Word part · Latin root
Mort root words: meaning and 10 examples
In short
The Latin root mort (from Latin) means "death". Words with it include mortal, mortals, mortally, immortal, immortals and mortality. Most school words with mort are about living things that can die, or heroes in myths who never do: mortal, immortal.
- Part
- mort
- Meaning
- death
- Origin
- Latin
- Words listed
- 10
Most school words with mort are about living things that can die, or heroes in myths who never do: mortal, immortal.
Words with the Latin root mort
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 |
|---|---|---|
| mortal | mort (root or base)+al (suffix)→mortal | a living thing that will someday die |
| mortals | mort (root or base)+al (suffix)+s (suffix)→mortals | living beings, as opposed to gods in myths |
Next: longer words (about grades 5 and 6)
| Word | Word sum | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| immortal | im (prefix)+mort (root or base)+al (suffix)→immortalthe prefix changes to match | never dying; living forever |
| mortgage | mort (root or base)+gage (root or base)→mortgage | a loan to buy a house, paid back over many years |
More words: mortician, mortified
Stretch: long or less common words (about grades 7 and 8)
| Word | Word sum | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| mortally | mort (root or base)+al (suffix)+ly (suffix)→mortally | badly enough to cause death |
| immortals | im (prefix)+mort (root or base)+al (suffix)+s (suffix)→immortalsthe prefix changes to match | beings in myths who never die |
| mortality | mort (root or base)+al (suffix)+ity (suffix)→mortality | the fact that living things die |
| immortality | im (prefix)+mort (root or base)+al (suffix)+ity (suffix)→immortalitythe prefix changes to match | endless life |
Where does mort 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:
- mortal, mortals, mortally, mortality, mortgage
- In the middle:
- immortal, immortals, immortality
How do you teach the root mort?
Teach this root through myths, which most students enjoy. The gods of Greek stories are immortal and the humans are mortals. Ask the student to split immortal: im (not) plus mort plus al, so not able to die. That small sum carries the root. Keep the tone matter of fact. Students handle the meaning well when the examples come from stories and science rather than from loss.
A quick routine
Say, "Mort means death. These words show up a lot in myths and science." Show mortal, immortal, mortality and immortality. The student reads each word, names the prefix or suffix, and finishes the sentence: "Immortal means not ___." Then give two characters from a myth you have read together, and the student says which is mortal and why. Spell immortal last; the double m is the snag.
What do students mix up with mort?
Students sometimes link mortar and mortarboard to this root, but mortar comes from a word for a mixing bowl. Mortgage surprises them because it does belong: a pledge that ends, or dies, when the loan is paid. Mortified, meaning very embarrassed, belongs too, and students often like knowing why it feels so strong.
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 mort mean?
Mort means "death". It is a Latin root. Most school words with mort are about living things that can die, or heroes in myths who never do: mortal, immortal.
What are some words with the root mort?
Start with mortal and mortals. Then move to immortal, mortgage, mortally and immortals. This page lists 10 words in all, most with a word sum that shows the parts.
Why is mortgage from the root for death?
A mortgage was called a dead pledge because the deal ends, or dies, when the loan is paid off or when the payments stop. The word came into English from French, which is why it is spelled with gage.
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