Morphemes in “basically”
“basically” has 4 morphemes: base + -ic + -al + -ly.
bas
root
+
ic
suffix
+
al
suffix
+
ly
suffix
Spelling changes when the parts join: the boxes show the letters as written; the morphemes themselves are base + -ic + -al + -ly.
Each morpheme explained
| Morpheme | Type | Free / bound | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| base (written bas) | free root | free | installation from which a military force initiates operations |
| -ic | derivational suffix | bound | relating to, having the nature of |
| -al | derivational suffix | bound | relating to, of the kind of |
| -ly | derivational suffix | bound | in the manner of; every (as in daily) |
How the word is built
base → basic → basically
Each step adds one affix to the word before it; the root “base” is where the chain starts.
Syllables and stress in “basically” →
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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 "basically"?
"basically" has four morphemes: base + -ic + -al + -ly.
How do you break "basically" into morphemes?
base + -ic + -al + -ly. The root is "base"; -ic is a derivational suffix, -al is a derivational suffix, -ly is a derivational suffix.
What is the root word of "basically"?
The root of "basically" is "base", built up as base → basic → basically.
Is this morphology tool free?
Yes. The Fixie morphological analyzer is free with no signup and runs in your browser.