Greek and Latin roots flashcards
This starter set teaches common Greek and Latin word parts that turn up across school vocabulary, science and standardized-test reading. Each card gives the root, its meaning and well-known English examples. Root origins and meanings were checked against Wikipedia lists of Greek and Latin roots in English; the prefix and suffix cards are standard usage. It focuses on high-frequency, well-established roots, not on every root in English.
No signup needed. Hand-written and checked against the sources listed on this page.
Free Greek and Latin Roots flashcards: 39-card starter set
This starter set teaches common Greek and Latin word parts that turn up across school vocabulary, science and standardized-test reading. Each card gives the root, its meaning and well-known English examples. Root origins and meanings were checked against Wikipedia lists of Greek and Latin roots in English; the prefix and suffix cards are standard usage. It focuses on high-frequency, well-established roots, not on every root in English.
No signup needed. Progress saves in your browser, and in your account if you sign in. Reviewed 2026-10-17.
Greek roots (15)
Latin roots (15)
Prefixes and suffixes (9)
What this set covers
How to study this set
Roots are best learned in small batches tied to real words you meet. The aim is to guess an unfamiliar word from its parts, so practice that skill on top of memorizing the meanings.
- 1Day 1
Learn five Greek or five Latin roots. For each, say the meaning aloud and write two example words, one of them from your own reading.
- 2Days 2-7
Review the cards daily, adding five new roots every other day. Mix Greek and Latin so the roots do not blur into one list.
- 3Week 2
Take unfamiliar words from your textbooks and split them into prefix, root and suffix before you look them up.
- 4Final week
Run the full deck in random order. For each root, produce a third example word that is not on the card.
Spaced repetition schedules each card to come back just before you would forget it, so reviews get shorter as your recall gets stronger. Cards you miss come back sooner.
Common mistakes to avoid
Roots give a clue, not a definition. Words drift in meaning, and some look like they contain a root by coincidence (a pedant has nothing to do with feet). Confirm with context or a dictionary.
Similar roots can come from different languages and mean different things, like ped- for foot (Latin) and paed- for child (Greek). Note the language on the card.
A root only helps if you can use it. Practice splitting new words into parts and predicting meaning.
Roots change shape: scrib- and script-, vert- and vers-, vid- and vis-. Learn each alternate form together.
Make your own from your notes
A starter set is a head start, not your whole course. Your class notes, slides and textbook are what your teacher actually tests, so turn them into cards too.
- Put the root (with its language) on the front and the meaning plus two or three example words on the back.
- Make the cards from words you meet in class: take a word, split it, and add each part as its own card.
- Keep alternate forms on the same card, such as scrib- / script-, so you learn them together.
- Avoid long lists on a single card. One root per card keeps the spaced review accurate.
Greek and Latin Roots flashcards: questions
Why learn Greek and Latin roots?
A large share of academic and scientific English is built from Greek and Latin parts. Knowing the common ones lets you guess many unfamiliar words, which helps with reading passages and subject vocabulary.
Are roots tested on the SAT or ACT?
These tests mainly use vocabulary in context, so roots are a tool for working out words rather than a tested topic on their own. Use the roots to make an educated guess and then check it against the sentence.
What is the difference between a root, a prefix and a suffix?
A root carries the core meaning. A prefix attaches to the front and changes or adds meaning, and a suffix attaches to the end and often changes the part of speech.
Can a word have both Greek and Latin parts?
Yes. English freely combines them, as in television, which joins Greek tele with Latin visio. Learn the parts separately and the mixed words become easy.
How many roots should I learn per week?
Ten to twenty roots a week is realistic alongside other subjects. It matters more to practice using them on new words than to learn a large list quickly.
Sources and review
These cards are an independent study aid, not official exam content, and are not affiliated with or endorsed by any exam body or publisher. They were written by hand and checked against the sources below on 2026-10-17. Always confirm details with your course materials and the current official documents.
- Wikipedia: List of Greek and Latin roots in English (A-G) — Checked language of origin and meanings for anthrop-, aqua-, aud-, bene-, bio-, chron-, cred-, dict-, duc-, geo-, graph-, and the -cid- (kill) root.
- Wikipedia: List of Greek and Latin roots in English (H-O) — Checked hydr-, ject-, log-/-logy, mort- and morph-.
- Wikipedia: List of Greek and Latin roots in English (P-Z) — Checked path-, phil-, phon-, phot-, port-, psych-, therm-, tele-, rupt-, scrib-/script-, spect-, struct-, vert-, vid-/vis- and the two ped- roots (Latin foot, Greek child).
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