- Definition
A morpheme is the smallest part of a word that still has its own meaning. For example, in "unbreakable," "un-", "break," and "-able" are all morphemes.
In the word 'cats,' 'cat' is one morpheme and '-s' is another morpheme meaning 'more than one'.
How to teach this in 30 seconds
Try this analogy: A morpheme is like a single Lego brick that has its own special meaning.
Ask your child: In the word 'dogs', what does the 's' part do?
Common mix-up: Kids may think morphemes are the same as syllables. A morpheme is a word part that has its own meaning, like how 'un-' means 'not'.
Examples
- In 'unhappy,' 'un-' is a morpheme that means 'not'.
- In 'playing,' '-ing' is a morpheme that means 'happening now'.
- The word 'play' is one morpheme because it cannot be broken into smaller meaningful parts.
morpheme is a term used in Ontario’s Kindergarten to Grade 8 curriculum.
Where this shows up
The descriptions on this page are SmartStudy’s own original, plain-language writing — not the Ministry’s wording. They are aligned to the Ontario Curriculum, © King’s Printer for Ontario. For the Ministry’s official wording, see the source link below. SmartStudy is an independent service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Government of Ontario or the Ministry of Education. Ontario Curriculum and Resources ↗
