Latin and Greek roots — Years 5/6 extension
Year group: 5/6 (extension)
Source: Non-statutory extension to DfE English Appendix 1 (2013), grounded in research showing morphological instruction significantly improves vocabulary and spelling in KS2.
(Source: Kieffer & Lesaux (2007, 2011). Morphological awareness and literacy. Multiple studies.)
Purpose: Guide to Latin and Greek roots for KS2 — common roots (scribe, port, rupt, aud, vis), word families, meanings, and morpheme-based practice.
Why teach roots at Year 5/6?
70% of multisyllabic words in English derive from Latin or Greek roots. A child who knows 20 high-frequency roots can decode thousands of words they have never encountered. This is the single highest-leverage vocabulary intervention available in upper KS2.
(Source: Rasinski, T. et al. (2008). The Latin-Greek connection. The Reading Teacher.)
How to teach a root
- Name the root and its meaning — write it large on the board
- Show 4–6 English words that use it — include at least one the children know
- Ask for more — can pupils suggest any others?
- Explore the meanings — does knowing the root help you understand each word?
- Add to a class "root wall" — visible reference that grows across the year
The 20 most productive roots for KS2
port (Latin: carry)
| Word | How it works |
|---|
| transport | carry across (trans- = across) |
| import | carry into (im- = in) |
| export | carry out (ex- = out) |
| portable | able to be carried |
| report | carry back (re- = back) |
| support | carry from below (sub- = under) |
| portfolio | a case for carrying papers (folio = leaf) |
| airport | where aircraft are carried in |
rupt (Latin: break)
| Word | How it works |
|---|
| interrupt | break between (inter- = between) |
| erupt | break out (e- = out) |
| disrupt | break apart (dis- = apart) |
| bankrupt | broken finances |
| corrupt | thoroughly broken (cor- = thoroughly) |
| abrupt | broken off suddenly |
| rupture | a breaking |
struct (Latin: build)
| Word | How it works |
|---|
| construct | build together (con- = together) |
| instruct | build into (in- = into) |
| destruction | un-building (de- = undo) |
| structure | the way something is built |
| obstruct | build against; block (ob- = against) |
| reconstruct | build again (re- = again) |
| infrastructure | the underlying structure |
dict (Latin: say)
| Word | How it works |
|---|
| predict | say before (pre- = before) |
| dictate | say (to someone to write down) |
| contradict | say against (contra- = against) |
| dictionary | a book of words said/defined |
| verdict | truth said (ver- = truth) |
| addict | said to be bound to something |
| diction | the way of saying words |
| dedicate | say apart for a purpose |
scrib/script (Latin: write)
| Word | How it works |
|---|
| describe | write about (de- = about) |
| inscription | writing cut into stone (in- = into) |
| prescribe | write before; order in advance |
| manuscript | hand-written (manus = hand) |
| subscribe | write under; sign up (sub- = under) |
| transcript | a written copy (trans- = across) |
| scripture | holy writings |
vis/vid (Latin: see)
| Word | How it works |
|---|
| visible | able to be seen |
| revision | seeing again (re- = again) |
| video | I see (Latin verb) |
| evidence | the things you can see for yourself |
| vision | the act of seeing |
| supervise | see from above |
| individual | not divisible; a single seen unit |
| invisible | not able to be seen |
aud (Latin: hear)
| Word | How it works |
|---|
| audience | people who hear |
| audible | able to be heard |
| audio | relating to hearing |
| auditorium | a place to hear (a performance) |
| audition | a hearing (to assess performers) |
| inaudible | not able to be heard |
terr (Latin: land, earth)
| Word | How it works |
|---|
| territory | a piece of land |
| terrain | the character of the land |
| terrestrial | of the earth |
| Mediterranean | middle of the land (sea) |
| terrarium | a glass case for land animals |
| underground | (related concept; terra → ground) |
bio (Greek: life)
| Word | How it works |
|---|
| biology | the study of life |
| biography | a life written (graph = write) |
| autobiography | one's own life written (auto = self) |
| antibiotic | against living organisms |
| biodiversity | variety of life |
| microbiome | tiny (micro) life community |
| symbiosis | living together (sym = together) |
graph/gram (Greek: write)
| Word | How it works |
|---|
| photograph | writing with light (photo = light) |
| telegraph | writing from afar (tele = far) |
| autograph | self-writing (auto = self) |
| paragraph | a distinct written section |
| diagram | a figure drawn through (dia = through) |
| programme | a written plan ahead (pro = before) |
| grammar | the rules of writing/speaking |
| geography | writing/describing the earth (geo = earth) |
phon (Greek: sound)
| Word | How it works |
|---|
| telephone | sound from afar (tele = far) |
| microphone | tiny sound-carrier (micro = small) |
| phonics | the science of sounds |
| symphony | sounds together (sym = together) |
| saxophone | (named after inventor Sax) + phone |
| homophone | same sound (homo = same) |
| cacophony | bad sounds (caco = bad) |
therm (Greek: heat)
| Word | How it works |
|---|
| thermometer | measure of heat (meter = measure) |
| thermal | relating to heat |
| thermostat | keeping heat steady (stat = standing) |
| thermodynamics | heat + movement science |
| hypothermia | below normal heat (hypo = under) |
| geothermal | earth heat (geo = earth) |
geo (Greek: earth)
| Word | How it works |
|---|
| geography | writing about the earth |
| geology | the study of the earth |
| geothermal | heat from the earth |
| geometry | measuring the earth (meter = measure) |
| geocentric | earth-centred |
hydro (Greek: water)
| Word | How it works |
|---|
| hydrogen | water-former (gen = produce) |
| dehydrate | remove (de-) water |
| hydrant | a water outlet |
| hydraulic | water-powered |
| hydroelectric | water electricity |
| hydroponics | growing plants in water |
chron (Greek: time)
| Word | How it works |
|---|
| chronological | in order of time |
| anachronism | wrong time (ana = against) |
| synchronise | same time (syn = same) |
| chronicle | a record of events in time |
| chronic | lasting a long time |
micro/macro (Greek: small/large)
| Word | How it works |
|---|
| microscope | see tiny things (scope = see) |
| microphone | tiny sound-carrier |
| microorganism | tiny living thing |
| microchip | tiny chip |
| macroscopic | large enough to see |
| macroeconomics | large-scale economics |
scope (Greek: see, watch)
| Word | How it works |
|---|
| telescope | see from far (tele = far) |
| microscope | see small things |
| periscope | see around (peri = around) |
| stethoscope | listen to the chest (stetho = chest) |
| horoscope | see the hour/time (horo = time) |
bene/bon (Latin: good)
| Word | How it works |
|---|
| benefit | a good thing done (facio = do) |
| beneficial | producing good |
| benevolent | wishing good (vol = wish) |
| bonus | something good/extra |
| boon | a good gift (from Old Norse) |
| benign | kind; not harmful |
phil (Greek: love)
| Word | How it works |
|---|
| philosophy | love of wisdom (sophi = wisdom) |
| bibliophile | lover of books (biblio = book) |
| philanthropist | lover of people (anthrop = human) |
| Philadelphia | city of brotherly love (adelphos = brother) |
aqua (Latin: water)
| Word | How it works |
|---|
| aquatic | of the water |
| aquarium | a water container |
| aqueduct | a water channel (duct = lead) |
| aquifer | a water-carrying rock layer |
Morpheme matrix — creating a class chart
Use this blank matrix to build word families from any root.
| re- | un-/in- | de- | con-/com- | ex- | -ion/-tion | -able | -ive |
|---|
| PORT | report | — | — | — | export | — | portable | — |
| RUPT | — | — | — | — | erupt | rupture | — | — |
| STRUCT | reconstruct | — | destroy | construct | — | destruction | — | destructive |
| DICT | — | — | — | — | — | diction | — | — |
| SCRIB | — | — | describe | — | — | description | — | — |
| VIS | revision | invisible | — | — | — | vision | visible | — |
Add more roots and suffixes as pupils suggest them.
Sources:
- Kieffer, M.J. & Lesaux, N.K. (2007, 2011). Multiple studies on morphological awareness and literacy outcomes.
- Rasinski, T. et al. (2008). The Latin-Greek connection. The Reading Teacher.
- Etymology verified against Oxford English Dictionary and Online Etymology Dictionary (etymonline.com).
This resource is published by SpellCast (spellcast.academy). Free to use and share.