Morphemes in “directional”
“directional” has 3 morphemes: direct + -ion + -al.
direct
root
+
ion
suffix
+
al
suffix
Spelling changes when the parts join: the boxes show the letters as written; the morphemes themselves are direct + -ion + -al.
Each morpheme explained
| Morpheme | Type | Free / bound | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| direct | free root | free | direct in spatial dimensions; proceeding without deviation or interruption; straight and short |
| -ion | derivational suffix | bound | action, process or result of |
| -al | derivational suffix | bound | relating to, of the kind of |
How the word is built
direct → direction → directional
Each step adds one affix to the word before it; the root “direct” is where the chain starts.
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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 "directional"?
"directional" has three morphemes: direct + -ion + -al.
How do you break "directional" into morphemes?
direct + -ion + -al. The root is "direct"; -ion is a derivational suffix, -al is a derivational suffix.
What is the root word of "directional"?
The root of "directional" is "direct", built up as direct → direction → directional.
Is this morphology tool free?
Yes. The Fixie morphological analyzer is free with no signup and runs in your browser.