Root words for the 11+: 36 Latin & Greek roots
The multiplier skill: one root unlocks a whole family of exam words.
Root words are the single highest-leverage vocabulary skill for the 11+. A child who knows that port means "to carry" can work out transport, portable, export and deport — four words for the price of one. Below are 36 Latin and Greek roots with example words and child-friendly definitions.
Action & Movement
port Latin — "to carry"
| transport | to carry something across from one place to another |
| portable | able to be easily carried or moved |
| export | to carry goods out of a country for sale |
| deport | to carry someone away and send them out of the country |
tract Latin — "to pull"
| extract | to pull something out of a place or substance |
| distract | to pull someone's attention away from what they are doing |
| attract | to pull someone's interest or attention towards something |
| tractor | a vehicle that pulls heavy loads or farm equipment |
rupt Latin — "to break"
| erupt | to break out suddenly, like a volcano |
| interrupt | to break into a conversation or activity |
| disrupt | to break apart the normal course of something |
| bankrupt | financially broken, unable to pay debts |
pel / puls Latin — "to drive or push"
| expel | to drive or force someone out |
| propel | to push or drive something forward |
| repulsive | so unpleasant it drives people away |
| compulsory | required by force or law; you are driven to do it |
ject Latin — "to throw"
| reject | to throw back or refuse to accept something |
| inject | to throw or force a liquid into something, such as medicine into the body |
| project | to throw forward an image, idea, or plan |
| eject | to throw out or push something or someone out forcefully |
terr Latin — "to frighten"
| terrify | to frighten someone very badly |
| terrible | causing great fear or being extremely bad |
| terror | extreme fear or a person who causes great fright |
| deter | to frighten or discourage someone from doing something |
cede / cess Latin — "to go or yield"
| proceed | to go forward or continue with an action |
| recede | to go back or move further away gradually |
| concede | to yield or admit that something is true, often reluctantly |
| access | the ability to go towards or reach something |
Senses & Communication
spect Latin — "to look"
| inspect | to look closely at something to check it |
| spectator | a person who looks at or watches an event |
| retrospect | looking back at events that happened in the past |
| perspective | a particular way of looking at or thinking about something |
dict Latin — "to say or speak"
| predict | to say what will happen before it occurs |
| dictate | to say words aloud for someone else to write down |
| contradict | to say the opposite of what someone else has said |
| verdict | the final word or decision spoken in a trial |
graph / gram Greek — "to write"
| autograph | a person's own handwriting or signature |
| paragraph | a section of writing grouped together |
| telegram | a written message sent over a long distance |
| graphic | relating to visual art or written/drawn images |
aud Latin — "to hear"
| audible | loud enough to be heard |
| audience | a group of people who hear or watch a performance |
| audition | a test where someone is heard performing |
| auditorium | a large room designed for an audience to hear events |
viv / vit Latin — "life"
| vivid | producing strong, clear images in the mind; full of life and colour |
| survive | to stay alive through a dangerous event or difficult time |
| vital | absolutely necessary for life or success |
| revive | to bring back to life or make active again |
radi Latin — "beam or ray"
| radiant | sending out light or warmth; glowing brightly |
| radiate | to send out rays of light, heat, or energy in all directions |
| radiation | energy sent out as rays or waves, such as heat or light |
| radio | a device that receives signals sent as invisible rays through the air |
Time, Space & Order
chron Greek — "time"
| chronological | arranged in the order of time |
| synchronise | to make things happen at the same time |
| chronic | lasting for a long time, especially an illness |
| chronicle | a record of events in the order they happened over time |
auto Greek — "self"
| automatic | working by itself without human control |
| autobiography | a book someone writes about their own life |
| autonomy | the right to govern yourself independently |
| automobile | a vehicle that moves by itself using an engine |
tele Greek — "distance or far"
| television | a device that shows images from far away |
| telephone | a device for speaking to someone far away |
| telescope | an instrument for looking at things far away |
| telepathy | the ability to communicate thoughts across distance without words |
circum Latin — "around"
| circumference | the distance around the outside of a circle |
| circumnavigate | to travel all the way around something |
| circumstance | the conditions or facts surrounding an event |
| circumvent | to find a way around an obstacle or rule |
nov Latin — "new"
| novel | something new and original, or a long written story |
| novice | a person who is new to an activity and still learning |
| innovate | to introduce new ideas or methods |
| renovate | to make something old look new again by repairing and improving it |
temp Latin — "time"
| temporary | lasting for only a short time, not permanent |
| contemporary | belonging to the same time period or the present day |
| tempo | the speed or pace at which something happens, especially music |
| temporal | relating to time rather than to things that last forever |
gen Latin — "birth or kind"
| generate | to bring into being or produce something new |
| generation | all the people born around the same time |
| generous | willing to give freely, as if born with a kind nature |
| genuine | truly what it claims to be; real and authentic |
Value & Emotion
bene Latin — "good or well"
| benefit | something good that helps or improves a situation |
| benevolent | well-meaning and kind; wanting to do good |
| beneficial | having a good or helpful effect |
| benefactor | a person who does good by giving help or money |
mal Latin — "bad or evil"
| malicious | intending to do harm; driven by bad intent |
| dismal | so bad it causes gloom or sadness |
| malfunction | when something fails to work properly; a bad function |
| malevolent | wishing evil or harm to others |
path Greek — "feeling or suffering"
| sympathy | feeling sorrow for someone else's misfortune |
| pathetic | arousing pity or sadness; causing feelings of sorrow |
| empathy | the ability to share and understand another person's feelings |
| apathy | a lack of feeling, interest, or concern |
min Latin — "small"
| miniature | a very small version of something |
| minimum | the smallest amount possible |
| diminish | to make or become smaller or less important |
| minor | small, less important, or not serious |
val Latin — "strength or worth"
| valuable | worth a lot of money or very useful and important |
| valiant | showing great courage and strength in the face of danger |
| evaluate | to judge the worth or quality of something carefully |
| valid | having a strong, sound basis; legally or logically acceptable |
fid Latin — "trust or faith"
| confident | trusting in your own abilities; feeling sure of yourself |
| confide | to trust someone with a secret or personal information |
| fidelity | faithfulness and loyalty to a person or promise |
| fidget | to move about restlessly, as if unable to trust stillness |
Body & Physical
vox / voc Latin — "voice"
| vocal | relating to the voice; willing to speak out openly |
| vocabulary | the collection of words a person knows and uses |
| advocate | to speak out in support of a person or cause |
| provoke | to call forth a reaction, often anger or annoyance |
corp Latin — "body"
| corpse | a dead body |
| corporation | a large body of people working together as a company |
| incorporate | to include something as part of a larger body or whole |
| corporal | relating to the physical body |
capit / capt Latin — "head"
| capital | the head city of a country or region |
| captain | the head or leader of a team, ship, or group |
| decapitate | to cut off the head |
| caption | a heading or title placed above or below a picture |
man / manu Latin — "hand"
| manual | done by hand, or a handbook of instructions |
| manufacture | to make something by hand or by machine |
| manipulate | to handle or control something skilfully with the hands |
| manuscript | a document written by hand, especially an old or original text |
ped Latin — "foot"
| pedestrian | a person who travels on foot |
| pedal | a lever pressed by the foot to control a machine or bicycle |
| centipede | a creature with many pairs of feet |
| expedition | a journey on foot or by travel for a particular purpose |
tang / tact Latin — "touch"
| tangible | able to be touched or felt; real and concrete |
| contact | the state of touching or communicating with someone |
| tactile | relating to the sense of touch |
| intact | not touched or damaged; whole and complete |
Language & Naming
homo Greek — "same"
| homonym | a word that has the same spelling or sound as another but a different meaning |
| homophone | a word that sounds the same as another but has a different meaning and spelling |
| homograph | a word that is spelled the same as another but has a different meaning |
| homogeneous | made up of parts that are all the same kind |
phone / phon Greek — "sound or voice"
| telephone | a device for hearing sound from far away |
| microphone | a device that makes a small sound louder |
| phonics | the study of speech sounds and how letters represent them |
| symphony | sounds played together in harmony by an orchestra |
-nym / -onym Greek — "name or word"
| synonym | a word that has the same or similar meaning as another word |
| antonym | a word that means the opposite of another word |
| anonymous | without a name; by someone whose name is not known |
| pseudonym | a false name used by an author instead of their real name |
syn / sym Greek — "together or with"
| synonym | a word named together with another because they share meaning |
| sympathy | feeling together with someone who is suffering |
| synchronise | to make things happen together at the same time |
| synthesis | the combining of parts together to form a connected whole |