Roots, Prefixes & Suffixes
Word parts that build meaning: a root carries the core idea (bio = life), a prefix attached in front changes meaning (anti-, hypo-, inter-), and a suffix at the end often changes part of speech (-tion, -ology, -itis).
Greek and Latin parts recombine across thousands of words, so each memorized root pays repeatedly: -itis means inflammation, -ectomy removal, cardi- heart, derm- skin, neuro- nerve. Suffixes also signal grammar — -ly tends to make adverbs, -ous adjectives.