Root Power Vocabulary Cards
Word Roots Master Deck
Part 1: Common Latin Roots (dict, port, scrib/script, struct, tract, rupt)
Name: ____________________ Date: _________
Cut along dashed guides. Punch top-left hole to keep cards on a study ring. Cards 01 – 06 • Latin Edition
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DICT
Latin Root #01
Meaning: to say, speak, declare
predict: pre- (before) + dict → declare beforehand
dictate: dict + -ate (act) → speak aloud for others to write
verdict: ver (truth) + dict → formal truth spoken by jury
"Meteorologists use satellite radar to predict severe storms."
A dictionary explains spoken words contradict • dictate
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PORT
Latin Root #02
Meaning: to carry, bear, move
portable: port + -able (capable) → easily carried by hand
transport: trans- (across) + port → carry from place to place
import: im- (in) + port → bring products into a nation
"Cargo vessels transport grain across international shipping lanes."
A train porter carries heavy baggage export • portfolio
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SCRIB / SCRIPT
Latin Root #03
Meaning: to write, record, scratch
describe: de- (down) + scribe → write down details about
manuscript: manu (hand) + script → handwritten text
prescribe: pre- (before) + scribe → write an order beforehand
"The doctor wrote a medical prescription for the patient."
Ancient scribes copied books by hand inscribe • postscript
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STRUCT
Latin Root #04
Meaning: to build, assemble, form
construct: con- (together) + struct → assemble pieces together
instruct: in- (into) + struct → build knowledge in a learner
destructive: de- (down) + struct → tearing down or ruining
"Engineers used reinforced steel to construct the suspension bridge."
An instructor builds your skill set structure • obstruct
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TRACT
Latin Root #05
Meaning: to pull, draw, drag
attract: ad- (toward) + tract → pull or draw closer
distract: dis- (away) + tract → pull focus in another direction
extract: ex- (out) + tract → pull or draw out of something
"Loud chatter will easily distract students from reading."
A farm tractor pulls heavy plows retract • subtract
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RUPT
Latin Root #06
Meaning: to break, burst, shatter
erupt: e- (out) + rupt → burst out with sudden force
interrupt: inter- (between) + rupt → break into a dialogue
disrupt: dis- (apart) + rupt → break apart peace or order
"Volcanic magma caused Mount St. Helens to erupt violently."
A pipe rupture breaks water flow bankrupt • abrupt
Latin roots often govern legal codes, physical movement, and practical structures. Page 1 • Latin Root Deck
Word Roots Master Deck
Part 2: Common Greek Roots (graph, phon, tele, bio, chron, scope)
Name: ____________________ Date: _________
Cut along dashed guides. Punch top-left hole to keep cards on a study ring. Cards 07 – 12 • Greek Edition
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GRAPH / GRAM
Greek Root #07
Meaning: write, draw, record, print
autograph: auto- (self) + graph → handwritten signature
biography: bio- (life) + graph → written life story
diagram: dia- (through) + gram → drawing explaining parts
"The illustrator created a neat diagram of the human eye."
A graphic novel tells stories with art photograph • telegram
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PHON
Greek Root #08
Meaning: sound, voice, speech
symphony: sym- (together) + phon → sounds blended in harmony
megaphone: mega- (great) + phon → cone amplifying sound
cacophony: kakos (harsh) + phon → harsh, jarring mixture of noise
"The musicians tuned their strings until the cacophony fell silent."
Phonics connects letters to sounds telephone • microphone
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TELE
Greek Root #09
Meaning: distant, far away, across space
telescope: tele + scope (view) → tool to view distant stars
telepathy: tele + pathos (feel) → communicating thoughts afar
telecommute: tele + commute → working from a home office
"The lunar rover transmitted telemetry signals directly to mission control."
Television sends visuals from afar telephone • telegraph
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BIO
Greek Root #10
Meaning: life, living matter, organisms
symbiosis: sym- (together) + bio → two species living together
biodegradable: bio + degrade → broken down by organisms
antibiotic: anti- (against) + bio → drug fighting harmful bacteria
"Clownfish and sea anemones engage in marine symbiosis."
Biology is the scientific study of life biome • biosphere
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CHRON
Greek Root #11
Meaning: time, timeline, sequence
chronological: chron + -ology → ordered by time of occurrence
synchronize: syn- (together) + chron → cause to occur at same time
chronic: chron + -ic → recurring over an extended time
"Swimmers practice weekly to synchronize their routine movements."
A chronicle records events in time order chronometer • anachronism
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SCOPE
Greek Root #12
Meaning: see, look at, examine, observe
microscope: micro- (tiny) + scope → tool to view tiny cells
periscope: peri- (around) + scope → tube viewing over barriers
kaleidoscope: kalos (beauty) + scope → viewer of patterns
"The submarine captain lifted the periscope to survey the surface."
A stethoscope lets doctors inspect heartbeats arthroscope • endoscope
Greek roots heavily dominate natural sciences, academic specialties, and observational tools. Page 2 • Greek Root Deck
Root Detective & Morphology Lab
Decode unfamiliar vocabulary using your master card deck
Name: ____________________ Date: _________
1 Morpheme Code-Breaker: Dissect & Deduce
Use cards #01–#12 to identify both roots, then deduce the meaning
phonograph phon + graph
• Root 1 (phon): ________________________________
• Root 2 (graph): _______________________________
Deduced Meaning:
telescript tele + script
• Root 1 (tele): _________________________________
• Root 2 (script): ______________________________
Deduced Meaning:
biodisruption bio + dis + rupt
• Root 1 (bio): __________________________________
• Root 2 (rupt): _________________________________
Deduced Meaning:
chronoscope chron + scope
• Root 1 (chron): ________________________________
• Root 2 (scope): _______________________________
Deduced Meaning:
2 Word Smith Studio: Synthesize & Construct
Select 1 prefix, 1 root, and 1 suffix to build real words
Prefixes: trans- • pre- • micro- • re- • dis-
Roots: port • struct • dict • graph • phon • tract
Suffixes: -able • -tion • -or • -ic
A. Formula: [ prefix ] + [ root ] + [ suffix ] =
Original Sentence:
B. Formula: [ prefix ] + [ root ] + [ suffix ] =
Original Sentence:
3 Linguistic Twins: Latin vs. Greek Equivalents
Match Latin and Greek roots with identical meanings
Concept: "TO WRITE"
scrib / script ≈ graph / gram
Latin vs. Greek
Concept: "TO SEE / VIEW"
spec / vid ≈
Greek Twin on Card #12
Concept: "TO SPEAK / SOUND"
dict / voc ≈
Greek Twin on Card #08
Pro Tip: Over 60% of all English words and 90% of scientific vocabulary derive from Latin and Greek roots! Page 3 • Morphology Lab
