Word part · Latin root
Lev root words: meaning and 15 examples
In short
The Latin root lev (from Latin) means "lift, or light in weight". It is also spelled lieve and lief. Words with it include relieve, relief, relieved, relieving, elevator and elevation. Relief and relieve are the same root in French dress: a weight is lifted off you.
- Part
- lev
- Meaning
- lift, or light in weight
- Origin
- Latin
- Also spelled
- lieve, lief
- Words listed
- 15
Relief and relieve are the same root in French dress: a weight is lifted off you.
Words with the Latin root lev
The list runs from shorter, common words to longer ones. The bands are a rough guide built from syllable count and how common each word is in our word list, not a grade-level standard. Read each word, then its word sum.
Colors:prefixroot or basesuffix
Start here: short, common words (about grades 3 and 4)
| Word | Word sum | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| relieve | re (prefix)+lieve (root or base)→relieve | lift a worry or pain off someone |
| relief | re (prefix)+lief (root or base)→relief | the light feeling when a worry is lifted |
| relieved | re (prefix)+lieve (root or base)+ed (suffix)→relieveddrop the e | glad because a worry was lifted |
Next: longer words (about grades 5 and 6)
| Word | Word sum | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| relieving | re (prefix)+lieve (root or base)+ing (suffix)→relievingdrop the e | lifting a worry or pain, now |
| lever | lev (root or base)+er (suffix)→lever | a bar that helps you lift something heavy |
| levers | lev (root or base)+er (suffix)+s (suffix)→levers | more than one lever |
| relevant | re (prefix)+lev (root or base)+ant (suffix)→relevant | connected to what you are talking about |
| relevance | re (prefix)+lev (root or base)+ance (suffix)→relevance | how closely something connects to the topic |
| irrelevant | ir (prefix)+re (prefix)+lev (root or base)+ant (suffix)→irrelevantthe prefix changes to match | not connected to the topic |
More words: levitate, leverage, levity
Stretch: long or less common words (about grades 7 and 8)
| Word | Word sum | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| elevator | e (prefix)+lev (root or base)+ator (suffix)→elevatorthe prefix changes to match | a machine that lifts people up and down floors |
| elevation | e (prefix)+lev (root or base)+ation (suffix)→elevationthe prefix changes to match | how high a place is above the sea |
More words: alleviate
Where does lev sit in a word?
A root can come first, last or in the middle. Students who only look at the start of a word miss half of these.
- At the start:
- lever, levers
- In the middle:
- elevator, elevation, relevant, relevance, irrelevant
- At the end:
- relieve, relief, relieved, relieving
How do you teach the root lev?
Start with a lever. If you have a ruler and an eraser, show how a lever lifts a book with little effort. Then move to relief and relieve. A worry feels heavy, and relief is the moment it lifts. Students like hearing that relieved literally means the weight came off. Relevant is the hardest: it first meant lifting up, and now means connected enough to matter here.
A quick routine
Say, "Lev means lift, or light in weight. Each word has something being lifted." Show lever, elevator, relief, relieved and relevant. The student reads each and names what is lifted: a load, people, a worry, an idea worth picking up. Then give two facts during a lesson and ask, "Is this relevant?" The student answers yes or no and gives a reason in one sentence.
What do students mix up with lev?
Level and eleven look close but are not this root; level comes from a word for a balance scale, and eleven is old English for one left over. Clever is also a look-alike. Relief and relieve hide the root because they came through French, so show the student the parts on paper before expecting them to see it.
Some of these words change spelling where the parts join. The spelling rules pages cover dropping e, doubling and changing y to i. For the sounds inside these words, see the phonics word lists. Routines that fit: meanings of prefixes and suffixes, circle the parts, read the base and flexible routine for big words.
Questions people ask
What does the root lev mean?
Lev means "lift, or light in weight". It is a Latin root, also spelled lieve and lief. Relief and relieve are the same root in French dress: a weight is lifted off you.
What are some words with the root lev?
Start with relieve, relief and relieved. Then move to relieving, lever, elevator and elevation. This page lists 15 words in all, most with a word sum that shows the parts.
How is relevant connected to lifting?
Relevant comes from a Latin word that meant to lift up again. Something relevant is worth picking up and bringing into the talk because it connects. The meaning drifted, but the parts are still re and lev.
Related word parts
- re-again, or back
- ex-out
- -ora person or thing that does something
- -anta person who does something, or doing
- -era person or thing that does something
Terms on this page: morpheme, root, prefix, suffix, base word, word sum, morphology.
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