The 102 Basic Greek Words every English Speaker Should Know

1. aero-, aer-, aeri - (Greek: air, mist, wind). 2. aesth-, esth-, aesthe-, esthe-, aesthesio-, esthesio-, -aesthesia, -esthesia, -aesthetic, -esthetic, -aesthetical, -esthetical, -aesthetically, -esthetically (Greek: feeling, sensation, perception). 3. ampho-, amph-, amphi- (Greek: around, about, both, on both sides of, both kinds). 4. anti-, ant- (Greek: against, opposed to, preventive; used as a prefix). 5. astro-, astra-, astr- (Greek: star, star shaped; also pertaining to outer space). 6. auto-, aut- (Greek: self; directed from within). 7. biblio-, bibli-, bibl- (Greek: book). 8. bio-, bi-, -bia, -bial, -bian, -bion, -biont, -bius, -biosis, -bium, -biotic, -biotical, -biotic (Greek: life). 9. cardio-, cardi-, card- (Greek: heart, pertaining to the heart). 10. chromato-, chromat-, chromo-, chrom-, chro-, -chrome, -chromasia, -chromia, -chromatism, -chromatic, -chromatically, -chromy (Greek: color). 11. chrono-, chron- (Greek: time). 12. cine-, cinem-, cinema-, cinemat-, cinemato-, -cinesia, -cinesis, -cinetic, -cinesias, -cineses, -cinetical, -cinetically (Greek: move, movement, set in motion). 13. -crat, -cracy, -cratic, -cratism, -cratically, -cracies (Greek: a suffix; govern, rule; strength, power). 14. dactylo-, dactyl-, dactylio-, -dactyl, -dactyla, -dactylia, -dactylic, -dactylism, -dactyloid, -dactylous, -dactyly (Greek: finger, toe). 15. deca-, dec-, deka-, dek- (Greek: ten; a decimal prefix used in the international metric system for measurements). 16. demo-, dem-, demio-, -demic, -deme, -demically (Greek: people). 17. dermo-, derm-, derma-, dermato-, dermat-, -derm, -derma, -dermatic, -dermatous, -dermis, -dermal, -dermic, -dermoid, -dermatoid (Greek: skin). 18. dyna-, dyn-, dynamo-, -dyne, -dynamia, -dynamic (Greek: power, strength, force, mightiness). 19. dys- (Greek: bad, harsh, wrong; ill; hard to, difficult at; slow of; disordered; used as a prefix). 20. eco-, oeco-, oec-, oiko-, oik- (Greek: house, household affairs [environment, habitat], home, dwelling; used in one extensive sense as, “environment”). 21. endo-, end- [before vowels or “h”] (Greek: within, inside, into, in, on, inner; used as a prefix). 22. epi-, ep- [before vowels or “h”] (Greek: above, over, on, upon; besides; in addition to; toward; among; used as a prefix). 23. ergo-, erg- (Greek: work). Also: urg-, [erg-], -urgy, -urgia, -urgical, -urgically, -urgist, -urge (Greek: work). 24. etym- (Greek: truth, true meaning, real [the root meaning, true meaning or literal meaning of a word]). 25. eu- (Greek: good, well, normal; happy, pleasing; used as a prefix). 26. exo-, ec-, e- (Greek: out of, out, outside; away from; used as a prefix). 27. geo-, ge- (Greek: earth, world). 28. glotto-, glot-, -glott (Greek: tongue; by extension, “speech, language”). Also: glosso-, gloss- (Greek: tongue; language, speech). 29. grapho-, graph-, -graph, -graphy, -grapher, -graphia (Greek: to scratch; write, record, draw, describe). 30. gymno-, gymn- (Greek: naked, uncovered; unclad). 31. gyno-, gyn-, gynaeco-, gyneco-, gyne-, -gynia, -gynic, gynec-, -gynist, -gynous, -gyny (Greek: woman, female). 32. helio-, heli- (Greek: sun). 33. hemi- (Greek: half). 34. hetero-, heter- (Greek: different, other, another, unlike; used as a prefix). 35. hippo-, hipp- (Greek: horse). 36. homo-, hom- (Greek: same, equal, like, similar, common; one and the same). 37. hydro-, hydra-, hydr-, hyd- (Greek: water). 38. hyper-, hyp- (Greek: above, over; excessive; more than normal; abnormal excess [in medicine]; abnormally great or powerful sensation [in physical or pathological terms]; highest [in chemical compounds]; used as a prefix). 39. hypo-, hyp- (Greek: under, below, beneath; less than; too little; deficient, diminished; used as a prefix). 40. icono-, icon- (Greek: image, likeness; sacred or holy image). 41. -itis (Greek: a suffix; inflammation, burning sensation; by extension, disease associated with inflammation). 42. kilo-, kil- (Greek: one thousand; a decimal prefix used in the international metric system for measurements). 43. kine-, kin-, kino-, kinesio-, kinesi-, kineto-, kinet-, -kinesia, -kinesis, -kinetic, -kinesias, -kineses, -kinetical, -kinetically (Greek: move, set in motion; muscular activity). Also: cine-, cinem-, cinema-, cinemat-, cinemato-, -cinesia, -cinesis, -cinetic, -cinesias, -cineses, -cinetical, -cinetically (Greek: move, movement, set in motion). 44. -latry, -olatry, -later, -olater, -latress, -olatress, -latria, -latrous, -olatrous (Greek: a suffix; worship; excessively, fanatically devoted to someone or something; “service paid to the gods”). 45. litho-, lith-, -lith, -lithic, -lite, -liths, -lites (Greek: stone, rock). 46. logo-, log-, -logia, -logical, -logism, -logician, -logian, -logist, -logy, -logue (Greek: talk, speech, speak; word). 47. macro-, macr- (Greek: large, great; long [in extent or duration]; enlarged, or elongated, long). 48. -mania, -maniac, -maniacal, -manic, -manically, -maniacally (Greek: mental disorder). 49. mega-, meg- (Greek: large, great, big, powerful; a decimal prefix used in the international metric system for measurements). 50. meter-, metro-, metr-, -metrical, -metrically, -metron, -metric, -metrist, -meters, -metry, -metre (Greek: measure). 51. micro-, micr- (Greek: small, tiny; a decimal prefix used in the international metric system for measurements). 52. miso-, mis- (Greek: hate, hater, hatred; used as a prefix). 53. mne-, mnem-, mnemon-, mnes-, -mnesia, -mnesiac, -mnesic, -mnestic (Greek: memory, to remember). 54. mono-, mon- (Greek: one, alone, single; a number used as a prefix). 55. morpho-, morph-, -morphous, -morphically, -morphia, -morphosis, -morphously, -morphy, -morphic, -morphism (Greek: shape, form, figure, appearance). 56. naus-, nau- (Greek: ship, sailor). 57. neo-, ne- (Greek: new, recent, current, young). 58. odonto-, odont-, odon-, -odont, -odonic, -odontic, -odontia, -odontoid (Greek: tooth, teeth). 59. -oid, -oidal, -oidism, -ode (Greek: a suffix; like, resembling, similar to, form). 60. oligo-, olig- (Greek: few, small; abnormally few or small; used as a prefix). 61. onomato-, onoma-, onomo-, onom-, ono- (Greek: name; word). 62. ortho-, orth- (Greek: right, straight, correct, true; designed to correct). 63. paleo- (Greek: old; of a past era). 64. pachy-, pacho-, pach- (Greek: thick, dense; large, massive). 65. pedo-, paedo-, ped-, paed-, paido-, paid- (Greek: child). The British tend to use “paed-” while those in the United States tend to use “ped-”. Remember that the Greek ped- means “child” while the Latin ped- means “foot”. Don't confuse this Greek element with another Greek pedo- which means “ground, soil, earth”. 66. pan-, panto-, pant- (Greek: all, every). 67. patho-, -path-, -pathia, -pathic, -pathology, -pathetic, -pathize, -pathy (Greek: feeling, sensation, perception, suffering, [in medicine, it usually means “one who suffers from a disease of, or one who treats a disease”]). 68. peri- (Greek: around, about, near, enclosing; used as a prefix). 69. petro-, petr-, peter- (Greek: stone, rock). 70. phago-, phag-, -phag, -phage, -phagic, -phagia, -phagism, -phagist, -phagous (Greek: eat, consume). 71. philo-, phil-, -phile, -philia, -philic, -philous, -phily, -philiac, -philist, -philism (Greek: love, loving, friendly to, fondness for, attraction to, strong tendency toward, affinity for). Note: under some circumstances, -philia means “unwholesome-sexual attraction” to something or someone, as in pedophilia. 72. -phobia, -phobias, -phobe, -phobiac, -phobist, -phobic, -phobism, -phobous; phobo-, phob- (Greek: fear, extreme fear of, morbid fear of, excessive fear of, irrational fear or terror of something or someone; however, sometimes this Greek element means a strong dislike or hatred for something). Noun endings are formed with -phobia and -phobe; while adjectives end with -phobic. 73. phono-, phon-, -phone, -phonia, -phonic, -phonetic, -phonous, -phonically, -phonetically, -phony (Greek: phone; sound; voice). 74. photo-, phot-, -photic, -phote (Greek: light). 75. pneumo-, pneum-, pneumono-, pneumon- (Greek: lung [breath]). 76. podo-, pod-, -poda, -pod, -pode, -podium, -podia, -podial, -podous, -pody (Greek: foot, feet). 77. polis-, polit-, poli- (Greek: city; method of government). 78. poly- (Greek: many, much; too many, too much, excessive; often used as a prefix). Don’t confuse this poly- with the next -poly that means “to sell”. 79. -poly, -pole, -polism, -polist, -polistic, -polistically (Greek: used as a suffix; sale, selling; one who sells; pertaining to selling). 80. pro-, por- (Greek > Latin: used as a prefix). a) before, b) forward, c) for, in favor of, d) in front of, e) in place of, on behalf of 81. pseudo-, pseud- (Greek: false, deception, lying, untrue, counterfeit; used as a prefix). 82. psycho-, psych-, -psyche, -psychic, -psychical, -psychically (Greek: the mind or the mental processes). Etymologically, this word also means, breath, life, soul, spirit, mind, and consciousness. 83. pyro-, pyr- (Greek: fire, burn; and sometimes “fever”; heat, produced by heating). 84. sarco-, sarc-, -sarcous, -sarc, -sarcoma, -sarcomatous, -sarcomatoid (Greek: flesh, meat). 85. sauro-, saur-, -saurus, -saurid, -saur, -sauria, -saurian (Greek: lizard). 86. scopo-, scop-, scept-, skept-, -scope-, -scopy, -scopia, -scopic, -scopist (Greek: see, view, sight, look at, examine). 87. seismo-, seism-, -seism, -seisms, -seisma, -seismically, -seismical, -seismal, -seismic (Greek: shake, earthquake [move to and fro’; to shake, move violently]). 88. soma-, som-, somat-, somato-, -soma, -some, -somus, -somia, -somic, -somal, -somite, -somatous, -somatia, -somatic (Greek: body; mass). 89. sopho-, soph-, sophic, -soph, -sopher, -sophy, -sophical, -sophically, -sophist (Greek: wise, wisdom; knowledge). 90. stereo-, stere- (Greek: solid, firm, hard; three-dimensional). 91. syn-(sy-, sym-, syl-, sys-) (Greek: together, with, along with). By extension, syn- may also mean: together, with; united; same, similar; at the same time. 92. tacho-, tach-, tachy- (Greek: fast, speed, swift, rapid). 93. techno-, techn-, tect-, -technic[s], -technique, -technology, -technical, -technically (Greek: art, skill, craft; techne, art, skill, craft; tekton, “builder”). 94. tele-, tel-, telo-, -telic, -telical (Greek: far away, far off, at a distance). Don’t confuse this tele- with the teleo- that means “end, last”. 95. thanato-, thanat-, thanas-, -thanasia, -thanasic (Greek: death, dead). 96. theo-, the-, -theism, -theist, -theistic (Greek: God, god, deity, divine). 97. therap-, -therapeutic[s], -therapeutically, -therapy, -therapies, -therapist (Greek: heal, cure; treatment; service done to the sick, a waiting on). 98. thermo-, therm-, thermi-, -thermia, -therm, -thermal, -thermic, -thermous, -thermy (Greek: heat). 99. toxico-, toxic-, toxi-, tox-, toxin-, -toxically, -toxaemia, -toxemia, -toxaemic, -toxemic, -toxical, -toxy, -toxis, -toxicosis, -toxism, -toxia, -toxin, -toxicity (Greek: poison). 100. xeno-, xen- (Greek: foreign, foreigner, strange, stranger; and by extension, guest). Greeks are said to have considered any stranger a “guest” and modern Greek includes xenodochion a “guest house” or “house for guests” or its modern version of “hotel”. 101. xero-, xer-, xir- (Greek: dry). 102. zoo-, zo-, -zoic, -zoid, -zoite, -zoal, -zonal, -zooid, -zoon, -zoa, -zoan (Greek: animal; living being; life).