Spelfabet

Please note that there is strong evidence for teaching literacy-learners how to build words by adding prefixes and suffixes to English words, but no similar evidence to support teaching about non-English word roots.

Inflectional morphemes (all suffixes)

Plural	-s as in cats (voiceless, column 3) -s as in dogs (voiced, column 2)	-es as in wishes	f-ve plurals irregular plurals
Past tense	-ed as in jumped (voiceless) -ed as in hopped (doubling)	-ed as in filled (voiced) -ed as in binned (doubling)	-ed as in planted -irregular past
Present participle	-ing as in jumping	-ing as in hopping (doubling)
Past participle	-ed same as past tense, see above links	-en as in taken (column 2)	-irregular past participle
3rd person	-s as in jumps (voiceless)	-s as in fills (voiced)	-es as in wishes
Possessive	-‘s as in the cat’s lunch	Plural possessive (just -‘)
Comparative	-er as in softer
Superlative	-est as in softest

Derivational morphemes

Prefixes include…

ad-, ac-, af-, ag-, al-, an-, ap-, ar-, as-, at- as in adopt, accuse, affect, allot, annul, applaud, arrest, assign, attribute anti- as in antidote, antihero, antihistamine, antiperspirant bi- as in bicycle con-, com-, col-, cor-, co-, as in confide, comfort, collide, correct, coexist contra- as in contradict de- as in defrost di- as in dioxide dis- as in dishonest, disallow, discard du- as in duet dys- as in dystrophy en-, em- as in enthrone, embody epi as in epicentre eu as in eulogy ex- e-, ef- as in excavate, erase, effort fore- as in foreground hyper- as in hyperactive hypo- as in hypothermia in-, im-, il-, ir- as in inaccurate, impossible, illegal, irregular in-, im-, il-, ir- as in internal, imply, illustrate, irrigate inter- as in interact micro- as in microscope mid- as in midnight mis- as in misadventure mono- as in monograph non- as in nonsense out- as in outbound over- as in overrated pre- as in predict pro- as in proclaim re- as in reinvent semi- as in semicolon sub- as in submarine super- as in supernova tele- as in television trans- as in transaction un- as in unpleasant under- as in underdone

Derivational suffixes include…

-able as in taxable -al as in postal -ant, ance as in ignorant, ignorance, attendant -ate as in graduate -en as in freshen (column 1) -ent, ence as in different, difference -er as in swimmer -ess as in waitress (archaic) -ful as in mindful -ian, an as in musician, comedian -ic as in idiotic – see columns 5 & 6 -ible as in flexible -ion as in action, donation, discussion, extension -ist as in artist -ive as in supportive -less as in harmless -logy as in biology -ly as in slowly -ment as in amazement -ness as in kindness -or as in sailor -ous as in famous -ty, -ity as in safety, civility -ure as in adventure -y as in sunny

Germanic bound bases include…

hap as in happy (Old Norse) tw as in two

Latin bound bases include…

anim as in animate cave, cav as in concave, excavate ceit/ceive/cept as in deceit, deceive, deception centr as in central cred as in incredible cruc, crus as in crucial, crusade cure, as in secure, security dic as in indicate dict as in predict duct/duce as in introduction, introduce equ as in equation err as in erratic fact/fect/fic as in factory, confect, fiction fer as in suffer fine, fin as in confine, final form as in uniform horr as in horrible ject as in trajectory junct, join, jug as in junction, rejoinder, conjugate. jure, just as in injure, injustice lev as in elevate liter as in literate loc as in local lumin as in illuminate medi as in mediate milli as in millipede mit/mis as in permit, permission mob, mot, mov as in automobile, mobility, removal mon as in monopoly nate, nat as in innate, natural pel/puls as in compel, compulsive ped, pod as in pedestrian, podiatrist pend, pens as in suspend, suspense plex, ply, plic as in multiplex, multiply, multiplication port as in passport pose, pon, pound as in compose, component, compound press as in compress punct as in puncture rupt as in interrupt sanct as in sanctuary scrib/script as in inscribe, inscription sci as in science sist/sta/sti as in consistent, constant, constitute spect/spec/spic as in inspect, specimen, conspicuous struct as in construct tain/ten/tin as in abstain, abstention, abstinence tort as in distort tract as in distract uni, un as in unity, unanimous vac as in evacuate vene, ven, vent as in convene, convenient, convent vert/vers as in convert, conversion vi, voy as in deviate, convoy vise/vid as in revise, evident

Greek bound bases include…

acro as in acropolis anthr/andr as in philanthropist, androgynous arch as in monarch arist as in aristocrat astro as in astronaut auto, aut as in automatic, autism bibli as in bibliophile bio as in biography (really ‘bi’ plus connective ‘o’) chron as in synchronise crat, crac as in democrat, democracy dem as in democracy gen as in generate geo as in geology gon, genu as in polygon, genuflect graph/gram as in paragraph, pictogram hydr as in rehydrate homo as in homophone logue, log as in dialogue, analogous meter, metr as in thermometer, symmetry naut as in astronaut nym as in synonym path as in sympathy phil as in philanthropy phon as in cacophony photo as in photography polis as in metropolis poly as in polygon psych as in psychiatrist scope as in telescope sym, syn, syl as in symphony, synonym, syllable techn as in technology therm as in hypothermia thesis as in photosynthesis