Morphology

Root and Base Words

Root and Base Words

Root

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The root is the most basic part of a word — the part that carries the core meaning. It cannot be broken down into smaller meaningful parts. Roots often come from Latin or Greek and can’t always stand alone as real words in English. When affixes are removed it is the part of the word left. It cannot stand alone.

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Examples:

• spect (Latin for “look”) → inspect, spectator, respect
• scrib/script (Latin for “write”) → describe, manuscript

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Here, “spect” and “scrib/script” are roots — they carry meaning but aren’t full words by themselves.

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Root and Base Words

Base Word

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A base word is a word that can stand on its own in English and can have prefixes or suffixes added to change its meaning. It’s already a complete word, unlike a root. It can stand alone when affixes are removed.

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Examples:

• help → helpful, helpless, unhelpful
• act → action, react, acting

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Here, “help” and “act” are base words — you can use them alone or build on them.

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Click on the table below and complete the task