Morphemes in “nonsense”
“nonsense” has 2 morphemes: non- + sense.
non
prefix
+
sense
root
Spelling changes when the parts join: the boxes show the letters as written; the morphemes themselves are non- + sense.
Each morpheme explained
| Morpheme | Type | Free / bound | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| non- | derivational prefix | bound | not |
| sense | free root | free | a general conscious awareness |
How the word is built
sense → nonsense
Each step adds one affix to the word before it; the root “sense” 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 "nonsense"?
"nonsense" has two morphemes: non- + sense.
How do you break "nonsense" into morphemes?
non- + sense. The root is "sense"; non- is a derivational prefix.
What is the root word of "nonsense"?
The root of "nonsense" is "sense", built up as sense → nonsense.
Is this morphology tool free?
Yes. The Fixie morphological analyzer is free with no signup and runs in your browser.