📚 Vocabulary Builder

The Building Blocks of English

Over 150 words decoded through their Latin and Greek roots. Learn the root, unlock dozens of words you've never studied.

⚡

Things You Do

Action roots: the verbs hiding inside your vocabulary

cede / ceedto go

proceed (go forward), recede (go back), succeed (go after → achieve), exceed (go beyond)

credbelief

credit (trust given), credibility (believability), credentials (proof of belief), credo (a belief system)

graphto write

autograph (self-written), biography (life-writing), stenography (narrow writing → shorthand)

jectto throw

eject (throw out), inject (throw in), reject (throw back), project (throw forward)

mit / missto send

emit (send out), emission (something sent out), emissary (one sent on a mission), transmit (send across)

muteto change

commute (change together → travel), immutable (cannot be changed), permute (change thoroughly)

portto carry

deport (carry away), report (carry back), export (carry out), import (carry in), porter (one who carries)

ruptto break

erupt (break out), eruption (a breaking out), rupture (a break), interrupt (break between)

scrib / scripto write

describe (write down), scribble (write carelessly), prescription (written beforehand), inscribe (write into)

sectto cut

bisect (cut in two), section (a cut piece), sector (a cut-off area), intersect (cut between)

vento come

intervene (come between), prevent (come before → stop), avenue (a way to come), revenue (money coming back)

verto turn

divert (turn away), convert (turn completely), avert (turn from), revert (turn back)

vivto live

survive (live beyond), revive (live again), vivid (full of life), vivacious (lively personality)

capto seize

capture (seize hold of), captive (one who is seized), captivate (seize attention)

📍

Where

Location prefixes: position and direction

ciraround

circulate (move around), circular (shaped around), circumstances (things standing around you)

exout

exit (go out), expel (push out), exclude (shut out), exhale (breathe out)

inin / into

include (shut in), interior (the inside), inner (more inside), intention (aim directed inward)

reback

return (turn back), reboot (start back up), restart (start again), recall (call back)

subunder

subway (way under), subterranean (under the earth), subzero (under zero), submarine (under the sea)

telefar

telephone (far sound), teleshopping (far shopping), telecommunication (far connection)

transacross

transatlantic (across the Atlantic), transgender (across genders), transmission (sending across)

⏰

When

Time prefixes: before, after, and the end

antebefore

anterior (in front), anteroom (room before), antedate (date before), antemeridian (before noon → AM)

forebefore

foretell (tell before), forecast (plan before), forehead (front of head), foreman (first man)

finend

finish (bring to end), confine (limit the end), define (set the end), finance (end a debt → settle)

prebefore

previous (going before), prejudice (judge before), prevent (come before → stop), predict (say before), prepare (get ready before)

postafter

postpone (put after → delay), postwar (after the war), postscript (written after → P.S.)

🌍

The Universe

Nature roots: earth, water, stars, and fire

geoearth

geology (earth study), geography (earth writing), geometry (earth measurement)

terrearth / land

territory (area of land), terrace (earthen platform), terrain (the lay of the land)

hydrwater

hydroplane (water plane), hydraulic (water-powered), dehydration (loss of water)

aquawater

aquamarine (sea-water blue), aquatic (water-related), aquapuncture (water needling)

astrstar

astronaut (star sailor), astrophysics (star physics), astrology (star study)

pyrfire

pyrotechnics (fire craft → fireworks), pyramid (fire-shaped), pyromania (fire obsession)

🫀

The Body

Anatomy roots: from head to toe

corpbody

corporation (a body of people), corporate (relating to a body), corpse (a dead body)

cardheart

cardiology (heart study), cardiovascular (heart + vessels), cardiac (of the heart)

dermskin

dermatologist (skin doctor), transdermal (through the skin), epidermis (outer skin)

manhand

manual (by hand), manipulation (handling), manuscript (hand-written), manicure (hand care)

dentteeth

dentist (tooth doctor), dental (of teeth), denture (false teeth), indent (tooth-like notch)

ped / podfeet

pedestrian (one who walks), pedicure (foot care), pedal (foot lever), tripod (three feet)

caphead

captain (head person), capital (head city), capitalist (head of money), cap (head covering)

💚

Human States

Emotion and condition roots: love, fear, life, and death

amlove

amiable (lovable), amateur (lover of something), Amanda (worthy of love), amorous (full of love)

phillove

Philadelphia (city of brotherly love), philodendron (tree-loving plant), philosophy (love of wisdom)

benegood

benefit (good result), benefactor (one who does good), beneficial (producing good), benevolent (wishing good)

eugood / well

euphemism (good speech → softened word), euphoria (good feeling), eulogy (good words → praise)

malbad

malcontent (badly content), malfunction (bad function), malnutrition (bad nourishment), malice (bad intent)

dysbad / difficult

dysfunction (bad functioning), dysrhythmia (bad rhythm), dysentery (bad intestine), dyslexia (bad reading)

pathfeeling

sympathy (same feeling), empathy (in-feeling), apathy (no feeling), pathology (study of suffering)

maniaobsession

maniac (obsessed person), kleptomania (stealing obsession), bibliomania (book obsession), megalomania (greatness obsession)

phobiafear

claustrophobia (closed-space fear), arachnophobia (spider fear), homophobia, xenophobia (stranger fear)

psychomind

psychology (mind study), psychotherapy (mind healing), psychiatry (mind medicine)

biolife

biology (life study), bioproducts (life products), biography (life writing), antibiotic (against life)

mor / mortdeath

mortal (subject to death), immortal (not dying), mortuary (place of the dead), mortgage (death pledge)

👥

People

Roots for family, authority, and humanity

paterfather

patriarch (father ruler), paternal (fatherly), patriot (father-land lover), patron (fatherly protector)

matermother

maternity (motherhood), matriarch (mother ruler), material (substance → mother stuff), alma mater (nourishing mother)

fraterbrother

fraternal (brotherly), fraternity (brotherhood), fraternize (act like brothers)

dominmaster

dominant (being master), dominate (act as master), dominion (master's territory)

judjudge

judgment (the act of judging), judicial (of a judge), prejudice (pre-judgment)

anthrohuman

anthropology (human study), misanthrope (human hater), anthropomorphic (human-shaped)

demopeople

democracy (people power), demographic (people writing), epidemic (upon the people)

👁

The Senses

Roots for seeing, hearing, and speaking

specto see

spectator (one who sees), spectacle (a sight), inspect (look into), specimen (something to look at)

vis / vidto see

visit (go to see), video (I see), visible (can be seen), vision (the act of seeing)

scopeto see / examine

telescope (see far), microscope (see small), scope (range of seeing), horoscope (hour-watching)

phonsound

telephone (far sound), microphone (small sound → amplifier), phonics (sound system), symphony (sounds together)

audto hear

audience (those who hear), audible (can be heard), audio (relating to hearing), audit (a hearing → review)

dic / dictto say

dictate (say aloud), dictionary (book of sayings), dictation (saying for writing), predict (say before)

loc / loqto speak

eloquent (speaking well), loquacious (very talkative), ventriloquist (belly-speaker), locution (a way of speaking)

📏

Size

Prefixes that make things bigger or smaller

minsmall

minimum (smallest amount), minimal (very small), miniature (tiny version), minor (smaller / lesser)

microvery small

microphone (small sound → amplify), microbiology (study of tiny life), microscope (see the small)

macrolarge

macroeconomics (big-picture economics), macrocosm (the large universe), macroscopic (visible to the eye)

megahuge

megaphone (huge sound), megalopolis (huge city), megabyte (huge unit of data)

magngreat / large

magnify (make large), magnificent (greatly made), magnitude (greatness in size), magnate (a great person)

🔢

Amount

Prefixes for quantity: how many or how much

ambiboth

ambivalent (both feelings), ambidextrous (both hands), ambiguous (going both ways)

multimany

multiple (many-fold), multi-functional (many functions), multicultural (many cultures), multimedia (many media)

polymany

polygon (many angles), polygamous (many spouses), polyglot (many tongues → multilingual)

omniall

omnipotent (all-powerful), omnibus (for all), omnivore (eats all), omnipresent (present everywhere)

autoself

automatic (self-acting), automobile (self-moving), autobiography (self life-writing), autonomy (self-law)

#️⃣

Numbers

Counting prefixes: from one to a thousand

solone

solo (one alone), soloist (one performer), solitary (alone), solitude (state of being one)

unione

unique (one of a kind), universal (one for all), uniform (one form), unify (make one)

monoone

monologue (one speaking), monogamous (one spouse), monotone (one tone), monopoly (one seller)

bitwo

bicycle (two wheels), bilingual (two languages), bifocal (two focuses), biennial (every two years)

dutwo

duet (two performers), dual (having two parts), duplicate (make two copies)

trithree

triple (three times), triangle (three angles), tripod (three feet), trilogy (three works)

quadfour

quadruplets (four babies), quadriplegic (four limbs paralyzed), quadrant (a fourth part)

octeight

octopus (eight feet), octogenarian (80-year-old), octagon (eight sides), October (originally 8th month)

decten

decade (ten years), decimeter (tenth of a meter), decimal (based on ten), December (originally 10th month)

centhundred

century (hundred years), centimeter (hundredth of a meter), percent (per hundred), centennial (hundredth anniversary)

milthousand

millimeter (thousandth of a meter), millennium (thousand years), million (a great thousand)

semihalf

semifinal (half-way to final), semisweet (half sweet), semitropical (half tropical), semicircle (half circle)

🔄

Opposites

Negation prefixes: against, not, and wrong

antiagainst

antiwar (against war), anti-smoking (against smoking), antibiotic (against life → kills bacteria), antidote (given against poison)

contraagainst

contrast (stand against), contravention (going against), contradict (speak against), contrary (opposite to)

miswrong / error

mistake (wrong take), misspell (spell wrong), misunderstand (understand wrong), mislead (lead wrong)

unnot

untrue (not true), unbelievable (not believable), unreliable (not reliable), unhappy (not happy)

disnot / apart

dislike (not like), distrust (not trust), disbelieve (not believe), disconnect (take apart)

imnot

imperfect (not perfect), impossible (not possible), immortal (not mortal), impatient (not patient)

ilnot

illegal (not legal), illegible (not legible), illegitimate (not legitimate), illogical (not logical)

innot

incorrect (not correct), incompetent (not competent), invisible (not visible), inadequate (not adequate)

irnot

irregular (not regular), irresponsible (not responsible), irrelevant (not relevant), irrational (not rational)

English-Georgian Idioms - ინგლისურ-ქართული იდიომები

Friday, November 15, 2019

Some common idioms

Friday, November 8, 2019

Word Parts