease, able to speak another language
• flu + ent
• The dancer had a fluent body.
• Juanita is fluent in several languages.
• superfluous (adjective): extra, more than is needed
• super + flu + ous
• Three cherries on my piece of cake is superfluous; I only needed one.
• influence (verb, noun): to have an effect on something; the ability to affect something indirectly
• in + flu + ence
• It was John's success as a musician that influenced my decision to take guitar lessons.
• fluid (adjective): capable of flowing, a smooth style, liquid
• flu + id
• The ink my new pen is quite fluid and flows evenly across the page.
• fluctuate (verb): to shift back and forth, to move erratically
• fluctu + ate
• My body temperature has been fluctuating all day -- sometimes I'm hot and sometimes I'm cold.


form
• format (noun): the shape and size of something, the arrangement of something
• form + at
• The format of this class will be half lecture and half class participation.
• formulate (verb): to prepare from a set of steps (formula), to devise
• form + ul + ate
• The chemist formulated a new way of making dish detergent.


fract, frag, frai
• fracture (verb, noun): to break, to crack; a broken bone
• fract + ure Miguel fractured arm his while skiing.
• fragment (noun): a piece broken off, a part of something
• frag + ment
• It bothers me that I can remember only a fragment of the poem rather than the whole piece.
• frail (adjective): easily broken, not strong
• frail
• Be careful! That chair is frail




G

gen, gin
• generally (adverb): in a general manner, usually, with regard to the whole not specifics
• gen + er + al + ly
• Generally, Lance leaves work at 5:00 p.m.
• gingerly (adverb, adjective): careful
• gin + ger + ly
• Paulette picked up the antique vase gingerly and placed it on the shelf.
• indigenous (adjective): native, having been born in a specific area or environment
• in + di + gen + ous
• The tomato plant is indigenous to South America.


ge
• geography (noun): a science that describes the earth's surface
• geo + graph + y
• The geography of New York varies from the sandy shores to rocky mountains.


gor
• categorize (verb): to place things in classes or sets, to classify
• cate + gor + ize
• The professor asked her students to categorize the plants they found.


grad, gress, gree
• grade (noun): a stage in a process, a mark indicating quality
• grade
• Ali hopes to receive a passing grade on his midterm exam.
• progress (verb, noun): to move forward; forward movement
• pro + gress
• Mina progressed to the next level in her French language program.
• There hasn't been much progress made in getting the house built -- only the frame is up.
• degree (noun): a step or stage in a process, a rank, a level of intensity
• de + gree
• There is a high degree of stress associated with being a police officer.


graph, graf
• graphic (adjective): written, drawn, vividly shown
• graph + ic
• Dominic is planning to study graphic art.
• graffitti (noun): drawings or writing on a wall
• graph + itti
• Many people find the graffitti on the subway trains disturbing.




H

her, hes
• adhere (verb): to stick
• ad + here
• Paper often adheres to wet surfaces.
• hesitate (verb): to hold back a decision, to waver
• hesit + ate
• Don't hesitate to call me if you need help.




J

jac, ject, jet
• adjacent (adjective): to lie next to
• ad + jac + ent
• You won't have a long walk between classes because the engineering building is adjacent to the chemistry laboratories.
• jettison (verb): to throw away, to cast off
• jett + ison
• The captain of the sinking ship jettisoned the cargo.
• reject (verb): to throw out, unwilling to accept
• re + ject
• David was rejected by two schools before he found a school that accepted him.


jug, junct, just
• adjust (verb): to change or adapt to fit or match something
• ad + just
• Jared has to adjust to his new work schedule.
• conjugal (adjective): of marriage, marital relationship
• con + jug + al
• One should think seriously before entering a conjugal relationship.
• junction (noun): the place at which two things join
• junct + ion
• Deborah's house is at the junction of Hill and Maple streets.




L

lex, leg

• college (noun): a school for higher learning, a group of people having a common purpose
• col + lege
• Yolanda is going to college to become a lawyer.
• legal (adjective, noun): based on law; conforms to law
• leg + al
• Jared is working as a legal secretary for two lawyers in New York
• Is it legal to own fireworks in Massachusetts or is there a law against them?
• league (noun): a group of people, an association
• leag + ue
• There are fifty people participating in the bowling league.


lect

• collect (verb): to gather, to bring together
• col + lect
• The little girl collected wildflowers for her mother.
• legible (noun): readible, clear enough to read
• leg + ible
• His handwriting is quite legible.
• eligible (adjective): qualified, worthy to be chosen
• e + lig + ible
• Now that Geoffrey is eighteen he is eligible to vote.


loc

• locally (adverb): nearby, relative to a certain area
• loc + al + ly
• The vegetables are grown locally.


log

• logic (noun): the study of reason
• log + ic
• Simone is taking a class in logic and she is learning about how to reason.


luc

• translucent (adjective): allowing some light to shine through
• trans + luc + ent
• The sheet of paper is translucent when held close to a lightbulb.
• illuminate (verb): to provide with light, to make lighter, to make clear
• il + lum + in + ate
• The lamp illuminates the room.
• illustrate (verb): to explain by using pictorial examples, to show by using visual examples
• il + lustr + ate
• Christopher illustrated his idea on piece of paper for everyone to see.




M

man

• management (noun): the act of handling or running something, usually a business.
• man + age + ment
• This store is under new management.


mem

• commemorate (verb): to remember an important event through ceremony or observation
• com + mem + or + ate
• The American Revolution is commemorated every Fourth of July.
• memory (noun): the ability to recall past events
• mem + or + y
• Geanine has an excellent memory and she can recall things that happened years ago.


ment
• mental (adjective): related to the mind
• ment + al
• Lauren's mental abilities must be quite good if she achieved a perfect score without even studying.
• mention (verb): to cite, to speak about, to refer to
• ment + ion
• The instructor forgot to mention that the class was cancelled.


min
• minor (adjective): lesser, less important
• min + or
• The knife slipped and Marcelle received a minor cut.
• minute (adjective, noun): tiny, very small; sixty seconds
• min + ute
• Even though the speck of dirt on the camera lens was minute, it ruined the photograph.
• Terry will be finished in one minute.
• minuscule (adjective): very small
• minusc + ule
• The minuscule gem was very hard to see without magnifying glasses.


mit, miss

• admit (verb): to accept, to confess, to allow entry
• ad + mit
• I must admit that even though you didn't like the movie I did.
• missive (noun): a letter to be sent
• miss + ive
• Missives were more common one hundred years ago. Today, people use the telephone.


mob, mov, mot

• remove (verb): to take off or to take away
• re + move
• The waiter removed the dirty dishes from the table.
• mobile (adjective): able to move
• mob + ile
• Many people drive their mobile homes from North to South, following the warm weather.
• motion (noun): act of moving, action
• mot + ion
• Many people find the motion of a rocking chair soothing.




N

nasc, nat, gnant, nai

• native (adjective): belonging to a place by birth, indigenous
• nat +ive
• Turkeys are native to North America.
• nascent (adjective): just born
• nasc + ent
• The nascent kittens curled up with their mother.
• pregnant (adjective): having a child developing in the womb, "with child"
• pre + gn +ent
• Linda's dog is pregnant and it will have its puppies in November.
• naive (adjective): lack of experience, not knowledgeable of the world
• nai + ve
• When Olivia went to New York ten year's ago she was naive, but now she is a well-seasoned traveler.


nom

• nominate (verb): to name for office
• nomin + ate
• Vittorio nominated Mary for class president.
• synonym (noun): a word with a similar meaning to another word in the same language
• syn + onym
• The word "fair" is a synonym for the word "just."


nov

• novelty (noun): something new
• novel + ty
• After six months the novelty of Pierre's new car is starting to wear off.
• novice (noun): a newcomer, a beginner, someone new to something
• nov + ice
• Bjorn is a novice when it comes to playing poker or other card games.




O

oper

• operate (verb): to work, to perform
• oper + ate
• People are advised not to operate heavy machinery after drinking alcohol.
• opus (noun): a musical composition
• opus
• Vivaldi's opus number three is not as well known as is other compositions.




P

pat

• patient (adjective, noun): calm, bearing pain without complaint; a person under medical care
• pati + ent
• Josiah was patient as he waited in line for concert tickets.
• Amelia has been a patient of Dr. Gustaf's for ten years.
• passion (noun): a strong feeling or emotion
• pass + ion
• Barbara has a passion for motorcycle racing.
• sympathy (noun): sharing another person's feelings, the ability to feel for another person's suffering
• sym + path + y
• Ching-wei expressed his deepest sympathy when hearing of Mrs. Martin's death.
• pathology (noun): the study of diseases
• patho + log + y
• Blaise is studying pathology because he wants to learn about diseases.


ped

• impede (verb): to hinder, to slow down
• im + pede
• The shackles and chains impeded the prisoner's escape.
• pedestal (noun): a support for a column or other structure, a base for something
• pedest + al
• Johannes put the vase on a pedestal.
• pedestrian (noun): a person walking
• pedestr + ian
• As soon as the cars stopped, the pedestrians crossed the street.


pod
• podium (noun): a platform, an area raised above the surrounding ground, a place at which to speak in front of an audience
• pod + ium
• The professor walked up to the podium and spoke into the microphone.


pel

• repel (verb): to drive away or push back
• re + pel
• Does Margo's new jacket repel water?
• pulse (noun): the regular action of blood through arteries
• pulse
• The nurse felt for the patient's pulse in his neck.


pend, pond
• suspend (noun): to hang from, to interrupt, to stop
• sus + pend
• The light was turned on by a string suspended from the light fixture.
• ponder (verb): to think about, to weigh in one's mind
• pond + er
• Levi pondered the possibility of going to medical school.


phan, fan

• phantom (noun): something seen but having no physical existence, a ghost.
• phan + tom
• The children told horror stories about phantoms and ghosts.
• fantasy (noun): a creation of the imagination that cannot be real, a daydream
• fantas + y
• When Miguel was a child he had a fantasy about being a doctor on the planet Jupiter.


phil

• philosopher (noun): a person who seeks (loves) wisdom
• philo+ soph + er
• Plato wrote about the Greek philosopher Socrates.


phon

• phonetic (adjective) relating to speech sounds
• phonet + ic
• The phonetic alphabet is useful when studying languages or linguistics.


pict

• depict (verb): to portray, to represent
• de + pict
• In the movie the character was depicted as evil.


port

• import (verb): to bring in from a foreign country
• im + port
• Fyodor imports caviar and other products from Russia.
• portage (noun) the labor of carrying boats across land
• port + age
• Bill said that he had a five mile portage on his last canoe trip.


pli, ply

• reply (verb, noun): to respond, to answer; a response
• re + ply
• Did Marco reply to Emily's invitation?
• Lynn received a negative reply from her parents and she will not be going to the party.
• implicate (verb): to involve, to incriminate
• im + plic + ate
• The thief was implicated in three burglaries.
• ply (noun): a layer
• ply
• Two ply tissue paper is stronger than one ply.


pon, pos

• position (noun): a place occupied by something
• posit + ion
• What position does Ian hold at his mother's company?
• postpone (verb): to put off to a later time
• post + pone
• The baseball game was postponed because of the storm.
• posture (noun) the position of a body
• post + ure
• Denise has terrific posture -- her back is straight and strong.


psych

• psychology (noun): study of how the mind works
• psycho + log + y
• Lynette studies psychology because she is interested in how people think and feel.




Q

quir

• inquire (verb): to ask about
• in + quire
• Debbie inquired about employment opportunities at the factory.
• exquisite (adjective): carefully selected, marked by beauty
• ex + quis + ite
• Everyone noticed the exquisite diamond Toni was wearing.
• quest (noun): a search, the act of seeking
• quest
• At four in the morning Quincy went out on a quest for ice cream.
• query (verb, noun): to ask questions, a question
• query
• The lawyer queried the witness.
• I have a query about the origins of the English language.




R

rupt

• corrupt (verb, adjective): to change from good to bad
• cor + rupt
• The politician was corrupted by power and money.
• The corrupt judge was arrested for accepting a bribe.
• rupture (verb): to break or burst
• rupt + ure
• The water bed ruptured and the water flowed onto the floor.
• interrupt (verb): to stop, to break in (usually with questions)
• inter + rupt
• It's impolite to interrupt someone while they are speaking.




S

sci

• conscious (adjective): aware, having knowledge of oneself
• con + sci + ous
• Gerturde was conscious of everything even though she appeared asleep.
• science (noun): a system of knowledge
• sci + ence
• Claire enjoys science, especially biology.


scrib, scrip
• scribble (verb): to write quickly or carelessly
• scribb + le
• He scribbled a note in his notebook.
• script (noun): handwriting, something written
• script
• Sometimes her script is hard to read.
• describe (verb): to say what something is like
• de + scribe
• The scientist described his experiment to the class.


sent, sens
• sensation (noun): ability to feel due to stimulation
• sens + at + ion
• Jamal felt a tingling sensation in his arm after he hit his elbow on the table.
• sentimental (adjective): marked by feeling or emotion
• senti + ment +al
• Lauren has a sentimental attachment to that quilt because her great grandmother made it.


sequ

• sequence (noun): a continuous series
• sequ + ence
• The sequence of events were as follows: first we had dinner, then we went to the movies, and then we went fo ice cream.
• consecutive (adjective): following in an unbroken order
• con + secut + ive
• Terri was elected team captain three consecutive years in a row.
• ensue (verb): to happen afterward
• en + sue
• After a disagreement in the restaurant, a fight ensued in the parking lot.


soci
• society (noun): community, the relationship among individuals living or working in a common area, companionship
• societ + y
• Sometimes what is best for a society is not always good for an individual living in that society.


sol
• solitary (adjective): being alone
• solit + ary
• There was a solitary bather on the beach.
• isolate (verb): to separate from others, to place something by itself
• i + sol + ate
• The sick cat was isolated from the other animals.


solv, solu
• solve (verb): to find an answer
• solve
• The professor asked the student to solve the problem and show her answer on the board.
• absolute (adjective): complete, unrestricted, perfect
• ab + sol + ute
• The babysitter has absolute authority over the children while their parents are away.
• soluble (adjective): able to disperse in liquid
• sol + uble
• Sugar is soluble in water.


spec, spi
• spectator (noun): a person who watches or observes
• spect + at + or
• There were over a thousand spectators at the local baseball game.
• despise (verb): to hate, tolook down on
• de + spise
• Marguerite despises people who are cruel to animals.
• auspicicious (adjective): favorable
• au + spicic + ious
• The thousand dollar donation made for an auspicious beginning.
• espionage (noun): using spies or observers
• e + spion + age
• Espionage is often depicted in mystery movies and novels.


spir
• respiration (noun): breathing
• re + spir + at + ion
• Respiration becomes increasingly difficult the higher one climbs.
• inspire (verb): to stimulate, to fill with a feeling or desire
• in + spire
• Students are often inspired by their teachers.


stab, stat
• stature (noun): height of a body, importance of position
• stat + ure
• I'm reluctant to say she was short, but she was of rather small stature.
• establish (verb): to found, to start, to make firm
• e + stabl + ish
• Southampton College was established in 1963.
• stance (noun): a way of standing, a position, an attitude
• sta + nce
• A person's stance is very important in the games of golf and baseball.


strain, strict
• restrain (verb): to hold back, to prevent from doing
• re + strain
• The dog was restrained by the trainer's grip on its leash.
• constrict (verb): to squeeze, to make narrow
• con + strict
• Marvin felt constricted by the suit and tie he wore to the meeting.
• stringent (adjective): strict, tight, severe
• string + ent
• There are stringent rules and regulations one must follow when operating a child care center.
• prestige (noun): respect for a person or a thing
• pre + stige
• There is a lot of prestige associated with occupying a political position.


stru, stroy
• destroy (verb): to ruin, to pull down
• de + stroy
• The house was destroyed by the fire.
• misconstrue (verb): to interpret, analyse, or understand something incorrectly; misunderstand
• mis + con + strue
• Do not misconstrue his actions to mean he likes you -- being pleasant to customers is part of his job.
• obstruct (verb): to block, prevent, hinder
• ob + struct
• The fallen tree obstructed the roadway and blocked traffic for hours.




T

tact, tang
• tactilely (adverb): related to the sense of touch
• tact + ile + + ly
• Some people are tactilely oriented while others are visually oriented.
• tangible (adjective): able to be perceived by touch, physically real
• tang + ible
• Many people want tangible proof of something before they believe it to be true.
• contiguous (adjective): touching, next in a sequence
• con + tig + uous
• The United States has forty-eight contiguous states.
• contingent (adjective): possible, dependent on something else
• con + ting + ent
• Armand's move to a new apartment is contingent on his getting a raise.


tend, tens
• extensive (adjective): large in area, wide
• ex + tens + ive
• There are extensive farm fields located in the plain states.
• contend (verb): to strive or reach for, to argue
• con + tend
• The two fighters contended for the heavy-weight championship title.


tain, ten
• retain (verb): to keep, to hold in place
• re + tain
• Blanche retained her Alaskan residence since she will return there when she is finished with school.
• continue (verb): to keep going, to remain
• con + tin + ue
• The movie is scheduled to continue until midnight.
• content (noun, adjective): something contained, held; satisfied
• con + tent
• I can't tell what the content of this can is until I open it.
• tenacious (adjective): holding or sticking to something
• ten + ac + ious
• Kareem is tenacious and he will stick with a subject until he understands it.


term
• exterminate (verb): to kill off, to get rid of
• ex + term + in + ate
• The Schaeffer's hired a company to exterminate the cockroaches living in their house.
• terminal (adjective): relating to an end
• term + in + al
• Margot has been diagnosed with a terminal disease and has been given only six months to live.


terr
• territory (noun): area of land
• territ + ory
• This area is considered to be Canadian territory.
• terrain (noun): the physical features of an area
• terr + ain
• There is some very rough terrain in the White Mountain area of New Hampshire.


test
• attest (verb): to provide proof, to say something is true
• at + test
• Malcolm can attest to Shiela's honesty since he has known her for ten years.
• testify (verb): to make a statement based on personal knowledge
• test ify
• The witness testified at the trial.


therm
• thermometer (noun) a device for measuring heat
• thermo + meter
• I took my temperature with a thermometer.
• thermal (adjective): relating to the presence of heat
• therm + al
• Lisa bought some thermal underwear to take with her when she goes skiing.


tor
• torment (noun, verb): agony, pain; to cause recurring pain
• tor + ment
• The torment Jean's nightmares caused made him seek professional help.
• The guards tormented the prisoners.
• torsion (noun): twisting of a body or an organ by an external force along an axis
• tors + ion
• The torsion of the bolt will help release the wheel.
• contort (verb): to twist into an abnormal shape
• con + tort
• The actor contorted her face into an evil grin and scared the audience.


tract, trai
• attract (verb): to draw toward, to arouse interest
• at + tract
• The spilled sugar attracted flies and ants.
• train (verb): to teach or to cause to do something
• train
• Yvette trained her dog to perform tricks.
• treaty (noun): a formal agreement
• treat + y
• The rebels and the new government signed a treaty calling for peace.




U

uni
• unite (verb) to make one, to join together
• unite
• The two small companies united and became one large business.
• unison (noun): at the same time, at the same pitch
• uni + son
• The two singers sang in unison.




V

vac
• vacant (adjective): empty, not occupied, free
• vac + ant
• The hotel has only one vacant room left.
• vacuum (noun): empty space, isolation from outside influence
• vacu + um
• Some people seem to live in a vacuum and they have no knowledge of current events.


ven, vent
• convene (verb): to assemble, to come together
• con + vene
• The meeting convened at 2:00 p.m. and lasted until 5:00 p.m.
• invent (verb): to create through thought or imagination
• in + vent
• Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone and other devices.
• prevent (verb): to act ahead of, to keep from happening
• pre + vent
• Lamont prevented a disastrous fire by calling the fire department the moment he smelled smoke.


ver
• verify (verb): to confirm that something is true
• ver + ify
• The police officer verified Arthur's identity by asking for his driver's license.
• veracity (noun): truthfulness, accuracy
• ver + ac + ity
• Daphne is known for her veracity and honesty.


verb, verv
• verbalize (verb): to express in words, to put into words
• verb + al + ize
• Sometimes it is difficult to verbalize one's feelings.
• verve (noun): enthusiasm
• verve
• The cheerleaders showed verve and school spirit at the football game.


vers, vert:
• versatile (adjective): capable of changing or adapting, useful
• vers + at + ile
• When used correctly, a computer can be a versatile tool.
• revert (verb): to go back, to return (to an original state)
• re + vert
• The land slowly reverted to a wild state after it was abandoned.


vid, vis
• video (noun): television or recorded movies
• vid + eo
• Patricia rented a video and watched it on her television.
• review (verb): to look at again, to re-examine
• re + view
• Marsha reviewed for the test by re-reading her class notes.
• visible (adjective): able to be seen
• vis + ible
• Sometimes the moon is visible during the day.
• indivisible (adjective, noun): cannot be separated
• in + di + vis + ible
• The Pledge of Allegiance mentions that the United States is an indivisible nation.


vit, viv
• vital (adjective): necessary for life
• vit + al
• The cancer had not yet spread to her vital organs and she was given an excellent chance for a full recovery.
• revive (verb): to return to life
• re + vive
• After spending a day in the sun, I was revived by a glass of water.


voc, voke
• vocal (adjective): uttered by the voice, producing sound
• voc + al
• Parrots are known to be very vocal birds.
• revoke (verb): to call back, to withdraw
• re + voke
• Karl's license was revoked because he was caught driving 20 miles over the speed limit.


volv, vol
• revolve (verb): to turn around
• re + volve
• The earth revolves around the sun.
• revolt (verb): to rebel, to turn against, to feel disgust
• re + volt
• It was the peasants who revolted during the French Revolution.
• Cooked carrots revolt some people.
• evolution (noun): the process by which something develops
• e + vol + ut + ion
• Darwin and other natural scientists have developed theories of evolution.