Find Root Words When A Suffix Has Been Added

Look at the word below:

 

heated

 

Here, the suffix -ed has been added to the word heat.

 

A suffix is a group of letters added to the end of a word.

 

Heat is an example of a root word.

 

We can also add the prefix -re to heat to make the word reheat.

 

A prefix is a group of letters added to the start of a word.

 

 

Root Words

A root word is a word where neither a suffix nor a prefix have been added.

 

These words are all root words:

 

Heat

Play

Help

 

We could add the suffix -ed to all three words to make heated, played and helped.

 

These are all verbs in the past tense.

 

We could also add the suffix -ful to play to make playful.

 

 

These words have all had suffixes added.

 

Packed

Magical

Cheerful

 

Can you spot the root words?

 

 

The root words are:

 

Pack

Magic

Cheer

 

In this activity, you’ll be on the hunt for root words. Make sure you look out for any suffixes and remove them to get the root word.