The main reason students find science difficult to understand is due to the large number of words that are hard to write, spell, and read.
Actually, scientific vocabulary is a hodgepodge of little words, called prefixes and suffixes, that are linked together to have different meanings.
If you learn the meanings of the prefixes and suffixes, you'll find scientific vocabulary much easier to understand.
Use this list to guess the meaning of each of the terms.
Prefix/Suffix | Meaning | Prefix/Suffix | Meaning |
hemo | blood | a or an | not, without, lacking |
hyper | above | auto | self |
hypo | below | aero | air |
intra | within, inside | endo | inner, inside |
itis | disease, inflammation | entero | intestine |
lateral | side | aero | needing oxygen or air |
ology | study of | anti | against |
lys | break down | amphi | both, doubly |
meter | measurement | aqua | water |
meso | middle | arthro | joint |
mono | one, single | auto | self |
morph | form | bi | two, twice, double |
micro | small | bio | life, living |
macro | large | carne | flesh |
multi | many | cephal | head |
pod | foot | chloro | green |
phage | to eat | chromo | color |
phobia | dislike, fear | cide | killer, kill, killing |
philia | like | cyto | cell |
plasm | form | derm | skin |
proto | first | di | two, double |
photo | light | ecto (exo) | outer, external |
poly | many | endo | internal |
sclera | harden | epi | above |
synthesis | to make | gastro | stomach |
sub | lesser, below | genesis | origin, beginning |
troph | eat, consume | herba | plants |
therm | heat | hetero | different |
vore | swallow, devour | homo | alike, similar |
zoo, zoa | animal | hydro | water |