Study guides › Level 7 · Roots & Origins

Same root or just look-alikes?

Level 7 · Word Parts · for questions like “Which word comes from the same root as ‘audience’?”

💡 The idea

Two words can look alike without being related. “Audience” and “author” both start with au, but only “audible” shares its root, aud (hear). Check the meaning, not just the letters.

🪜 The steps

1. Find the root of the given word and say what it means.
2. For each choice, ask: does that meaning fit this word too?
3. The one where it fits is the relative.

✏️ Worked examples

1. spectator (spect = look): inspect, speak, spend, spell. Only inspect is about looking.

2. biology (bio = life): antibiotic, binoculars, bicycle, bison. Bi- in binoculars and bicycle means two. Antibiotic fights living germs: it has bio.

3. tractor (tract = pull): attract, track, trap, tray. To attract is to pull toward you.

⚠️ Watch out

• Same letters, different roots is the whole trick of this question. Bi (two) is not bio (life); photo (light) is not phon (sound).

🎯 Try these

1. erupt (rupt = break): rope · interrupt · route
2. vision (vis = see): visible · violin · village

Answers: 1) interrupt 2) visible

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