Morphemes in “refugee”
“refugee” has 2 morphemes: refuge + -ee.
refuge
root
+
e
suffix
Spelling changes when the parts join: the boxes show the letters as written; the morphemes themselves are refuge + -ee.
Each morpheme explained
| Morpheme | Type | Free / bound | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| refuge | free root | free | a safe place |
| -ee (written e) | derivational suffix | bound | a person who receives or undergoes the action |
How the word is built
refuge → refugee
Each step adds one affix to the word before it; the root “refuge” 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 "refugee"?
"refugee" has two morphemes: refuge + -ee.
How do you break "refugee" into morphemes?
refuge + -ee. The root is "refuge"; -ee is a derivational suffix.
What is the root word of "refugee"?
The root of "refugee" is "refuge", built up as refuge → refugee.
Is this morphology tool free?
Yes. The Fixie morphological analyzer is free with no signup and runs in your browser.