

Words can be broken down into parts that have meaning.
A “base” word, or “root”, is what gives a word its basic meaning.
We can use base words by themselves and we can add prefixes and suffixes to change the meaning of a base or root word.
When we decode and encode, we will get into the habit of identifying the base or root word first.
The terms “base” word and “root” word are slightly different, but not a focus.
A “base” word has a meaning when used by itself, as in base word “land” from “landing”.
A “root” word has a meaning, but can’t typically be used by itself, as in the root word “ject” from “inject”.
You may find that at some point it’s tricky to identify the base or root word. This is a great time to do some exploring about the word, its history, and related words.
