Word Surgery
Split each word into its parts. Write what each part means, then put the meanings together to tell what the whole word means.
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This is sheet #184524601.
How to do it
- Split the word into its parts.
- Write what each part means.
- Put the meanings together to tell what the word means.
Teaching tip
The meaning your student writes doesn't have to match the key word for word. Check that it uses the parts and fits the word. This sheet is aligned with Common Core L.5.4b.
About this worksheet
Long words like transportation and postscript to split into parts and explain. Fewer gives 4 words already split, Standard 5 and More 6. The answer key shows the parts, their meanings and the meaning of the whole word.
What kids practice
In 4th grade, students learned 20 common Greek and Latin roots. This topic adds 12 new roots, like chron (time), cred (believe) and mit (send), along with prefixes like trans- and semi- and suffixes like -ology and -ous. Students take long words apart, put the meanings of the parts together, and notice how a suffix changes a word's job, like predict, prediction and predictable.
Watch for
- Guessing from the root alone without using the prefix or suffix.
- Splitting a word in the wrong place, like seeing "cycle" in "encyclopedia" and stopping there.
- Thinking every word with the same letters shares a root, like "path" in "pathway."
- Choosing a word from the right family but with the wrong job, like "Can you prediction who will win?"
It's free to print, with Fewer, Standard or More on the page and an answer key. See the full advanced roots and affixes guide for 5th grade.
More sheets in this set
- See it all
1. Roots and Affixes ChartSix Greek and six Latin roots, each with its meaning and three example words, plus eight prefixes and eight suffixes with their meanings and an example. 
2. Root Meaning MatchRoots in one column and their meanings in the other, to match by letter. Fewer, Standard or More give 6, 8 or 10 roots. Includes an answer key.
3. Prefix and Suffix MatchPrefixes and suffixes in one column and their meanings in the other, to match by letter. Fewer, Standard or More give 6, 8 or 10. Includes an answer key.
5. Same Root, Different JobSentences with a blank and three words from one family, like predict, prediction and predictable. Fewer gives 6 sentences, Standard 8, and More 8 with the word's job to circle too. Includes an answer key.
6. Guess the MeaningHarder words like chronological, aqueduct and empathy in real sentences, with a root clue to figure out each meaning. Fewer, Standard or More give 3, 4 or 5 words. Includes an answer key.
7. Build a Word FamilyA root with parts to add, like con + vent + ion, to build each word in the family and explain it. Fewer gives 1 family, Standard 2 and More 3. Includes an answer key.