Morphemes in “multicolored”
“multicolored” has 3 morphemes: multi- + color + -ed.
multi
prefix
+
color
root
+
ed
suffix
Spelling changes when the parts join: the boxes show the letters as written; the morphemes themselves are multi- + color + -ed.
Each morpheme explained
| Morpheme | Type | Free / bound | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| multi- | derivational prefix | bound | many |
| color | free root | free | add color to |
| -ed | inflectional suffix | bound | past tense / past participle |
How the word is built
color → colored → multicolored
Each step adds one affix to the word before it; the root “color” is where the chain starts.
Break any word into morphemes
Prefixes, roots and suffixes with glosses, free and in your browser.
Open the morphological analyzer →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 "multicolored"?
"multicolored" has three morphemes: multi- + color + -ed.
How do you break "multicolored" into morphemes?
multi- + color + -ed. The root is "color"; multi- is a derivational prefix, -ed is a inflectional suffix.
What is the root word of "multicolored"?
The root of "multicolored" is "color", built up as color → colored → multicolored.
Is this morphology tool free?
Yes. The Fixie morphological analyzer is free with no signup and runs in your browser.