Roots are the building blocks of language. Understanding what a root means provides clues about the meaning of words containing that root. Recognizing roots in context within words helps determine at least part of the overall word's meaning.

2. Why study roots?
They are the building blocks of our language. Understanding what a root means
will give you clues about what the rest of the word means.
Say the green block above is a root. When you see it in context with the other
roots, you will then know at least part of what the whole word means.

3. Directions: Print this page. Then, as the meaning of each
of the following roots is revealed, write its meaning here.
anti
astro
auto
bi
bio
chrom
chron
cine/kine
cosm

4. anti = ______
*
against
opposite

5. *
anti
against/opposite

6. auto = ______
*
self

7. *
auto
self

8. astro = ______
*
star

9. *
astro
star

10. bi = ______
*
two

11. *
bi
two

12. bio = ______
*
life

13. *
bio
life

14. chrom = ______
*
color

15. *
chrom
color

16. chron = ______
*
time

17. *
chron
time

18. cine/kine =______
*
motion

19. *
cine
kine
motion

20. cosm = ______
*
order
universe

21. *
cosm
universe or order

22. Can you think of other words that can be made from these roots or figure
out their meanings from the other roots?
anton
ym
mean
s
what
if
nym
=
name
?
____
____
antiba
cterial
mean
s____
____
antibio
tic
means
_____
_____
antith
esis
mean
s____
____
antaci
d
mean
s
_____
_____
__
antima
tter
means
_____
_____
___
astro
nome
r
mean
s
what
if
nom
=
name
?
____
____
astrol
ogy
mean
s
what
if logy
=
study
of?
_____
_____
__
astro_
_____
___
astro
____
____
aster_
_____
__
aste__
_____
____
autog
autom
obile
autobi
ograp
hy
means
what
(now