Many English words can be broken down into three parts: a prefix, a root and a suffix. Take for example the word illegible. It can be broken down into il– (prefix which means not) + –leg– (root which means read) + –ible (suffix which means capable of). Therefore, the word illegible means difficult to read. Are you familiar with words like predictable, anonymous, beneficial, illiterate or malevolent? If not, join our Word Formation classes.
Knowledge of prefixes, roots and suffixes derived from Greek and Latin will be an invaluable tool in your acquisition of English words. Such knowledge will not only enable you to quickly expand your English vocabulary but also to differentiate between different parts of speech and to easily identify and remember the meaning of new words.
Our philosophy is that students should not memorize words; they should “explore” the new words and find out how they got their meaning.
