Word part · Latin root
Vol root words: meaning and 15 examples
In short
The Latin root vol (from Latin) means "wish, or will". It is also spelled volunt. Words with it include benevolent, benevolence, voluntary, voluntarily, involuntary and involuntarily. Spelled volunt in voluntary and volunteer.
- Part
- vol
- Meaning
- wish, or will
- Origin
- Latin
- Also spelled
- volunt
- Words listed
- 15
Spelled volunt in voluntary and volunteer. A volunteer works by choice, because they want to, not because they are paid or told to.
Words with the Latin root vol
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
Next: longer words (about grades 5 and 6)
More words: volunteer, volunteers, volunteered, volition
Stretch: long or less common words (about grades 7 and 8)
| Word | Word sum | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| benevolent | bene (root or base)+vol (root or base)+ent (suffix)→benevolent | wishing others well; kind |
| benevolence | bene (root or base)+vol (root or base)+ence (suffix)→benevolence | a wish to do good for others |
| voluntary | volunt (root or base)+ary (suffix)→voluntary | done because you choose to, not because you must |
| voluntarily | volunt (root or base)+ary (suffix)+ly (suffix)→voluntarilychange y to i | by your own choice |
| involuntary | in (prefix)+volunt (root or base)+ary (suffix)→involuntary | done without choosing, like a sneeze |
| involuntarily | in (prefix)+volunt (root or base)+ary (suffix)+ly (suffix)→involuntarilychange y to i | without meaning to |
| benevolently | bene (root or base)+vol (root or base)+ent (suffix)+ly (suffix)→benevolently | in a kind way that wishes others well |
| voluntariness | volunt (root or base)+ary (suffix)+ness (suffix)→voluntarinesschange y to i | the state of being done by free choice |
More words: volunteering, malevolent, malevolence
Where does vol 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:
- voluntary, voluntarily, voluntariness
- In the middle:
- benevolent, benevolence, involuntary, involuntarily, benevolently
How do you teach the root vol?
Start with volunteer. Ask who has volunteered for something, then ask why. The answer, because they wanted to, is the meaning of the root. Show voluntary next and point out the volunt spelling the two words share. Involuntary then becomes easy: not by choice. A hiccup is the example students remember. Benevolent and malevolent pair well for older students, since only the prefix changes: good will, bad will.
A quick routine
Write vol in a box and say, "Vol means wish or will. A voluntary act is one you choose." Read voluntary and involuntary, and have the student sort three actions you name: blinking, raising a hand, sneezing. For each, they say "voluntary" or "involuntary" and why. Then read benevolent and malevolent, and ask which character in a story you know is which.
What do students mix up with vol?
Vol has a look-alike. Volume, revolve and evolution come from a different root, volv, which means roll. Volcano and volt are from names, not from either root. If a student asks whether volume means "wish," use the meaning test: a book's volume has nothing to do with wanting, so it belongs somewhere else.
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 vol mean?
Vol means "wish, or will". It is a Latin root, also spelled volunt. Spelled volunt in voluntary and volunteer. A volunteer works by choice, because they want to, not because they are paid or told to.
What are some words with the root vol?
Start with volunteer, volunteers, volunteered and volition. Then move to benevolent and benevolence. This page lists 15 words in all, most with a word sum that shows the parts.
Is volume from the same root as volunteer?
No. Volume comes from volv, which means roll; an early book was a rolled scroll. Volunteer comes from vol, which means wish or will. They look alike but have different meanings.
Related word parts
- volvroll, or turn
- benegood, or well
- mal-bad, or badly
- -aryrelating to; or a place for
- credbelieve, or trust
- -lyin a certain way
- in-not
Terms on this page: morpheme, root, prefix, suffix, base word, word sum, morphology.
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