25 Greek and Latin Power Words
A number of years ago, I developed a list of 15 Power Words to Teach Greek and Latin Prefixes and Roots, which combined many of the most commonly used prefixes and roots. I estimated that these word parts were found in at least 15,000 words in our unabridged English dictionaries. Elementary teachers found this list to be a helpful resource to narrow down which word parts to teach, and which ones not to teach. Yes, you are welcome to download the 15 Power Words for free. I would especially recommend the words on this list and the 32 high frequency prefixes and roots found within the 15 Power Words for grades 2–5 students.
Research Background
Years later, I found an additional research study [Wei, Z., 2011] on high frequency productive Greek and Latin roots, which narrowed down previous research-based lists. Plus, Wei’s dual approach to both utility and frequency was useful for my target audience: English-language arts and reading intervention teachers and their students.
Rationale and Purpose
Teachers and students are all about pragmatic tools. High utility and high frequency vocabulary words give them the most bang for the buck. Teachers want to teach both the high utility Tier 2 academic vocabulary and the the high frequency Greek and Latin prefixes, roots, and suffixes. My 25 Greek and Latin Power Words provide both. I decided to update and expand my 15 Power Words model to include both the highest utility and the highest frequency Greek and Latin prefixes, roots, and suffixes for not only elementary, but also middle school, high school, college, and post-college students of our English language. I wound up with the 25 Greek and Latin Power Words.
Methodology
I compared the results from the most recent and well-regarded vocabulary research studies on high frequency Greek and Latin word parts, including the additional study by Dr. Zheng Wei, mentioned above. From the five best Greek and Latin word lists cited in these studies, I chose the 60 highest frequency prefixes, roots, and suffixes. I then spent far too many hours trying to replicate my original 15 Power Words model, which has 32 high frequency prefixes and roots, with my now expanded list of 60 word parts. The chunking of two or three word parts into one academic language word applies time-tested association memory research. We simply remember linked items better than we remember items in isolation.
25 Greek and Latin Power Words © 2018 Pennington Publishing
Results: The 25 Greek and Latin Power Words
At last, the list of 25 Greek and Latin Power Words (including all 60 highest frequency Greek and Latin prefixes, roots, and meaning-based suffixes) came together. I used the More Words site to check the number of words in which each of these 60 word parts appear in the English language. The results were staggering: The 60 word parts are found in over 60,000 words, including their inflections (a conservative total). With our English lexicon of about 600,000 words, these 60 word parts constitute 10% of the words in our language. With a middle school student’s average vocabulary of 25,000 words and a college-educated adult’s average vocabulary of 60,000 words, the 25 Greek and Latin Power Words can have a significant impact on improving reading vocabulary for all ages.
Format
- Here’s the format of the one-page 25 Greek and Latin Power Words:
- 25 Tier 2 Academic Language Power Words Divided by Morphemes (meaning-based word parts)
- Two or Three Word Parts for Each Word with Concise Definitions
- Word Counts for Each Word Part
- Research Studies
25 Greek and Latin Power Words © 2018 Pennington Publishing
I list the five research studies, from which the 60 Greek and Latin word parts were compiled at the bottom of the word list:
- Wei, Z. (2011). Word roots in English – Learning English words through form and meaning similarity. PhD Thesis, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.
- Honig, Diamond, and Gutlohn (2000). Teaching Reading Sourcebook: For Kindergarten Through Eighth Grade © 2000 by CORE.
- Stahl, S.A. and Shiel, T.G. (1992). Reading and Writing Quarterly: Overcoming Learning Disabilities, 8, 223-241; “Commonly Occurring Greek and Latin Roots.”
- White, Sowell, and Yanagihara (1989) Ranked by Carroll et al (1971). The Reading Teacher, 42, p. 306; “Most Common Prefixes and Suffixes in Academic Texts.”
- More Words (Word Counts)
- etymonline.com
Call to Action
If you are still teaching from the same old Greek and Latin word part list, it’s time to update your instruction with the latest computer-generated word lists aggregated from the most recent and highest regarded Greek and Latin word part studies. Download the FREE 25 Greek and Latin Power Words list and forward this article to your colleagues. If you are interested in comprehensive grades 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 Common Core-aligned vocabulary programs with a strong emphasis on these Greek and Latin word parts…
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The Comprehensive Vocabulary grades 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 programs include 56 worksheets, biweekly unit tests, and a final exam. Worksheets include only the best vocabulary strategies: semantic spectrums, the Frayer model, context clue sentences, morphology wall links, and more. The tests are provided in self-correcting Google forms and print formats. Lessons focus on the following components of vocabulary instruction:
- Multiple Meanings (L.4.a.)
- Greek and Latin Morphology (L.4.a.)
- Language Resources (L.4.c.d.)
- Figures of Speech (L.5.a.)
- Word Relationships (L.5.b.)
- Connotations (L.5.c.)
- Academic Language (Tier 2) Words (L.6.0)
Get the 25 Power Words FREE Resource:
Literacy Centers, Reading, Spelling/Vocabulary, Study Skills, Writing