Morphemes in “afterward”
“afterward” has 2 morphemes: after + -ward.
after
root
+
ward
suffix
Spelling changes when the parts join: the boxes show the letters as written; the morphemes themselves are after + -ward.
Each morpheme explained
| Morpheme | Type | Free / bound | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| after | free root | free | located farther aft |
| -ward | derivational suffix | bound | in the direction of |
How the word is built
after → afterward
Each step adds one affix to the word before it; the root “after” is where the chain starts.
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Prefixes, roots and suffixes with glosses, free and in your browser.
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Segmentation derived from MorphyNet (Batsuren, Bella & Giunchiglia, 2021; CC BY-SA 3.0, built from Wiktionary), with hand-written affix glosses and root meanings from WordNet. Reviewed for classroom use; tell us if you spot an error.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many morphemes are in "afterward"?
"afterward" has two morphemes: after + -ward.
How do you break "afterward" into morphemes?
after + -ward. The root is "after"; -ward is a derivational suffix.
What is the root word of "afterward"?
The root of "afterward" is "after", built up as after → afterward.
Is this morphology tool free?
Yes. The Fixie morphological analyzer is free with no signup and runs in your browser.