Word families: building possibilities

1 Word families : building often come in families . You can expand your vocabulary by becoming familiarwith these word families and this can also enable you to become a more fluent speakerand writer of English. If you know all the possible words within a word family, you canexpress yourself in a wider range of ways. For example, if you know the verb and thenoun forms related to the adjective boring,you can say: The lesson was boring. The lesson bored me. That lesson was such a extra reason for paying attention to word families is that for some exams youhave to know the list below, the words printed in boldare words which are very common andimportant to learn. The other words in the same row are words in the same family,often formed with prefixes and suffixes.

2 Sometimes they are just a different part ofspeech ( ,which is a noun and a verb). All the words in this list have entriesin the dictionary except for some beginning with un-,im-,in-or ir-,or ending with -lyor -ily,where the meaning is always regular. Sometimes words in a word familycan have meanings which are quite different from others in the group, so you shouldalways check in the dictionary if you are not sure of the ,disability, inabilityable,unable, disabledenable, disableablyacceptanceacceptable,unaccept able, acceptedacceptacceptably,unacceptablyacc identaccidentalaccidentallyaccuracy, inaccuracyaccurate,inaccurateaccurately, inaccuratelyaccusation, the accused, accuseraccusingaccuseaccusinglyachieveme nt,achieverachievableachieveact, action,inaction, interaction,actingactreaction, transactionactivity,inactivityactive,ina ctive, interactive, proactive activateactivelyadditionadditionaladdadd itionallyadmiration, admireradmirableadmireadmirablyadvantage ,disadvantageadvantageous.

3 Disadvantagedadvantageouslyadvertisement , advertiser,advertiseadvertisingadvice,ad viseradvisable, inadvisable, advisoryadviseagreement,disagreementagre eableagree,disagreeagreeablyaimaimlessai maimlesslyamazementamazed,amazingamazeam azinglyangerangryangerangrilyannouncemen t, announcerunannouncedannounceunannounceda ppearance,disappearance,appear,disappear , reappearreappearanceapplicant, applicationapplicable, appliedapplyappreciationappreciable, appreciativeappreciateappreciativelyappr oval, disapprovalapproving, disapprovingapprove,disapproveapprovingl yapproximationapproximateapproximateappr oximatelyargumentarguable, argumentativearguearguablyarrangementarr ange,rearrangeart, artist,artistryartisticartisticallyshame ashamed,unashamed, shameful,shameshamefully, shamelesslyshamelessattachmentattached, unattached, detachable,attach,detachdetachedattack,c ounter-attack, attackerattack,counter-attackattentionat tentive, inattentiveattendattentivelyattraction, attractivenessattractive,unattractiveatt ractattractivelyNounsAdjectivesVerbsAdve rbsauthority,authorizationauthoritarian, authoritative,authorizeunauthorizedavail abilityavailable,unavailableavoidanceavo idable, unavoidableavoidawarenessaware,unawareun awaresbase, the basics, basisbaseless,basicbasebasicallybearerbe arable, unbearablebearbeat, beatingunbeatable, unbeatenbeatbeauty,beauticianbeautifulbe autifullybeginner,beginningbeginbehaviou r/US behavior,behavioural/US behavioralbehave,misbehavemisbehaviour/U S misbehaviorbelief.

4 Disbeliefbelievable, unbelievablebelieve,disbelieveunbelievab lyblock, blockageblocked, unblockedblock,unblockblood,bleedingbloo dless, bloodybleedthe boil, boilerboilingboilbore, boredombored,boringboreboringlybreak,out break, breakageunbreakable,broken,unbrokenbreak breath, breather, breathingbreathlessbreathebreathlesslybr other,brotherhoodbrotherlybuild, builder,buildingbuild,rebuildburn, burnerburning, burntburnburialburiedburycalculation,cal culatorincalculable, calculated, calculatingcalculatecalm, calmnesscalmcalmcalmlycapabilitycapable, incapablecapablycare,carercareful, careless, caring, uncaringcarecarefully, carelesslycelebration, celebritycelebrated, celebratorycelebratecentre/UScenter,cent ralization,central,centralizedcentre/US center, centralize,centrallydecentralizationdece ntralizecertainty, uncertaintycertain,uncertaincertainly, uncertainlychallenge,challengerchallengi ngchallengechangechangeable, interchangeable,changeunchanged, changingcharacter,characteristic,charact eristic, uncharacteristiccharacterizecharacterist icallycharacterizationchemical, chemist, chemistrychemicalchemicallycircle,semici rcle, circulationcircularcircle, circulatecleaner, cleaning, cleanlinessclean,uncleancleancleanlyclar ity, clearance, clearingclear,unclearclearclear,clearlyc lose, closureclosed, closingcloseclosenesscloseclose,closelyc lothes,clothingclothed, unclothedclothecollection,collectorcolle cted, collectivecollectcollectivelycolour/US color,coloured/US colored.

5 Colour/UScolor colourfully/US colorfullycolouring/US coloringdiscoloured/US discolored,colourful/US colorful,colourless/US colorlesscombinationcombinedcombinecomfo rt, discomfortcomfortable,comfortcomfortably uncomfortable, comfortingcommitmentnoncommittal, committedcommitcommunication,communicato rcommunicative, uncommunicativecommunicatecomparisoncomp arable, incomparable,comparecomparativelycompara tivecompetition,competitorcompetitive, uncompetitive competecompetitivelycompletion, incompletenesscomplete,incompletecomplet ecompletely,incompletelycomplicationcomp licated,uncomplicatedcomplicatecomputer, computing,computerizecomputerizationconc entrationconcentratedconcentrateconcernc oncerned,unconcernedconcernconclusioncon cluding, conclusive, inconclusiveconcludeconclusivelyconditio n,precondition,conditional, unconditionalconditionconditionally,cond itioner, conditioningunconditionallyconfidencecon fident,confidentialconfideconfidently, confidentiallyconfirmationconfirmed, unconfirmedconfirmconfusionconfused, confusingconfuseconfusinglyconnectioncon nected, disconnected,connect,disconnectunconnect edsubconscious, unconscious,conscious,subconscious,consc iously, unconsciouslyconsciousness, unconsciousnessunconscious1523 NounsAdjectivesVerbsAdverbsWORD families consequenceconsequent, inconsequentialconsequentlyconsideration considerable, considerate,consider,reconsiderconsidera bly,inconsiderate, consideredconsideratelycontinentcontinen tal.

6 Intercontinentalcontinuation, continuitycontinual, continued,continuouscontinue,discontinue continually, continuouslycontribution,contributorcont ributorycontributecontrol,controllercont rolling, uncontrollablecontroluncontrollablyconve nience, inconvenienceconvenient,inconvenientinco nvenienceconvenientlyconvinced, convincing, unconvincingconvinceconvincinglycook, cooker, cookery,cookingcooked, uncookedcookcool, coolnesscoolcoolcoollycorrection,correct nesscorrect,incorrect, correctivecorrectcorrectly, incorrectlycount, recountcountable, uncountable, countlesscount,recountcover,coverage, coveringundercover, uncoveredcover,uncoverundercovercreation , creativity, creatorcreative, uncreativecreate,recreatecreativelycrime , criminal,criminologistcriminal, incriminatingincriminatecriminallycritic ,criticismcritical,uncriticalcriticizecr iticallycrowd,overcrowdingcrowded,overcr owdedcrowdcrueltycruelcruellycry,outcryc ryingcryculture,subculturecultural, culturedculturallycurecured, incurablecurecustom,customer,customscust omaryaccustomcustomarilycut, cuttingcuttingcut,undercutdamage,damages damaging, undamageddamagedangerendangered,dangerou sendangerdangerouslydare, daringdaringdaredaringlydark,darknessdar k,darkened, darkeningdarkendarklydatedated, outdateddate, predateday,middaydailydailydead,deathdea d,deadly, deathlydeadendeadly, deathlydeal, dealer, dealingsdealdeceit, deceiver, deceptiondeceitful, deceptivedeceivedeceptivelydecision,inde cisiondecided, undecided, decisive,decidedecidedly, decisively.

7 Indecisiveindecisivelydecoration, decoratordecorativedecoratedecorativelyd eep,depthdeep,deepeningdeependeeplydefea t,defeatism, defeatistundefeated, defeatistdefeatdefence/US defense,defenceless/US defenseless,defenddefensivelydefendant, defenderindefensible, defensivedefinitiondefinite,indefinitede finedefinitely,indefinitelydemand,demand sdemanding, undemandingdemanddemocracy,democratdemoc ratic, undemocraticdemocraticallydemonstration, demonstratordemonstrable, demonstrativedemonstratedemonstrablydeni alundeniabledenyundeniablydependant, dependence,dependable, dependent,dependdependably,independence, dependencyindependentindependentlydescri ptiondescribable, indescribable,describedescriptivelynonde script, descriptivedesiredesirable, undesirable, desired,desireundesireddestroyer, destructionindestructible, destructivedestroydestructivelydetermina tion, determinerdetermined,predetermined,deter minedeterminedlyindeterminatedeveloper,d evelopment,developed, undeveloped, developingdevelop,redevelopredevelopment difference,indifference,different,indiff erentdiffer, differentiatedifferentlydifferentiationd irectness,direction,direct,indirectdirec t,redirectdirectly, indirectlydirections,directordisagreemen tdisagreeabledisagreedisagreeablydisappo intmentdisappointed,disappointingdisappo intdisappointinglydisasterdisastrousdisa strouslydisciplinarian,disciplinediscipl inary, disciplined, undisciplineddisciplinediscoverer,discov erydiscoverdistancedistantdistancedistan tlydisturbancedisturbed, undisturbed.

8 Disturbingdisturbdisturbinglydivide, division, subdivisiondivided, undivided, divisible, divisivedivide,subdividedivorce,divorcee divorceddivorcedo, doingdone, overdone, undonedo,outdo, overdo, redo, undodoubt,doubterundoubted, doubtful, doubtlessdoubtundoubtedly, doubtfullydream,dreamerdream, dreamless, dreamydreamdreamily1524 NounsAdjectivesVerbsAdverbsWORD families dress,dresser, dressingdressed, undressed, dressydress,redress, undressdressilydrink,drinker, drinking, drunk,drunk,drunkendrinkdrunkenlydrunken nessdrive,driver,drivingdrivingdrivedue, duesdue,unduedue, duly, undulyearner, earningsearnearthearthy, earthly, unearthlyunearthease, unease, easinesseasy,uneasyeaseeasily,uneasily, easyeast,easternereast, easterly, easterneast, eastward(s)economics, economist,economyeconomic,economical, economizeeconomicallyuneconomic(al)

9 Educationeducated, uneducated, educationaleducateeducationallyeffect,ef fectiveness, ineffectivenesseffective,ineffective, ineffectualeffecteffectively, ineffectivelyefforteffortlesseffortlessl yelection,re-election, elector,unelected, electoralelect, re-electelectorateelectrician,electricit yelectric,electricalelectrifyelectricall yelectronicselectronicelectronicallyemba rrassmentembarrassed,embarrassingembarra ssembarrassinglyemotionemotional, emotiveemotionallyemphasisemphaticemphas izeemphaticallyemployee,employer,employm ent,unemployedemployunemploymentencourag ement, discouragementencouraged, encouraging,encourage,discourageencourag inglydiscouragingend,endingunending, endlessendendlesslyenergyenergeticenergi zeenergeticallyenjoymentenjoyableenjoyen joyablyenormityenormousenormouslyentranc e,entrant,entryenterentertainer,entertai nmententertainingentertainentertainingly enthusiasm, enthusiastenthusiastic,unenthusiasticent huseenthusiastically,unenthusiasticallye nvironment,environmentalistenvironmental environmentallyequality, inequalityequal,unequalequalizeequally,u nequallyescape, escapismescaped, inescapableescapeinescapablyessence, essentialsessentialessentiallyestimate, estimationestimatedestimate,overestimate ,underestimateevent,non-eventev