What term refers to a basic word with no prefix or suffix added?

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Multiple Choice

What term refers to a basic word with no prefix or suffix added?

The main idea here is understanding the basic building block of a word—the piece that carries its core meaning and can have endings or beginnings added to it. This piece is called the root. It’s the simplest form of a word from which other related words are created by attaching prefixes or suffixes. So when a word has no prefix or suffix attached, you’re looking at its root form. For example, with a word like unhappy or happiness, the root conveys the core idea of the word, and affixes modify its meaning or grammatical role. The other terms don’t fit as precisely: a prefix is something added to the front, a noun phrase is a group of words acting as a noun, and base word is a related term but the question’s wording points to the root as the exact technical term.

The main idea here is understanding the basic building block of a word—the piece that carries its core meaning and can have endings or beginnings added to it. This piece is called the root. It’s the simplest form of a word from which other related words are created by attaching prefixes or suffixes. So when a word has no prefix or suffix attached, you’re looking at its root form. For example, with a word like unhappy or happiness, the root conveys the core idea of the word, and affixes modify its meaning or grammatical role. The other terms don’t fit as precisely: a prefix is something added to the front, a noun phrase is a group of words acting as a noun, and base word is a related term but the question’s wording points to the root as the exact technical term.

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