Language Arts: Greek and Latin Roots Unlocking Word Meaning
Use word parts to figure out meanings of unfamiliar words
Language Arts: Greek and Latin Roots Unlocking Word Meaning
Use word parts to figure out meanings of unfamiliar words
Language Arts - Grade 4-5
- 1
The Greek root tele means far or distant. What does the word telescope most likely mean in this sentence: The scientist used a telescope to look at the moon?
Use tele and the sentence clue about looking at the moon.
A telescope is a tool that helps someone see things that are far away. - 2
The Latin root port means carry. Choose the word that means able to be carried: portable, portrait, polite. Explain your choice.
Portable means able to be carried because it includes the root port, which means carry. - 3
The Greek root graph means write or draw. What do the words autograph, paragraph, and photograph have in common?
Look for the same root in each word.
All three words have to do with writing, drawing, or recording because they contain the root graph. - 4
The Latin root spect means look or see. What does inspect mean?
Inspect means to look at something carefully. - 5
The Greek root bio means life. In the sentence The class read a biography of a famous inventor, what is a biography?
Bio means life, and graph means write.
A biography is a written story about a person's life. - 6
The Latin root scrib or script means write. Write a sentence using the word describe, and explain how the root helps with the meaning.
A correct answer should use describe in a sentence and explain that describe means to tell or write details about something. - 7
The Greek root phon means sound. Which word means a device that makes sound louder: microphone, microscope, microwave? Explain your answer.
Think about which object people speak into.
Microphone is the correct word because it is a device used with sound, and phon means sound. - 8
The Latin root dict means say or speak. What does predict mean in this sentence: The weather report will predict rain for tomorrow?
Predict means to say what someone thinks will happen before it happens. - 9
The Greek root aqua means water. Match each word to its meaning: aquarium, aquatic, aqueduct. Meanings: a structure that carries water, living or happening in water, a tank for water animals.
All three words are connected to water, but each word names a different water idea.
Aquarium means a tank for water animals. Aquatic means living or happening in water. Aqueduct means a structure that carries water. - 10
The Latin root struct means build. What does construction mean?
Construction means the process of building something. - 11
The Greek root cycle means circle or wheel. What does recycle mean, and how does the root cycle help you understand it?
Think about the recycling arrows forming a circle.
Recycle means to use materials again in a new cycle instead of throwing them away. The root cycle helps because recycling lets materials go around and be used again. - 12
The Greek root meter means measure. Which word means a tool used to measure temperature: thermometer, perimeter, diameter? Explain your answer.
Thermometer means a tool used to measure temperature because meter means measure and therm means heat. - 13
The Greek root geo means earth. In the word geology, what does geo tell you about the subject?
Think of geography and geology as Earth-related words.
Geo tells me that geology is a subject about Earth, such as rocks, land, and Earth's history. - 14
The Greek root photo means light. What does photosynthesis have to do with light?
Photosynthesis is the process plants use to make food with energy from light. - 15
Choose two roots from this worksheet and create one example word for each. Then explain how each root helps unlock the word's meaning.
You can use roots such as tele, graph, port, spect, bio, phon, dict, aqua, struct, cycle, meter, geo, or photo.
A correct answer should include two roots, one word for each root, and a clear explanation connecting each root meaning to the word meaning.