3
Technical English Vocabulary

3.1 Grammar 101: Homonyms

What are Homonyms? In its strict meaning, homonyms are words, which share the same pronunciation, sometimes have similar spelling, but will always have different meanings.

The picture below shows two pears. However, the word ‘pear’ shares the same pronunciation as two other words, pair and pare. Of course, different spelling and meanings exist for each homonym. Thus, this chapter instructs on the topic, homonyms, and provides solutions to comprehend their differences, so that you will understand which English word is used in a conversation.

Pair, pare, and pear in sentences:

1. The firm found ways to pare down expenses (meaning: to lower or decrease).
2. That couple make a good pair (meaning: two people or things together).
3. During the fall season, they like eating pears, and not oranges (meaning: a pear is fruit).

For Germans and other non-English speaking people, homonyms can be treacherous (dangerous) words to deal with. After all, the word “lead” has two different meanings with two different pronunciations, yet they are spelled the same!

QUIZ YOURSELF – Pronounce these two words

lead^n. (Pb), pronounced with a “soft e” sound; Atomic-Nr. 82, a heavy element, which blocks/absorbs radiation.
to lead^v. pronounced with a “hard e” sound; led^v., past tense of to lead^v..

Listed below are several examples of homonyms.

3.1.1 Homonyms That are Spelled the Same, yet Many Times Have a Different Pronunciation, and Different Meanings

Homonym	Definition/comment/usage in a sentence
• to bow^v.	to bend the head, body, or knee in reverence, submission, or shame; the Japanese traditionally bow their heads to show one's respect for another
• bow^n.	the forward part of the hull of a ship or boat
• to close^v.	as in, “Please close the door!”
• close	something nearby
• to desert^v.	to abandon
• desert^n.	an arid, dry region, minimal amount of rain or precipitation (Reminder! If you eat cake or ice cream after a meal, that is dessert, it has a different meaning, spelling, and pronunciation)
• dove^n.	the white bird, symbol of peace, Taube
• dove^v.	past tense of the verb, to dive, as in, “I dove from the ball, and was not hit by it.”
• to hide^v.	to put something away, not to be seen
• hide^n.	animal skin
• to lean^v.	to prop yourself up against a person, wall, building
• lean^adj.	as in low-fat or lean meat (mageres Fleisch)
• left	opposite of right
• left^v.	past tense of to leave, “He left his home for work.”
• mine^pers.pro.	the personal pronoun, “That book is mine, it belongs to me!”
• to mine^v.	as in mining for diamonds, coal, minerals; “Zollverein, Essen, Germany was a coal mine.”
• mine^n.	as in an explosive device, which can maim or kill. Can be used on land (mine fields) or at sea (ball shaped, with protruding rods, and when in contact with the surface of a ship, explodes)
• patient^n.	person treated by a physician or in a hospital
• patient^adj.	to remain calm, wait without complaining, not hasty or provocative
• rose	the flower with thorns on its stems and shoots
• rose^v.	past tense of the verb, to rise^v.
• row^n.	(a) argument, a fight (pronounced, rau) (b) a number of objects arranged in a usually straight line
• to row^v.	to row a boat
• stalk^n.	part or organ of a plant
• to stalk^v.	to follow, watch and/or harass a person. As in the ex-Beatle, John Lennon was stalked by a mentally unstable person (Marc Chapman), who eventually murdered him (December 1979).
• sole^n.	type of fish, as in filet of sole
• sole^n.	bottom part of shoe
• soul^n.	the spiritual part or principle embodied in human being
• to tear^v.	Tränen, Träne
• tear^n.	the water drop coming from the eye from tearing, i.e., to shed tears
• to tear^v., tear	reißen, Riss
• tire^n.	used on an auto or truck for moving along (Reifen)
• to tire^v.	to become exhausted
• trip^n.	going on a voyage, vacation or just plain old business trip
• to trip^v.	be careful not to trip on the wire or cable, trip over your shoe laces
• watch^n.	device worn on person's wrist (Gelenk) to tell time (a clock tells time, and usually hangs on a wall in a room or hallway and is far to big to be worn on a person)
• to watch^v.	to view an event such as a football or handball game
• watch	to be on guard, as in the military, when a soldier is on watch, looking out for enemies or dangerous intruders
• well^n.	source of water, as in a well found in the desert
• well^adv.	in a good or proper manner, a person being of good health, as in wellness
• to wind^v.	as in to winding up a coil, cord, cable, and so on.
• wind^n.	the howling wind during a hurricane

3.1.2 Homonyms with Similar Pronunciations, But Having a Different Meaning and Spelling

Homonym	Definition/comment/usage in a sentence
• ad^n.	short word for advertisement
• to add^v.	short for addition
• to aid^v.	to assist, as in First Aid
• aide	an assistant, a helper
• aisle	walkway on a plane, concert hall, movie theater, and so on.
• I'll	I will (word contraction)
• isle	island
• allowed^v.	permitted
• aloud	to say something out loud
• altar^n.	raised center of worship, site where people get married on or under
• to alter^v.	to change (as in the alteration of clothing)
• ant^n.	a non-winged insect (three pairs of legs, exoskeleton)
• aunt^n.	relative, as in your mother or father's sister (Tante)
• arc	(a) something curved or arched
	(b) an arc of lightening (Blitz) or electric charge
	(c) degree measurement on the circumference of a circle
• ark	Noah's boat, which was filled with animals to be saved from the famous flood
• ate^v.	chewed up and swallowed, past tense of to eat^v.
• eight	number after seven
• band^n.	music band, as in the Beatles or U2 “Rock and Roll” bands
• banned^v.	forbidden, not allowed, to ban^v.
• to bare^v.	to become naked, to show all
• bear^n.	polar bears
• to be^v.	to exist; I am, you are, she/he is, we were, and so on. (sein; ich bin, usw.)
• bee^n.	winged insect (three pairs of legs, exoskeleton), a honey producing insect
• to beat^v.	(a) to hit (b) to win against (vs.) another team
• beet	red beet, vegetable
• berth	(a) place to sleep on a ship, plane (b) place where a ship lies waiting in a harbor
• birth	date you arrived (were born) on this planet!
• to buy^v.	opposite of to sell^v. (kaufen)
• by	beside, to be beside a person; “I will be at a location by 13:00!”
• to break^v.	smash, destroy
• to brake^v.	to stop an auto, bicycle, or vehicle
• brake^n.	the actual mechanical part to stop an auto, bicycle, or vehicle
• byte^n.	computer data
• to bite^v.	chew into food
• borough^n.	county or district; such as the borough of Queens or Brooklyn, New York City
• to burrow^v.	dig like what some animals do
• burro^n.	small donkey
• boar^n.	a wild boar (pig)
• to bore^v.	to bore a hole in wood, ground, metal, and so on
• bred^v.	to breed animals, plants
• bread^n.	Brot
• to cite^v.	quote, to cite a phrase, poem or quotation from a famous speech; “Ich bin ein Berliner” (JFK's famous speech at the Berlin Wall, 26 June, 1963)
• site^n.	location, place, facility
• sight	view, to see
• cell^n.	(a) as in animal or plant cell
	(b) compartment, prison cell
• to sell^v.	opposite of to buy^v. (verkaufen)
• coarse	the feel of a material, is it coarse or fine, if coarse, it has a rough, grainy feel
• course	(a) a chosen path, the way a person travels (b) an academic lesson or lecture (c) a golf course (d) courses of a meal, such as the main meal (main course)
• to complement	enhance, things that go together
• to compliment^v.	give praise, man compliments a woman on her dress, attractiveness
• council^n.	a committee, such as a town or city council
• to counsel^v.	to give guidance
• creak	squeaking sound, as in walking on an old wooden floor
• creek	stream of water
• dear	darling, salutation
• deer	woodland animal, brownish fur, males usually have antlers
• dew	morning mist
• to do^v.	perform, produce, put forth, carry out or execute an order, command or wish
• due	payable, a date to pay or do something
• to die^v.	cease to exist, to be no longer alive
• dye^n.	color used for fabrics or other industrial applications
• doe^n.	female deer
• dough^n.	uncooked bread (Teig)
• dual	double
• to duel^v.	when two or more people battle each other
• to earn^v.	as in earn money, to receive something for work or a good effort done
• urn^n.	usually a vase containing the remains of a cremated loved one
• to faint^v.	to pass out, lose consciousness
• feint	a weak attack to confuse the enemy
• fair	to be just, to make the right decision
• fair	exhibition, trade show or Messe
• fare	the cost for a ride on public transportation such as a city bus or subway (U-Bahn)
• to find^v.	to locate a person or something
• fined	a penalty, as in being fined for a parking violation or driving too fast
• to flee^v.	to run away, maybe in panic
• flea^n.	small insect which bites
• flour^n.	powdered grain from wheat, corn, and so on
• flower^n.	a plant in bloom
• foul	to do something very offensive or illegal
• fowl	poultry such as a hen or rooster
• gait	the way a person or animal walks or runs
• gate	a wooden or iron fence entrance to a house or property
• gene	as in genetics, contains a biochemical code
• jean	pants (denim fabric)
• gorilla	large ape
• guerrilla	a person who engages in irregular warfare, especially as a member of an independent unit carrying out sabotage
• grease	fat-based lubricant, an oily substance
• to grease^v.	to smear a lubricant on
• Greece	EU nation with Athens as it's capital (not Capitol, which is the building in Washington, DC, that is home to the House of Representatives (Congress) and Senate)
• guessed^v.	past tense for, to guess^v.
• guest^n.	a visitor, guest at a hotel
• hair	as in what grows on the head of certain mammals
• hare	rabbit
• hangar	where planes are placed for protection or renovation
• hanger	what you place or put clothing (shirt, pants, jacket, sweater, etc.) on
• he'll	he will
• to heal^v.	when a patient has improvement with his/her health, as in a wound or laceration, goes thru the healing process
• to heel^v.	what a dog does, when its master says, “Heel!”, and sits upright on its hind paws
• heel	hind or back part of the foot
• heard^v.	past tense of the verb, to hear
• herd^n.	as in a herd of elephants, whales, deer, or moose
• heroin	narcotic drug
• heroine	female hero
• hi!	hello
• high	way up
• hoarse	rough or harsh voice
• horse	animal for riding
• hole	an opening through something (hole in one's pants, hole in the ground)
• whole	complete, having all its parts, whole-wheat bread (Vollkornbrot)
• hour	time, as in its 5 pm (17:00) or 5 am (5:00)
• our	possessive form, meaning belongs to us!
• Humerus	long upper arm bone
• Humorous (humor^AmE)	funny
• idle^v.	to be doing nothing, not working
• idol	a G-d, object of worship
• idyl	an idyllic, very fine, nice place
• to incite^v.	to start trouble, provoke a fight
• insight	understanding, to have a view into an issue or topic
• it's	it is (word contraction)
• Its	possessive pronoun
• to knead^v.	to work with bread or cookie dough
• to need^v.	must have, a necessity
• knight	knight in shining armor (armour^BrE)
• night	evening (≠ morning)
• mourning,	to mourn (trauern) the loss of a loved one, mother, father, good friend
• to mourn^v.	to grieve over the loss of a loved one
• morning	as in the morning of a day, perhaps expressed or recognized by most people, 5 am to 12 noon (≠ night)
• plain^adj.	the plain and simple truth, something without extras, ornaments, undecorated
• plain^n.	a broad area of level or rolling treeless country/area… the plains of the American mid-Western states such as Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, and so on
• plane^n.	what one flies in, a Boeing 747 is an airplane (not airplain)
• to pray^v.	as in praying to G-d, praying that good things will happen
• prey^n.	animals which predators chase for, try to kill and eat
• rain	weather's precipitation
• reign	rule by a monarchy, the reign of Queen Elizabeth
• read^v.	past tense of the verb, to read
• to read^v.	to read a book, newspaper, past tense for reading a book, literature
• red	color, infrared
• to roll^v.	(a) to move across the ground or another surface by turning over and over (b) to move as tires on an auto or truck roll
• roll	small bread (Brotchen) to make a sandwich with
• role	(a) the role someone plays in a game, show, event, and so on. (b) the role a person plays in a family or group
• route	road traveled, plan for travel
• root	the root of a problem, root of a plant, root of a tooth
• sow	to scatter seeds (Samen) over the ground for growing
• sow	adult female pig, but pronounced, sou as in the word “sour” (sour cream)
• stake^n.	a piece of wood or metal pointed at one end for driving into the ground as a marker or fence
• stake^v.	to take or claim, as in a stakeholder, someone having a claim to land, deal, stock
• steak^n.	a slice of meat, typically beef (tuna steak also), usually cut thick
• tale	a rumor^AmE or report of a personal of sensational nature, a story or brief account of an event or happening, stories that could be gossip or untrue
• tail	the part of the body upon which someone sits, an animal's (horse, cow, lion, etc.) tail, the tail (back end) of a ship
• vein	blood vessels with valves, mostly carry blood rich in CO₂
• vane	as in a weather vane (Wetterfahne), which tells the wind direction
• vain	showing or having undue or excessive pride in one's appearance or achievements, conceited
• vial^n.	specimen jar
• vile^adj.	horrible, disgusting
• their^{poss.pers.pro.}	possessive, third person plural form
• there	in a direction:
	“There is the ship that docked at the harbor last night.” “There are three apples on the table.”
• they're	they are (word contraction)
• waste^n.	garbage, trash, rubbish (Abfall)
• to waste^v.	to slowly damage or destroy away, to wear away, to spend carelessly (waste money)
• waist^n.	located at the hip (Hüfte) of the human body
• weather	the state of the atmosphere with respect to temperature (heat or cold), humidity (damp, humid, dry, the 3Hs; hazy, hot, humid!), calm or stormy, clear or cloudy… so how does weather differ from climate or vice-versa?
• whether	which of the two, “Whether we go to the movies or the basketball game, that has not been decided!”
• which	question word, “Which closet is the money in?”
• witch	(Hexe), a sorcerer, an uncomplimentary term for any female (woman) at any age!

3.1.3 QUIZ YOURSELF: Homonyms

Underlined in each sentence below are homonyms. See if you can interpret the true meaning of the sentence.

1. Tracey didn't feel well after falling into the well.
2. There was a big row in the first row of the theater.
3. Let's wind up the kite string before the wind gets too wild.
4. If the judges are fair, our rabbit will win a ribbon at the fair.
5. That creaking sound makes me wonder if this building is sound.
6. The oil well is yours and the gold mine is mine.
7. From the air, the dove dove to the ground to eat the peanut.
8. The rose bushes rose out of the fertile ground.
9. I won't shed a tear if you tear my old shirt into shreds.
10. Their dog was happy when you dropped the ground beef onto the ground.

3.2 Prefixes and Suffixes

3.2.1 Useful Hints Toward Deciphering the Technical Word's Definition

Would you agree that the German language has its fair share of prefixes (Vorsilbe)-/suffixes (Nachsilbe) to learn? Surely you'll agree, so let's look at some examples using the “Vorsilbe”:

Vorsilbe/Nachsilbe	German words using either a Vorsilbe-/Nachsilbe
An-	Ankunft, anfangen
Auf-	Aufladen, aufhören
Aus-	Ausverkauft, Ausländer, Auszahlung
Ein-	Einladung, Einzahlung
Ent-	Entsorgen, enttäuscht
Mit-	Mitnehmen, Mitarbeiter
-schaft (makes word into a noun!)	Landschaft, Mitgliedschaft, Freundschaft, Nachbarschaft
Um-	Umdrehen, Umfang, Umleitung, Umstände
-ung	Untersuchung, Reservierung, Buchhaltung, Umleitung

Vorsilbe-/Nachsilbe	Deutsches Wort	Comparable or other English word with prefix-/suffix explaining its meaning
Auf-	Aufladen	re-, re-charging a battery
Aus-	Ausverkauft	out-, sold out concert
Ein-	Einladung, einatmen	in-, invite some one for dinner (Abendessen), for a wedding (Hochzeit)
Ent-	Entsorgen	dis-,
		dispose or discard waste (Müll) properly,especially dangerous chemicals(Gefahrstoffe) dismantle a nuclear power station discharge a soldier from the military forinsubordination
Mit-	Mitnehmen	with-, to take food with you (Essen mitnehmen)
-schaft		various suffixes
	– Landschaft– Freundschaft, Mitgliedschaft– Nachbarschaft	– scape; landscape– ship; friendship, membership, relationship,internship– hood; neighborhood, father- ormotherhood
Um-	umdrehen umschreiben Umstand	circum- circle's circumference (Kreisumfang) circumscribe (umschreiben) circumstance (Umstand)
-ung	Untersuchung, Reservierung	-tion examination reservation
-ung	Buchhaltung, Umleitung	-ing book accounting re-routing, (also detour) redirecting

3.2.1.1 Photosynthesis… A Wonderful Scientific Word to Start with This Topic, Prefixes-/Suffixes!

So what does photosynthesis have to do with this book chapter? PLENTY!!! It's about learning the prefixes and suffixes, for which the majority of technical and medical English words have their roots in either Greek or Latin languages.

As you know from biology or botany, plants are autotrophs, which use sunlight + chlorophyll to chemically produce food in the form of sugar [(CH₂O)₆] with O₂ as a bi-product of the synthesis.

The following equation summarizes photosynthesis

3.2.1.2 Prefixes and Suffixes

Currently, the English language has more than 100 prefixes and suffixes, and as an example, the word, incomprehensibility, which means, “something hard to understand” has several of those in one single word. The prefixes a-, anti-, in-, il-, im-, ir-, un-, and non-, all express some form of negation, and thus the main point about this topic is to help you “break-down” the technical word.

A very good example of how knowledge about prefixes and suffixes can come in handy was during a laboratory assistant's presentation on the joint disease known as “Arthritis” (Arthrose). In addition to having difficulty pronouncing the word Arthritis, many in the group were not sure if other medical conditions have words ending with –itis (suffix), which means “inflammation” (Entzündung). This was especially important to this group, especially since their pharmaceutical products include inflammation as well as pain reduction! Furthermore, from this exercise, certain synonyms (words of similar meaning) ≠ antonyms (words of different meaning) can be learned.

So, can you think of other medical conditions ending with the suffix, -itis? How about: Dermatitis, Appendicitis, Bursitis, Gastritis, Encephalitis, Bronchitis. Can you think of others? Now, let's place these medical words mentioned above in this chart:

Suffix	Definition/meaning	Example(s) of words
-cide	killer of	algacide, biocide, pesticide, fungicide, suicide, homicide, fratricide, matricide, genocide
-ectomy	to remove surgically (Chirugie)	Appendectomy, removal of the appendix(Blinddarm) Tonsillectomy, removal of the tonsils(Mandeln) Mastectomy, removal of breast tissue(Brustgewebe)
-ism	suffix appended to many philosophical, economic, or religious concepts	Buddhism, Capitalism, Communism, Hinduism… Reminder about capitalization rules in English language; religions, economic, or political systems are capitalized!
-itis	inflammation, infection	appendicitis, bronchitis, bursitis, dermatitis, encephalitis, gastritis, meningitis

3.2.1.3 QUIZ YOURSELF

Read the following questions and select the correct word in bold print, which fits the meaning of the sentence:

1. A person who remains alone, doesn't interact with anyone, is unsociable or shy is considered an… extrovert or introvert.
2. When fertilization occurs between the egg and sperm, which occurs… contraception or conception?
3. When something is situated outside, apart or beyond, such as applying a lotion, crème, or topical to the skin, it is therefore considered applied… internally or externally?
4. When a reaction releases heat, it is considered… exothermic or endothermic.

Were your answers…?

1. introvert (intro- meaning shy, stays alone; introvertiert).
2. conception (con- to conceive, as to conceive a child, where as contraception prevents fertilization; Kontrazeption). Conception (Auffassung, Begriff) can also have another meaning such as understand, grasp a topic, idea and yes… a concept!
3. external (ex- meaning outside; extern, äußerlich).
4. exothermic (exo- meaning outside, external; exotherm).

Last, but not least, did you observe any antonyms such as.…

external ≠ internal
endothermic ≠ exothermic

Examples of antonyms using the “non” prefix negative connotation would be the following: non-reactive, non-smoker, non-alcoholic.

3.2.1.4 Scientific-/Technical Vocabulary List with Prefixes and Suffixes

Now try learning Mr. H's technical English prefix-/suffix system. After reviewing the vocabulary list, a quiz (unscramble words) to test your comprehension skills follows. Reminder! It is impossible to contain a complete chart with all prefixes and suffixes; after all, new words are invented each day!

Scientific-/Technical Prefixes and Suffixes
Prefix or Suffix	Definition	Example(s) of words
a-, an-	without	anesthesia, abort (as in aborting a mission or project), anemic (anemia), anaerobic, achromatic, amoral, atypical
-able/-ible	to be able	capable, compatible, comfortable, edible
aero-	air	aerodynamic, aerobic
ante-	before, preceding	antecedent, anterior (≠ posterior), ante-room, antebellum (pre-US Civil War time, rhymes with “cerebellum”)
anti- also ant-	opposing, against, the opposite	anti-aircraft, antibiotic, antibody, antifungal, antidote, anticlimax, Antarctic, antifreeze, antihistamine, anticrime, antiseptic, antithesis, antonym, antidepressant
arthro-	joint	Arthritis, arthroscopic surgery
-ase	Refers to an enzyme	lactase, lipase, oxidase, phosphatase,
auto-	self	autotrophic^adj., autobiography, autoimmune, automation
bi-	two	bisect, bicycle, bilateral, bicep, Sodium bicarbonate (NaCO₃), biathlete vs. triathlete, bivalve binoculars
bio-	life	biology, biological, biography, biodiversity, biohazard, biofuel
-cede, -ceed, -cess	to go, to yield	succeed, succession, successor (≠ predecessor), proceed, precede, recede, secede (secession), exceed, excess, concede (concession)
chloro-	green	chlorophyll
chroma-	color	chromatography, chromatic, chromosomes
-cide	killer of	algacide, biocide, pesticide, fungicide, suicide, homicide, fratricide, matricide, genocide
circum-	surround, about	circumference, circulatory, circumstances, circumnavigate, circumcise, circumscribe, circuitous, circumvent
com-, con-	with, together	Combine, compress, compact, compatible, comfortable, convene, contemporary, converge, confluence, conjoin, convert^v. (conversion^n.), consequence, contract, concede, convex lens vs. concave lens
contra-, counter-	against, opposite	contraception, contradict (contradiction), counteract, contravene, contrary, counterspy, contrast, controversy, counterfeit, counterclaim, counterpoint, counterrevolution, contraband
cyto- -cyte	cell	cytoplasm/spermacyte
de-	take away,	degenerate^v., degeneration^n., delete, deteriorate, decentralization, deforestation, dehumidify, decapitate, dehydrate^v., dehydration^v.
-dermis, derma-	skin	dermatologist, epidermis
di-	two	dichlorobenzene, diatomic, carbon dioxide (CO₂), dissect
dis-,	negation, removal, expulsion	disadvantage, disbar, discharge, dismount, dismiss, dissimilar, disrespect, dislocate, discomfort, disable
dys-	negation, bad or poor, not working properly	dyspepsia, dysfunction, dyskinetic, dyslexia
ecto-, exo- ex-	outside, external	ectoderm, exoskeleton, exothermic (≠ endothermic), exit, exclude, extreme, explore, ectoplasm, exhale (≠ inhale), explosion, excrete, exogenous, exception
endo-	inside, internal	endoderm, endoskeleton, endothermic (≠ exothermic), endoscope, endogenous
epi-	upon	epidermis, epicenter
gastro-, gastr-	stomach	gastroenterology, gastritis
geo-	earth	geology, geothermal
hemato-, hemo-	blood	hemophilia, hematology, hemorrhage, hemoglobin
hemi-, semi-	half	hemisphere/semiconscious, semi-circle
herb-	plant	herbivore, herbal
hetero-	other	heterotrophic^adj., heterogeneous heterosexual
histo-	tissue	histology
homo-	same	homologous, Homo sapiens, homogenize, homosexual
hydro-	water	Hydrochloric acid (HCl), hydrogen (H), hydrodynamics, hydroelectric power, hydrolysis, hydrophobic vs. hydrophilic
hyper- (≠ hypo)	over	hypersonic, hyperactive, hyperglycemic condition, hyperthermia
hypo-	under	hypothyroid condition, hypodermic needle, hypothermia, hypochondriac, hypoglycemic condition hypothesis
-iac	pertaining or related to	cardiac, hemophiliac, maniac
il-	not	illegal, illegible, illiterate, illogical, illegitimate
im-	not	Immobile, improper, immature, imperfect, impotent
in-	into, internal	inhale (≠ exhale), insert
	negative meaning	infrequent, insane, incoherent, incapable, inconvenient, insignificant
infra-	below	infrared, infrastructure
inter-	between, among	interact, interchange, Internet, internship, intervention,
intra-	inside, within	intramural, intravenous, intrathecal, intraperitoneal
ir-	not	Irregular, irresponsible, irrelevant, irreconcilable
-itits	inflammation, infection	appendicitis, encephalitis, meningitis, dermatitis, arthritis
leuko- (leuco-)	white	leukocyte, leukemia
macro-	large, huge	macrocosm, macrophage,
mal- -mal	bad, badly	malformation, maladjusted, dismal, malady, malcontent, malfeasance (misconduct of public officials, politicians, business people, etc.), malevolent, malice, malaria, malfunction, malignant, malnourished
mega-	great, > million	megabyte, megawatt, megalopolis, megaton, Acromegaly (hormonal disease)
meso-	middle	mesoderm, Mesozoic era (Age of the Dinosaurs)
meta-	between	Metabolize, metamorphic rock, meta-tarsal/-carpal, metastasis, Metazoan era
micro-	small	microscope, microbiology, microprocessor
mono-	one	monovalent elements such as H, Li, Na, etc., carbon monoxide (CO), monocytes, monologue
multi-	many	multiply, multi-cellular organism, multitude, multimedia, multinational
nano-	dwarf, molecular size	nanosecond, nanotechnology
-nym, onym	name	Acronym, pseudonym
oligo-	few	oligarchy, oligosaccharide
-ology	branch or study of	biology, paleontology, geology, physiology, pharmacology, psychology
ortho-	straight, erect	orthodontics, orthopedics, orthopnea (breathing easily only in an upright position), orthostatic (an upright posture), etc.
-ose	Refers to sugars	lactose, galactose, glucose maltose, sucrose
para-	along side of, beside or near, resembling, apart from, abnormal	Parathyroid gland, paramedic, paralegal, para-dichlorobenzene, parallel (≠ perpendicular), parachute, paranormal, paraphrase
peri-	round, about	perimeter, pericardium, Periodontistry, periscope
-phobic	fear of something	arachnophobia, hydrophobic, phobias (in general)
photo-	light	photosynthesis
post-	after in time or order	posterior (≠ anterior), postmortem, post-operative, postpone (≠ cancel), post-traumatic syndrome
pre-	before in time,place, order or importance	pre-adolescent, prelude, precondition, prediction, predict^v., prediction^n.
pro-	first, supporting	probioitics, prokaryotes (bacteria), propulsion (as in fuel for launching a rocket), pro-Israeli or pro-Palestinian
poly-	many	polysaccharide, polypeptide, polygon, polygamy
pseudo-	false	pseudonym, pseudoscience (as in creationism), pseudopods (motility for the Amoeba)
re-	again, return to previous condition	regenerate^v., regeneration^n., reduction, re-educate, redo, recall, recount, restore, recombine (DNA recombinant), recalculate, rename, revise^v. (not revice, no such word in English!)
semi-	half	semifinal, semiconscious, semiconductor, semi-arid
soma-	body	psychosomatic condition, somatic cell
-stasis	position, placement	homeostasis
sub-	below, under	submarine, subdivide, sub-cellular, subtract, submerge, submission (to submit)
super-	above, beyond, over	supersonic, super heated, supernatural, supersaturated, superstructure, superficial, superior
syn-	similar, to make with	synthesis, synergy, synchronize, synonym
tele-	distant, far	telescope, television, telegraph, telephone
therm-, thermo-	heat	thermal, thermometer, thermodynamics
trans-	across, beyond	Trans-Atlantic flight, transnational, transport, Trans-Siberian Railroad, transmit as in transmission lines
	into a different state	translate, transcend
tri	three	Tripod, tricycle, triathlon, trisect, triangle
ultra-	across, extreme	ultraviolet, ultramarine blue, ultrasound
uni-	one	uni-cellular, unification, university, universe or universal
zoo-	animal	zoo, zoology, zooplankton

3.2.1.5 QUIZ YOURSELF on Prefixes/Suffixes

Using the word's proper definition, unscramble the word in the “unscrambled” word column

Unscrambled word	Definition of the unscrambled word	Scrambled word
1	Before performing medical surgery, it is used by physicians (not physicist, which in German is Physiker!) or dentists to induce sleep or cause numbness in a patient. Basically, it causes a loss in sensation without stopping consciousness	Aaeeshtisn
2	A pharmaceutical product, which destroys or is against the spread of prokaryotic microscopic (micro-??) organisms called, bacteria	Citoibitna
3	To breath in (einatmen) ≠ exhale	Halein
4	Can have a few meanings such as to change one's religion, or when a chemical or physical change occurs in a substance	Nocterv
5	≠ Endothermic, and prefix is in the word, exit, as to exit a room	Htreicmxoe
6	Literally means, “fear of water”	Phobichydro
7	Cancer of the blood, affecting the abnormal growth of white blood cells (WBCs)	Kemaieul
8	When an instrument doesn't work properly, one may say it has a …?	Toinfunclam
9	The study of life, living organisms, with topics on animals, plants, evolution, genetics, and so on.	Lgyobio
10	An instrument invented, not discovered by Galileo (invent vs. discover?) and used to view stars, planets, galaxies, and other distant objects from Earth.	Epocselet
11	Disease affecting human joints, which causes inflammation and pain	Tisarhtir
12	≠ Hyperthermia, think of a person cold, shivering, and dangerously losing body heat fast	Thermiahypo

3.3 Synonyms vs. Antonyms

Synonyms are words, which are similar in meaning.
Antonyms are words, which are opposite in meaning.

Synonyms (bedeutungsgleich) ≠ Antonyms (gegenteilig)

3.3.1 Three Examples of Synonyms with Specific Prefixes and their Antonyms

So, let's first start off with three examples of synonyms and their antonyms, which also use certain prefixes to indicate part of their meaning. Each synonym ≠ antonym is translated into German, and each word is used in a sentence to further clarify its meaning.

1. benevolent ≠ malevolent
2. condone ≠ condemn
3. increase ≠ decrease
1. Benevolent^adj. (gütig, gutwillig)	Malevolent^adj. (bösartig, böswillig)
1. marked by or disposed to doinggood < a benevolent donor> 2. organized for the purpose of doinggood <a benevolent society>	1. having, showing, or arising fromintense often vicious ill will, spite, orhatred 2. productive of harm or evil
be·nev·o·lent·ly ^adv.,be·nev·o·lent·ness^n.	ma·lev·o·lent·ly^adv.
Synonyms: kind, good, kindhearted, philanthropic	Synonyms: evil, bad, malign, belligerent
Other words starting with the prefix bene-: benefit, beneficial, benign, beneficent, beneficiary	Other words starting with the prefix, mal-: malady, malcontent, malicious, malfunction, malignant (as in a cancerous tumor^AmE; malignant ≠ benign non-cancerous tumour^BrE)
2. to condone^v. (verzeihen, billigen)	to condemn^v. (verurteilen, missbilligen)
1. to allow as acceptable, forgivable orharmless <the government accused thegroup of condoning racism> 2. condone corruption in politics	1. to declare to be reprehensible, wrong,or evil, usually, after weighing evidenceand without reservation <a policywidely condemned as racist> 2. to pronounce guilty, convict, sentence aperson <condemn a prisoner to die> 3. to find unfit; <condemn an oldapartment building>
Synonyms: forgive, excuse, allow	Synonyms: denounce, to put sentence on, put an end to
3. to increase^v. (erhöhen)	to decrease^v. (vermindern, reduzieren)
1. to become progressively greater (as insize, amount, number, or intensity)	1. to become progressively lesser (as insize, amount, number, or intensity)
Synonyms: add, grow, enlarge, gain	Synonyms: subtract, diminish, reduce, lessen

3.3.2 QUIZ YOURSELF: Synonyms vs. Antonyms

Looking at the words below, which are synonyms? Which are antonyms?Place your answers in the correct column. See the examples below.

Acid (chem.), accelerate, activator, active, add, advice, aerobic, alive, ambiguous (not clear, unclear), anabolism, anaerobic, answer, arrive, angry, attractive, bad, baggage, base (chem.), benevolent, best, biggest, borrow, brawl, broad, buy, buyer, catabolism, center, cold, comedy, communicable, comprehend, content, continence, courteous, dangerous, decelerate, dead, decrease, delighted (pleased), depart, democracy, demulsify, dense, dictatorship, difficult, discontent, divide, down, dry, dumb, early, easy, empty, emulsify, endoskeleton, endothermic, enormous, enter, equal, evil, exit, exoskeleton, exothermic, extreme, faithful, false, false accusation, famous, fast, fat, fight, filthy, float, forward, full, fuzzy, generous, genuine, gigantic, good, gorgeous, happy, hard, hate, heavy, heterogeneous, homogenous, high, hot, huge, hydrophilic, hydrophobic, hygienic, illegal, inactive, incontinence, increase, inhibitor, insecure, insoluble, intelligent, journey, large, late, lean, least, leave, left, legal, light, loan (as in lend), loud, low, loyal, luggage, malevolent, majority, minority, miser, moderate, multiply, narrow, new, noisy, notions, old, pants, parallel, perpendicular, perspire, polite, poor, predator, predecessor, pretty, prey, purchase, question, quick, quiet, rapid, real, recommendation, reverse, rich, right, rough, sad, safe, same, sanitary, satisfied, saturated, secure, sell, seller, sharp, sink, slacks, slander, slim, slow, small, smart, smooth, soft, soluble, sparingly, sparse, strong, student, subtract, successor, suggestion, susceptible, sweat, teacher, thick, thin, tragedy, transmissible, travel, true, ugly, unambiguous (clear in thought), unclean, understand, unfaithful, unintelligent, unreal, unsafe, unsaturated, up, vulnerable, weak, wealthy, well known, wet, wide, worst, wrong, young, youthful.

QUIZ YOURSELF – Examples

Synonyms	Antonyms
bright = radiant	bright ≠ dull
full = empty	happy ≠ sad
courteous =	saturated ≠