Word part · Latin root
Spir root words: meaning and 17 examples
In short
The Latin root spir (from Latin) means "breathe". It is also spelled spire. Words with it include inspire, inspires, inspired, inspiring, uninspiring and inspiration. Spelled spire at the end of an action word (inspire, conspire) and spir before -ation.
- Part
- spir
- Meaning
- breathe
- Origin
- Latin
- Also spelled
- spire
- Words listed
- 17
Spelled spire at the end of an action word (inspire, conspire) and spir before -ation. To inspire someone is, at heart, to breathe an idea into them.
Words with the Latin root spir
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 |
|---|---|---|
| inspire | in (prefix)+spire (root or base)→inspire | breathe an idea or a feeling into someone |
| inspires | in (prefix)+spire (root or base)+s (suffix)→inspires | gives someone an idea or the will to act (one person, now) |
More words: spirit
Next: longer words (about grades 5 and 6)
| Word | Word sum | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| inspired | in (prefix)+spire (root or base)+ed (suffix)→inspireddrop the e | filled with an idea or the will to act |
| inspiring | in (prefix)+spire (root or base)+ing (suffix)→inspiringdrop the e | giving people ideas or the will to act |
| conspire | con (prefix)+spire (root or base)→conspire | plan something together in secret, as if breathing together |
More words: aspire
Stretch: long or less common words (about grades 7 and 8)
| Word | Word sum | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| uninspiring | un (prefix)+in (prefix)+spire (root or base)+ing (suffix)→uninspiringdrop the e | giving no one any ideas or energy |
| inspiration | in (prefix)+spir (root or base)+ation (suffix)→inspiration | an idea or a person that fills you with the will to act |
| inspirations | in (prefix)+spir (root or base)+ation (suffix)+s (suffix)→inspirations | more than one inspiration |
| respiration | re (prefix)+spir (root or base)+ation (suffix)→respiration | breathing in and out |
More words: spirited, spiritual, perspire, perspiration, aspiration, respiratory
Where does spir 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.
- In the middle:
- inspiration, inspirations, respiration
- At the end:
- inspire, inspires, inspired, inspiring, uninspiring, conspire
How do you teach the root spir?
Have the student take a slow breath and let it out. That's spir. Now show inspire: in + spire, to breathe something into someone. A coach who inspires a team breathes energy into them. Respiration is the science word for breathing, and students meet it in units on the body. Keep the list short at first. Inspire, inspiration and respiration carry most of the weight.
A quick routine
Say, "Spir means breathe. I'll say a word, you show me the breath." Read inspire and have the student breathe in. Read respiration and have them breathe in and out. Then write in + spir + ation on the board and ask the student to join it. Finish with a quick sentence frame: "My inspiration is ___ because they ___." One minute, out loud.
What do students mix up with spir?
Spiral and spire look like this root but aren't part of it. A spiral comes from a word for a coil, and a church spire comes from an old word for a tall stem. Spirit, on the other hand, really is related: it first meant breath. If a student asks about spiral, praise the eye for spelling and teach the meaning test.
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 spir mean?
Spir means "breathe". It is a Latin root, also spelled spire. Spelled spire at the end of an action word (inspire, conspire) and spir before -ation. To inspire someone is, at heart, to breathe an idea into them.
What are some words with the root spir?
Start with inspire, inspires and spirit. Then move to inspired, inspiring, uninspiring and inspiration. This page lists 17 words in all, most with a word sum that shows the parts.
Is spirit related to inspire?
Yes. Spirit first meant breath, the breath of life. That's why a spirited horse is full of energy and why inspire means to breathe life or an idea into someone.
Related word parts
- in-in, or into
- con-with, or together
- audhear
- vocvoice, or call
- -tionthe act of, or the result of
- re-again, or back
Terms on this page: morpheme, root, prefix, suffix, base word, word sum, morphology.
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