Rootonym
Rate itFill in missing letters using root words, parts of speech and definitions.
on gocomics.com
Rootonym is a daily vocabulary puzzle built on word roots. Each day gives one Latin or Greek root and its meaning, and you fill in the missing letters of several words that contain it, guided by each word's definition and part of speech. It is played on GoComics with a subscription and syndicated by Andrews McMeel Universal.
About Rootonym
Rootonym was created in 1997 by Jan and Carey Cook, and Andrews McMeel Universal has syndicated it since 2007, daily online, on mobile and in print. On the web it is one of the Puzzle Society games on GoComics.
Each puzzle is built around one root. The game names it and says what it means: in its own example, the root SCI means 'know'. Below are several words that contain the root, with the root's letters already placed and the rest left blank: CONSCIENTIOUS, SCIENTIFIC, and a longer one defined as existing in the mind beneath or beyond one's awareness, an adjective. You fill in the missing letters of each word from its definition, its part of speech and the number of boxes, with a hint to reveal if you are stuck.
It is a puzzle about vocabulary rather than speed with letters: knowing what a root means helps you guess words you have rarely written, and seeing several words share a root is the point of it. Its publisher pitches it as a way to build reading comprehension while you play.
Rootonym on GoComics is part of the subscription, alongside the other Puzzle Society games. It suits players who enjoy word origins and definition puzzles.
How to play Rootonym
- Open Rootonym on the GoComics puzzles page and sign in with a GoComics Premium subscription.
- Read the day's root and what it means.
- For each word, read its definition and part of speech; the root's letters are already in place.
- Type the missing letters to complete the word, using a hint if you need one.
- Finish every word built on the root to complete the puzzle.
Tips
- Say the root's meaning into the definition: 'know' plus 'beneath awareness' points to subconscious.
- Count the boxes before and after the root: they tell you how long the prefix and ending are.
- Think of common prefixes and suffixes (con-, sub-, -ious, -ific) first.
Questions
Who created Rootonym?
Jan and Carey Cook created it in 1997. Andrews McMeel Universal has syndicated it since 2007.
Is Rootonym free?
On GoComics it is one of the Puzzle Society games included with a subscription.
What is a root in Rootonym?
A Latin or Greek word part, such as SCI for 'know', that every word in the day's puzzle contains.
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