Question 1
The scientist used a microscope to examine the cells.
💡 'Scope' relates to seeing — a microscope is an instrument for seeing small things.
Year 7 — Vocabulary
Roots
Recognise common Greek and Latin roots, use a root to work out the meaning of an unfamiliar word, and build a family of related words from a shared root.
Understand
A root is the core part of a word that carries its central meaning — prefixes and suffixes are added around it, but the root is where the meaning comes from. Many English words share roots from Greek or Latin. For example, the Latin root 'spect' means 'to look', which is why 'inspect', 'spectator' and 'spectacle' are all connected to looking or watching.
“The audience watched in awe as the spectacular display of fireworks lit up the sky.”
'Spectacular' comes from the root 'spect' (to look) — something spectacular is worth looking at. Knowing this root also helps you understand 'spectator' (someone who looks/watches) and 'inspect' (to look closely at).
Spot it
Identify the root in each word, and what it suggests about the word's meaning.
Question 2
The teacher asked the class to write a biography of a famous scientist.
💡 'Biography' combines 'bio' (life) and 'graph' (write) — a written account of a life.
Question 3
The politician's speech was designed to manipulate public opinion.
💡 'Manipulate' comes from 'manus' (hand) — originally meaning to handle skilfully, now often meaning to influence someone unfairly.
Think about it
The root 'spect' means 'to look'. Using that knowledge, what do you think the word 'retrospect' means, if 're-' means 'back' or 'again'?
Try it
Use the root to work out the meaning of the underlined word.
The company decided to export its products to over twenty countries.
Question 1
'Export' uses the Latin root 'port' (to carry). Given 'ex-' means 'out', what does 'export' mean?
💡 'Ex-' means 'out of', combined with 'carry'.
Practise
Use each root to work out or match the correct meaning.
Question 1
The root 'dict' means 'to speak'. What does 'predict' mean?
Question 2
The root 'vid/vis' means 'to see'. What does 'visible' mean?
Question 3
The root 'aud' means 'to hear'. What is an 'audience'?
Question 4
The root 'photo' means 'light' and 'graph' means 'write/record'. What word means 'a recording made with light' (a picture taken by a camera)?
💡 Combine the two roots directly.
Question 5
The root 'therm' means 'heat'. What does a 'thermometer' measure?
Question 6
The root 'chron' means 'time'. What does 'chronological' order mean?
Apply
Read the passage, then answer the questions below.
Historians rely on more than memory. A well-kept chronicle can transport a reader across centuries, offering a visible record of events long past. Reading such an account is almost like an inspection of the past itself — every detail exported from one era into the imagination of another.
Question 1
"chronicle" shares its root with 'chronological'. What does this suggest a chronicle records?
💡 'Chron' means time.
Question 2
"visible" in this passage shares its root with which idea?
💡 'Vis' means to see.
Question 3
Find the word in the passage built from 'spect' (to look) and type it.
💡 It appears in the phrase 'almost like an ___ of the past itself'.
Challenge
The passage ends with 'every detail exported from one era into the imagination of another', reusing the root 'port' (to carry) from the earlier 'export' example. Explain in one or two sentences why this word choice fits the passage's point about history.
Review
A quick mastery check — 3 questions.
Question 1
The root 'graph' means 'write/record'. What does 'autograph' literally mean?
Question 2
The root 'bio' means 'life'. What field of study is 'biology'?
Question 3
The root 'dict' means 'to speak'. What is a 'dictionary'?
Want to practise building words from prefixes, suffixes and roots? Try the word-family builder →