TEAS® English Study Guide
Word Parts
Many English words are built from smaller meaningful pieces: a root carries the core meaning, a prefix attaches to the front to change that meaning, and a suffix attaches to the end, often changing the word’s part of speech. Break an unfamiliar word into its parts and you can often reason out its meaning — the same trick that makes medical terminology learnable later.
Common prefixes (front of the word):
- un-, in-, im-, dis- = not (unfair, incomplete, impossible, dishonest)
- re- = again or back (rewrite, return)
- pre- = before (preview, predict)
- mis- = wrongly (misjudge, misspell)
- sub- = under (submarine, subway)
- trans- = across (transport, translate)
- inter- = between (interact, international)
- anti- = against (antifreeze, antibiotic)
Common roots (core meaning):
- bio = life (biology) · geo = earth (geography)
- aud = hear (audience) · vis / vid = see (visible, video)
- dict = say (dictate) · port = carry (transport)
- scrib / script = write (describe, script) · spect = look (inspect)
- struct = build (construct) · tele = far (telephone)
Common suffixes (end of the word):
- -able / -ible = able to be (readable, flexible)
- -less = without (fearless) · -ful = full of (hopeful)
- -tion / -sion = the act or state of (action, tension)
- -ology = the study of (biology) · -ment = state or result of (movement)
- -er / -or / -ist = one who (teacher, actor, artist)
The method: split the unfamiliar word into prefix, root, and suffix. Combine the meanings of the parts you recognize. For example, transport = trans (across) + port (carry) = to carry across. Even knowing one part often narrows the answer.
Worked example:
Inaudible breaks into in- (not) + aud (hear) + -ible (able to be) = "not able to be heard." Assembling the parts gives you the meaning even if you’ve never seen the word.