Morphemes in “impossibility”
“impossibility” has 3 morphemes: in- + possible + -ity.
im
prefix
+
possibil
root
+
ity
suffix
Spelling changes when the parts join: the boxes show the letters as written; the morphemes themselves are in- + possible + -ity.
Each morpheme explained
| Morpheme | Type | Free / bound | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| in- (written im) | derivational prefix | bound | not (form of in- before b, m, p) |
| possible (written possibil) | free root | free | capable of happening or existing |
| -ity | derivational suffix | bound | quality or condition of |
How the word is built
possible → impossible → impossibility
Each step adds one affix to the word before it; the root “possible” 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 "impossibility"?
"impossibility" has three morphemes: in- + possible + -ity.
How do you break "impossibility" into morphemes?
in- + possible + -ity. The root is "possible"; in- is a derivational prefix, -ity is a derivational suffix.
What is the root word of "impossibility"?
The root of "impossibility" is "possible", built up as possible → impossible → impossibility.
Is this morphology tool free?
Yes. The Fixie morphological analyzer is free with no signup and runs in your browser.