Word part · Latin root
The Latin root pel
Means: drive, or push.
At a glance
- Part
- pel
- Meaning
- drive, or push
- Layer
- Latin: Prefixes, suffixes and roots behind many school and book words.
- Also spelled
- puls, pulse
Pel becomes puls before -ion and -ive: propel, propulsion, impulsive.
Example words
Read each word, then its sum: the parts that build it, and what they mean together.
Colors:prefixroot or basesuffix
- pro (prefix)+pel (root or base)→propel
push forward
- pro (prefix)+pel (root or base)+er (suffix)→propeller
spinning blades that push a boat or plane forward
pro + pel + er: double the last letter → propeller
- ex (prefix)+pel (root or base)→expel
push out
- re (prefix)+pel (root or base)→repel
push back or away
- re (prefix)+pel (root or base)+ent (suffix)→repellent
something that pushes bugs away
re + pel + ent: double the last letter → repellent
- im (prefix)+puls (root or base)+ive (suffix)→impulsive
acting on a sudden push of feeling, without thinking first
im + puls + ive: the prefix changes to match → impulsive
- pro (prefix)+puls (root or base)+ion (suffix)→propulsion
the force that pushes something forward
- com (prefix)+pel (root or base)→compel
push someone to do something
com + pel: the prefix changes to match → compel
- im (prefix)+pulse (root or base)→impulse
a sudden push to do something
im + pulse: the prefix changes to match → impulse
Original word lists and meanings written by Literacy Trail.
Taught alongside
Parts that share a lesson with pel.
- fercarry, or bring
- -era person or thing that does something
- re-again, or back
- pre-before
- -ivetending to, or having the quality of
- -ancethe act of, or the state of
- -anta person who does something, or doing
- trans-across, or from one place to another
- ex-out
- in-in, or into
- con-with, or together
- pro-forward, or for
Teach word parts with ready lessons
Literacy Trail has word parts lessons with words to read, build, split and spell, and full-screen players for the student. Every plan starts with a 15-day free trial.