Your time with the vocabulary section of the SAT will be easier if you take the time to master some basic prefixes, roots, and suffixes ahead of time. Knowing these word parts can help you determine the meaning of unfamiliar words. Do your best to add the word parts in the following tables to your knowledge base.
Prefixes
| a–, an– = not, without |
circum– = around |
peri– = around |
| ab– = away from |
co–, con–, col–, cor– =
with |
poly– = many |
| ad– = toward, addition |
contra–, counter– = against |
post– = after |
| anim– = life, spirit |
de–, ex– = out of, away from |
pre– = before |
| ante– = before |
extra– = beyond, outside |
pro– = big, much |
| anti– = opposite |
hetero– = other |
re–, retro– = back, again |
| auc–, aug– = increase |
homo– = same |
se– = apart |
| aud–, aur– = hear |
hyper– = above |
sub–, suc–, suf– = below |
| auto– = self |
hypo– = under |
super–, sur– = over, above |
| ben–, bon–, eu– = good |
il–, im–, in–, ir–, non– =
not |
syn–, sym– = together, with |
| brev– = short |
inter– = between |
trans– = across, beyond |
| caco–, dys– = bad, abnormal |
intra– = within |
ultra–, outr– = beyond |
| ceiv–, cept–, capt– = take |
mal–, mis–, ne– = bad |
vice– = in place of |
Roots
| ambu = walk, move |
fract, frag, frai = break |
pug = war, fight |
| andro = man |
gnos = knowledge |
rupt = break |
| anthro = human |
grad, gress = to go |
sanct = holy |
| bellu, belli = war, fight |
greg = group, herd |
scien = knowledge |
| carn = flesh |
gyn = woman |
senti = feeling |
| clam, claim = shout |
her, hes = to stick |
somn, sop = sleep |
| clin = lean, bend |
jac, ject = to throw |
son = sound |
| clud, clus, claus = close |
loq, log, loc, lix = talk |
soph = wise |
| cred = trust, belief |
luc, lum, lus = light, clear |
spec = look |
| demo– = people |
meta, mut = change |
term = end, boundary |
| dog, dox = thought, idea |
morph = shape |
terr = earth |
| duc, duct = to lead, pull |
narco = sleep |
theo = God |
| ev = time, age |
omni = all |
ven = come |
| fac = to do, make |
oper = work |
vid, vis = to see |
| fiss = break, part |
pac, plac = peace, calm |
voc, voke = call |
| flict = strike |
path = feeling |
vol = roll, turn |
| fort = strength |
phon = sound |
xen = stranger |
Suffixes
| –able, –ible = capable of |
–cide = to kill |
–ist = a person |
| –ate, –ify,–efy, –ize, –ise =
make |
–cis = cut |
–logy, –ology = study |
| –cess, –cede = to go, yield |
–ette, –illo = little |
–ous = full of |
