The base word you start with before adding prefixes or suffixes?

• A. Base word
• B. Word form
• C. Root word
• D. Stem

Answer: (C)

The starting piece you use to build new words with prefixes or suffixes is the root word. It carries the main meaning of the word, and affixes like prefixes and suffixes attach to this core form to change its meaning or its part of speech. For example, take the root word happy. Adding the prefix un- gives unhappy, adding the suffix -ness gives happiness, and adding both yields unhappiness. The root word here is happy because it stays the same meaning at the heart of each new word, while the affixes shift how we use it or what it means.

Sometimes you’ll see other terms pop up, like base word or stem, but the essential idea is that the root word is the core form you start from before adding any prefixes or suffixes.