10WordsQStudy guides › Level 6 · Master
Greek and Latin roots
💡 The idea
Many long English words are built from small Greek and Latin parts. Learn the parts, and you can work out words you have never seen. Split the word, find each part’s meaning, then put the meanings back together.
✏️ Worked examples
1. biology: bio = life, -logy = study of. So biology is the study of living things.
2. submarine: sub = under, mar = sea. So a submarine is a boat that travels under the sea.
3. pedestrian: ped = foot. A pedestrian is a person walking.
⚡ Handy ones
| Part | Means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| bio | life | biology |
| geo | earth | geology |
| tele | far | telephone |
| photo | light | photograph |
| hydr | water | hydrate |
| chron | time | chronic |
| therm | heat | thermal |
| manu | hand | manuscript |
⚠️ Watch out
- A part can look alike but mean something else. Bi in “bicycle” means two, not bio (life): always check the meaning fits.
- Put the meanings together in order. Auto + bio + graph = self + life + write: a life story you write yourself.
🎯 Try these
- What does “geography” mean? (geo = earth, graph = write)
- What does “telescope” mean? (tele = far, scope = look)
- What does “manual” mean? (manu = hand)
Answers: 1) writing about the earth: the study of its lands and places 2) a tool for looking at far things 3) done by hand
This guide is also in the 10WordsQ app: tap “📖 Study guide” after a question.