Over 60% of English words are built from Latin and Greek roots. Master one root and you read, remember, and even guess a whole family of words.
Roots and words are two angles on the same vocabulary — learn by family, or by exam target. Either path is yours.
Understand one root, unlock a whole family. 604 roots sorted by output — learn deeper, read further.
Explore 604 rootsBring a goal — pick an exam word list and learn one by one. Every list can switch into "by root" view at any time.
Browse all vocabularyOver 60% of English words — and nearly 90% of academic and scientific vocabulary — rest on Latin and Greek roots. Understand the wiring, and word learning changes for good.
Know port = "to carry", and import / export / transport all click — meaning, not memorisation.
Learn one root, claim a whole family. One port carries 131 words — your vocabulary compounds.
Strip prefix + root from an unknown long word and you already have the gist. No more freezing on the test.
Not just a one-line gloss. Every root gets a full etymology, memory hook, and family map.
make, do
From Latin facere (to make, do) and its past participle factum. One of the most fundamental roots in English, with variants fec-, fic-, fit-. Produces fact (a thing done), factory (a place for making), manufacture (make by hand), artifact (something made with skill), and factor (one who does/makes). Prefixes create endless combinations: per-fect, de-fect, ef-fect.
Each root carries dozens of English words. Explore all 604 and grow your vocabulary naturally.
From Latin facere (to make, do) and its past participle factum. One of the most fundamental roots in English, with variants fec-, fic-, fit-. Produces fact (a thing done), factory (a place for making), manufacture (make by hand), artifact (something made with skill), and factor (one who does/makes). Prefixes create endless combinations: per-fect, de-fect, ef-fect.
From Latin stāre (to stand) and sistere (to cause to stand), with variant forms sist- and stat-. One of Latin's most fundamental roots — it underlies standing firm (resist, consistent), helping to stand (assist), and organized standing (system, systematize). Compounds are built by prefixes: against (resist), beside (assist), together (consistent).
From Latin capere (to take, seize) and its past participle captum. One of English's most prolific roots with many variant forms: ceiv- (receive, deceive), cept- (concept, exception), cip- (participate), cup- (occupy). Prefixes determine what is taken: ac- toward (accept), ex- out (except), re- back (receive), per- through (perceive).
From Latin genus (birth, race, kind) and Greek genos. One of the most productive roots in English, spanning genetics (gene, genetic, transgenic), creation (genesis, generate), classification (genre, genus), and destruction by kind (genocide). The gn- variant appears in cognate and benign. Prefixes and suffixes endlessly extend this root: carcinogen, androgen, autogenous.
From Latin specere (to look at, observe), past participle spectum. One of English's most prolific Latin roots, with many variant forms: spec-, spect-, spic-. Produces special (worth looking at), aspect (how something looks from a direction), respect (look back at, regard), suspect (look from below, distrust), inspect (look into), perspective, spectacle.
From Latin legere (to choose, read, gather), past participle lectum. The triple meaning — choose, read, gather — produces three word families: choosing (elect, select, election), gathering (collect, collection), and reading (lecture, legible, legend). Prefixes create nuance: se- (apart) in select, col- (together) in collect, e- (out) in elect.
The scientific study of living organisms
From breakdown to origin, from collocation to nuance — every entry is a real explanation, not a single translated line.
Curated paths that string scattered roots into a system. Start here — read as you learn.
A starter pack of the most productive Latin roots — pick them up first and watch your reading speed jump.
bio, geo, micro, tele — the Greek roots behind biology, geography and modern science. One read and you read the lab manual.
Tight list of the 12 roots that show up most across IELTS reading and listening. Cluster them, crack the test.
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