4th grade Greek and Latin roots worksheets
Many English words are built from ancient Greek and Latin parts: tele (far), port (carry), graph (write), photo (light). Fourth graders learn the most common roots and use them to take apart words like photograph and transport.
Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core L.4.4.b.
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The kind of sentences you'll get
Circle the letter of the word built from the right root.
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The parade drew a huge crowd of .
inspectors · spectators · spectacles
Answer: spectators
- The root dict means say, so to is to say what will happen first. prevent · protect · predict
- Plants make food from light in a process called . photocopy · photography · photosynthesis
Every print pulls a fresh set of sentences at this level, so a make-up test or a second sibling never gets the same sheet.
What's on each sheet
- Choose the word. Circle the letter of the word built from the right root. 10 questions per page.
Every version prints on US Letter or A4, with its answer key on the last page.
How to teach this
Teach a root as a family reunion: write port in the center and collect its relatives (transport, export, portable) around it. The aha moment is realizing the meaning threads through all of them. A few roots a week, always inside real words, beats a long list memorized bare.
Watch for: A root isn't a prefix; it's the core of the word. Prefixes and suffixes attach to it (in-spect-ion). Knowing one root unlocks a family of words, not just one: port gives transport, export, import, and portable.
Common questions about Greek and Latin roots
- Which roots should a 4th grader learn first?
- The high-frequency dozen: tele, port, graph, photo, auto, bio, geo, phon, meter, scope, dict, and rupt. They appear in words kids already half-know (telephone, photograph, automatic), so the meanings feel like discoveries rather than memorization.
- What's the difference between a root and a prefix?
- The root is the core that carries the main meaning; prefixes and suffixes clip onto it. In transportation, port (carry) is the root, trans- (across) is the prefix, and -ation makes it a noun. Students who can find the root can usually crack the whole word.
Related worksheets
- 5th grade Greek and Latin roots A step harder, same skill
- 6th grade Greek and Latin roots A step harder, same skill
- 4th grade analogies Same grade, nearby skill
- 4th grade antonyms Same grade, nearby skill
- 4th grade context clues Same grade, nearby skill
- Greek and Latin roots, all grades The full progression
- All 4th grade English worksheets Every skill at this level
- All 4th grade worksheets Everything at this level
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Aligned to Common Core L.4.4.b. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 137, updated August 2026.
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