Study guides › Level 7 · Roots & Origins

Root families

Level 7 · Word Parts · for questions like “Chronicle, chronological and synchronize share ‘chron’. What does it mean?”

💡 The idea

A root is the core of a word that carries its main meaning. Words that share a root form a family, and the family’s shared idea is the root’s meaning. Find what all the words have in common.

🪜 The steps

1. Say a simple meaning for each word you know.
2. Ask: what idea is in every one?
3. That idea is the root’s meaning.

✏️ Worked examples

1. audience, audible, auditorium: a crowd that listens; loud enough to listen to; a hall for listening. Shared idea: hear.

2. tractor, attract, subtract: pulls loads; pulls things toward it; pulls a number away. Shared idea: pull.

⚡ Handy ones

⚠️ Watch out

• The shared idea can hide. “Credit” is about trust: the bank believes you will pay it back.

🎯 Try these

1. inspect, spectator, spectacles: “spect” means …
2. eject, reject, project: “ject” means …

Answers: 1) look 2) throw

This guide is also in the 10WordsQ app: tap “📖 Study guide” after a question.