It's Greek to Me!

Vocabulary Study Materials for English

This page (c)1999, 2002 by Nicholas E. Miller

This page is currently 'semi-finished'. If there is enough interest, I may finish it some day. (see below for address).

Last updated:

July 18, 1999

English has borrowed from many languages, especially Greek and Latin. By understanding these fragments, we can quickly learn many English words.

This page is particularly good for English langauage students, especially those studying for the TOEIC® or TOEFL®.

Please click on any link to learn more about the English words related to that prefix, root, or suffix.

Please note the number in parathesis after most words. This indicates my subjective feeling as to how common the word would be in a language student's general vocabulary.

(1) indicates the most common words, (3) words most students should know and (5) very rare words. Granted, in some fields and areas some words may be more common.

These lists are not all inclusive. These lists are meant to be a learning tool for language learners.

They are in no way represented as legal, medical, scientific, or technical dictionaries. They are free, and are offered without warranty!

a

a, abs

acous

ad

aero

alti, alto

ambi

amphi

an

andro

ante

anthropo

anti

apo

aqua, aqui

arbor, arbori

archeo

aster, astro

atmo

audio, audit

auto

avi

batho, bathy

bi

biblio

bio

brevi

cardio

centi

cephalo

cerebro

chiro

chloro

choreo

chromo, chromato

chrono

circum

co, con, com

copro

cosmo

cranio

cryo

crypto

de

deca

deci

demi

denti

dermo, dermato

digit, digiti

dis

dia

dino

dodeca

dyna, dynamo

dys

ecto

en

encephalo

ento

equi

ergo

erythro

ethno

eu

exo

extra

ferri, ferro

fissi

gam, gamo

gastro

geo

geronto

glosso

gluc, glyc

glyph

gon, gono

gymno

gyne

hagio

hecto

helico

helio

hema

hemi

hemo

hepato

hepta

hetero

hexa

holo

homeo

homo

hydro

hygro

hymeno

hyper

hypno

hypo

hystero

iatro

ichthyo

igni

il, im, in

inter

intra

ir

iso

juxta

kinesi

labio

lacto

leuko

litho

logo

luni

macro

magni

mal, male

mega, megalo

melano

meso

meta

metro

micro

miso

mono

morpho

multi

myelo

mylo

myo

naso, nasus

nati

necro

neo

nephro

neuro

nocti

ob

octa, octo

oculo

odonto

of, op

oleo

oligo

omni

ophthalmo

ornitho

oro

ortho

osteo

oto

ovi, ovo

paleo

pan

para

pari

patho

pedo, ped,

ped, pede

penta

per

peri

petro

phone

photo

phyco

phyllo

phylo

physio

piezo

plano

pneuma

pneumo

poly

post

pre

primi

pro

proto

pseudo

psycho

pulmo

pyo

pyro

quadri

quinque

re

recti

retro

rhino

sacchro

sacro, sacrum

sangui

scato

schisto, schizo

se

seleno

septi

sidero

somato

somni, somnus

speleo

spermato

stato

stereo

stomato

sub

super, supra

syl, sym, syn

tachy

tauto

tele

telo

terri

thalasso

thanato

theo

thermo

toxico

trans

ultra

uni

vari, vario

xeno

zoo


To contact me by email.

See notes for information on navigating, links, copyright (my own as well as any possible inadvertant infringement on my part) and photo usage, etc.

TOEIC® and TOEFL® are the registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service.