1. Learn the Most Used Word Roots
Top Twenty Word Roots
Learn the Most Used Word Roots

2. What are word roots? Word roots are core words with meaning.
Many academic word roots in English are of Latin and Greek.
The top twenty word roots are used in thousands of words.
The top twenty word roots open thousands of word meanings.
Is the word “work”
always a noun?

3. Why Learn Word Roots?
The top twenty English word roots represent 80% of the most used academic words.
Learning the top twenty roots can improve student reading skills.
Don’t feel like a dummy;
learn the top word roots.

4. Top Five Word Roots Anthropo = man : anthropology Bio = life : biology
Cardio = heart : cardiac
Cede = go : precede
Demos = people : democracy
Are biology and nature
the same?

5. Can you use the word roots?
Use biology, success, cardiology, democracy, and anthropology.
The study of people is called __.
The study of life is called __.
The study of the heart is called __.
To do well is to have __.
Is China communist or a __?
Who really has the power in the USA—
government or corporations?

6. Does the coyote get hurt
Next Top Word Roots
6. Dyna = power : dynamic, dynamite
7. Geo = earth : geology, geographic
8. Hydro = water : hydroelectric, hydrolyzed
9. Ject = throw : eject, reject
10. Magni = great: magnify, magnificent
Does the coyote get hurt
with the dynamite?

7. Can you use the word roots?
Use dynamic, reject, hydrant, geology, and magnify.
A powerful person is also __.
To throw something out is to __ it.
To make something larger is to __ it.
The study of earth is called __.
A source of water is a __.
What did the
man magnify?

8. Five More Top Word Roots
11. Manu = hand : manuscript, manual
12. Mono = one : monologue, monorail
13. Ortho = straight : orthodox, orthopedic
14. Ped = foot : pedestrian, pedestal
15. Psycho = mind : psychology, psychologist
Do judges accept psychological
reasons for driving too fast?

9. Can you use the word roots?
Use monograph, manual, orthodox, pedestal, and psychology.
Where is the driver’s __?
Who is standing on the __?
Which church is __?
Which one wrote the __?
Who is learning __?
Do sociologists watch
what other people do?

10. Can you use the word roots?
16. Pyro = fire : pyromaniac, pyre
17. Script = write : manuscript, script
18. Terra = earth : extraterrestrial
19. Thermo = heat : thermal
20. Zoo = animal : zoology, zodiac
Can zoo monkeys
drive escape vans?

11. Can you use the word roots?
Use pyre, script, ET, thermal, zodiac.
Can you write __?
Do you believe in __?
How is the __ temperature?
Are there animals in the __?
Is it a fire or a __?
Can the boy really
control the fire?

12. Learn these academic words.
Use regulation, aspect, institute, resident, and legislation.
The __ of a place live there.
To __ something is to begin it.
An __ of learning is memorization.
Rules and __ must be followed.
The making of laws is called __.
Have you learned
these words yet?