Year 6 English: Matching Greek And Latin Roots With Their Meanings

Understanding Greek and Latin Roots: A Detailed Explanation 🏛️📚

Greek and Latin roots are the building blocks of many English words. Knowing these roots helps you to understand the meaning of new or tricky words by breaking them down. This is super useful for Year 6 students as it improves reading, spelling, and vocabulary skills.

Why Are Greek and Latin Roots Important? 🤔✨

Many English words come from Greek and Latin, two ancient languages. These roots give clues about the meaning of words. For example, if you know that the Latin root “aqua” means “water,” you can guess what “aquarium” or “aquatic” mean. This makes learning new words easier and faster.

Common Greek and Latin Roots and Their Meanings 🔍📖

Here are some common Greek and Latin roots you might see:

• aqua (Latin) – means “water“
• bio (Greek) – means “life“
• tele (Greek) – means “far” or “distance“
• dict (Latin) – means “say” or “speak“
• graph (Greek) – means “write” or “draw“
• port (Latin) – means “carry“
• scrib/script (Latin) – means “write“
• photo (Greek) – means “light“

How to Identify Greek and Latin Roots in Words 🔎🧩

To identify these roots in words, look for parts of the word that sound or look familiar and match the roots above. For example, in the word “transport,” you can spot the root “port,” which means “carry.” So, “transport” means to carry something from one place to another.

Examples to Match Words with Greek and Latin Roots 🧠✅

Try matching these words with the correct root meanings:

• Biology – (bio)
• Dictate – (dict)
• Photograph – (photo + graph)
• Aquarium – (aqua)
• Teleport – (tele + port)
• Manuscript – (script)

Matching Activity 📝📊

By learning Greek and Latin roots, you can start to break down complicated words into smaller parts that are easier to understand. This skill helps with spelling, meaning, and makes reading English more fun and exciting!

20 Examination-Style Questions with Answers on Greek and Latin Roots for Year 6 📋✏️

Here are 20 questions where you need to match words with their Greek and Latin roots to the correct meanings. This will help you understand how these roots form the basis of many English words, as required in the Year 6 English curriculum.

Questions ❓

1. What does the root “aqua” (Latin) mean?
   • a) Fire
   • b) Water
   • c) Earth
   • d) Air
2. The Greek root “chrono” means:
   • a) Time
   • b) Sound
   • c) Light
   • d) Space
3. The Latin root “scrib/script” means:
   • a) To write
   • b) To run
   • c) To see
   • d) To speak
4. What does the root “photo” (Greek) mean?
   • a) Light
   • b) Dark
   • c) Sound
   • d) Water
5. The Latin root “port” means:
   • a) To carry
   • b) To build
   • c) To fight
   • d) To eat
6. The Greek root “bio” means:
   • a) Life
   • b) Death
   • c) Earth
   • d) Water
7. What does the root “aud” (Latin) mean?
   • a) To hear
   • b) To see
   • c) To write
   • d) To run
8. The Greek root “therm” means:
   • a) Heat
   • b) Cold
   • c) Water
   • d) Fire
9. The Latin root “vid/vis” means:
   • a) To see
   • b) To hear
   • c) To speak
   • d) To touch
10. What does the Greek root “geo” mean?
    • a) Earth
    • b) Star
    • c) Water
    • d) Fire
11. The Latin root “dict” means:
    • a) To say or speak
    • b) To run
    • c) To jump
    • d) To sleep
12. What does the Greek root “meter” mean?
    • a) To measure
    • b) To jump
    • c) To write
    • d) To carry
13. The Latin root “form” means:
    • a) Shape or type
    • b) To write
    • c) To run
    • d) To eat
14. What does the Greek root “tele” mean?
    • a) Far or distant
    • b) Close
    • c) Large
    • d) Small
15. The Latin root “ject” means:
    • a) To throw
    • b) To catch
    • c) To climb
    • d) To build
16. What does the Greek root “micro” mean?
    • a) Small
    • b) Large
    • c) Fast
    • d) Slow
17. The Latin root “spect” means:
    • a) To look or see
    • b) To hear
    • c) To touch
    • d) To write
18. What does the Greek root “phobia” mean?
    • a) Fear
    • b) Love
    • c) Joy
    • d) Sadness
19. The Latin root “bene” means:
    • a) Good or well
    • b) Bad
    • c) Small
    • d) Big
20. What does the Greek root “auto” mean?
    • a) Self
    • b) Other
    • c) Many
    • d) None

Answers ✔️

1. b) Water
2. a) Time
3. a) To write
4. a) Light
5. a) To carry
6. a) Life
7. a) To hear
8. a) Heat
9. a) To see
10. a) Earth
11. a) To say or speak
12. a) To measure
13. a) Shape or type
14. a) Far or distant
15. a) To throw
16. a) Small
17. a) To look or see
18. a) Fear
19. a) Good or well
20. a) Self

These questions will help you practise recognising Greek and Latin roots and understanding their meanings, making it easier to work out the meanings of new words in your reading and writing. Keep revising these roots to improve your vocabulary and comprehension skills!