Morphemes in “reference”
“reference” has 2 morphemes: refer + -ence.
refer
root
+
ence
suffix
Spelling changes when the parts join: the boxes show the letters as written; the morphemes themselves are refer + -ence.
Each morpheme explained
| Morpheme | Type | Free / bound | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| refer | free root | free | make reference to |
| -ence | derivational suffix | bound | state, quality or action of |
How the word is built
refer → reference
Each step adds one affix to the word before it; the root “refer” is where the chain starts.
Syllables and stress in “reference” →
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many morphemes are in "reference"?
"reference" has two morphemes: refer + -ence.
How do you break "reference" into morphemes?
refer + -ence. The root is "refer"; -ence is a derivational suffix.
What is the root word of "reference"?
The root of "reference" is "refer", built up as refer → reference.
Is this morphology tool free?
Yes. The Fixie morphological analyzer is free with no signup and runs in your browser.