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micro-
(MY-kro)small
Greek for small. Microscope, microphone, microwave — all about smallness or fine detail.
prefixGreek
Number & quantityExample words
microscope
a tool for seeing very small things
microphone
a device that picks up small sounds
microwave
a very short wave (and the oven that uses it)
microbe
a tiny living thing
Common Core alignment
Grades served: 4, 5
- L.4.4bUse common, grade-appropriate Greek and Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., telegraph, photograph, autograph).
- L.5.4bUse common, grade-appropriate Greek and Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., photograph, photosynthesis).
Related roots
Number & quantity. Roots that count, measure, and tell you how many.
Browse all number & quantity roots →L.4.4bL.5.4b