ANIM comes from the Latin anima, meaning "breath" or "soul." So, for example, an animal is a living, breathing thing--though human animals have often argued about whether other species actually have souls.

Word Phonetic Audio
animated ˈa-nə-ˌmā-təd
magnanimous mag-ˈna-nə-məs
animosity ˌa-nə-ˈmä-sə-tē
inanimate (ˌ)i-ˈna-nə-mət

FIG comes from a Latin verb meaning "to shape or mold" and a noun meaning "a form or shape." So a figure is usually a shape. A transfiguration transforms the shape or appearance of something. And a disfiguring injury changes the appearance of part of the body for the worse.

Word Phonetic Audio
figurative ˈfi-g(y)ə-rə-tiv
configuration kən-ˌfi-gyə-ˈrā-shən
effigy ˈe-fə-jē
figment ˈfig-mənt

ANN/ENN comes from Latin annus, meaning "year." An annual event occurs yearly. An anniversary is an example of an annual event, although the older you get the more frequent they seem to be.

Word Phonetic Audio
annuity ə-ˈnü-ə-tē
superannuated ˌsü-pər-ˈan-yə-ˌwā-təd
millennium mə-ˈle-nē-əm
perennial pə-ˈre-nē-əl

EV comes from the Latin aevum, "age" or "lifetime." Though the root occurs in only a few English words, it's related to the Greek aion, "age," from which we get the word eon, meaning "a very long period of time."

Word Phonetic Audio
coeval kō-ˈē-vəl
longevity län-ˈje-və-tē
medieval ˌmē-ˈdē-vəl
primeval prī-ˈmē-vəl

CORP comes from corpus, the Latin word for "body." A corpse is a dead body. A corporation is also a kind of body, since it may act almost like an individual. And a corps is a "body" of soldiers.

Word Phonetic Audio
corporeal kȯr-ˈpȯr-ē-əl
corpulent ˈkȯr-pyə-lənt
corporal ˈkȯr-p(ə-)rəl
incorporate in-ˈkȯr-pə-ˌrāt

TANG/TACT comes from the Latin words tangere, "to touch," and tactus, "sense of touch." So, for instance, to make contact is to touch or "get in touch with."

Word Phonetic Audio
tact ˈtakt
tactile ˈtak-tᵊl
tangential tan-ˈjen(t)-shəl
tangible ˈtan-jə-bəl

CODI/CODE comes from the Latin codex, maning "trunk of a tree" or "document written on wooden tablets." A code can be either a set of laws or a system of symbols used to write messages. To encode a message is to write it in code. A genetic code, transmitted by genes, is a set of instructions for everything from blood type to eye color.

Word Phonetic Audio
codex ˈkō-ˌdeks
codicil ˈkä-də-səl
codify ˈkä-də-ˌfī
decode (ˌ)dē-ˈkōd

SIGN comes from the Latin noun signum, "mark or sign." A signal is kind of sign. Your signature is your own personal sign. And an architect's design marks out the pattern for a building.

Word Phonetic Audio
signify ˈsig-nə-ˌfī
insignia in-ˈsig-nē-ə
signatory ˈsig-nə-ˌtȯr-ē
signet ˈsig-nət

QUADR/QUART comes from Latin words meaning "four" or "fourth." In English, a quart is one-fourth of a gallon, just as a quarter is one-fourth of a dollar. A quadrangle has four sides and angles but isn't necessarily square. And quadruplets are four babies born at the same time.

Word Phonetic Audio
quadrant ˈkwä-drənt
quadrille kwä-ˈdril
quadriplegic ˌkwä-drə-ˈplē-jik
quartile ˈkwȯr-ˌtī(-ə)l

TETR comes from the Greek word for "four." In the immensely popular video game Tetris, for example, each of the pieces the game is played with has four segments. But the root usually shows up in long chemical names.

Word Phonetic Audio
tetracycline ˌte-trə-ˈsī-ˌklēn
tetrahedron ˌte-trə-ˈhē-drən
tetralogy te-ˈträ-lə-jē
tetrapod ˈte-trə-ˌpäd