Morphemes in “computer”
“computer” has 2 morphemes: compute + -er.
Spelling changes when the parts join: the boxes show the letters as written; the morphemes themselves are compute + -er.
Each morpheme explained
| Morpheme | Type | Free / bound | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| compute (written comput) | free root | free | make a mathematical calculation or computation |
| -er | derivational suffix | bound | a person or thing that does (agent); also 'more' when comparative |
How the word is built
compute → computer
Each step adds one affix to the word before it; the root “compute” is where the chain starts.
Morphemes are not syllables
Morphemes are units of meaning; syllables are units of sound. The boundaries often fall in different places, which is why “computer” splits one way for a morphology exercise and another for a syllable count.
Break any word into morphemes
Prefixes, roots and suffixes with glosses, free and in your browser.
Open the morphological analyzer →Related words
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.