Morphemes in “subcontractor”
“subcontractor” has 3 morphemes: sub- + contract + -or.
sub
prefix
+
contract
root
+
or
suffix
Spelling changes when the parts join: the boxes show the letters as written; the morphemes themselves are sub- + contract + -or.
Each morpheme explained
| Morpheme | Type | Free / bound | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| sub- | derivational prefix | bound | under, below, secondary |
| contract | free root | free | a binding agreement between two or more persons that is enforceable by law |
| -or | derivational suffix | bound | a person or thing that does (agent) |
How the word is built
contract → subcontract → subcontractor
Each step adds one affix to the word before it; the root “contract” is where the chain starts.
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Prefixes, roots and suffixes with glosses, free and in your browser.
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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 "subcontractor"?
"subcontractor" has three morphemes: sub- + contract + -or.
How do you break "subcontractor" into morphemes?
sub- + contract + -or. The root is "contract"; sub- is a derivational prefix, -or is a derivational suffix.
What is the root word of "subcontractor"?
The root of "subcontractor" is "contract", built up as contract → subcontract → subcontractor.
Is this morphology tool free?
Yes. The Fixie morphological analyzer is free with no signup and runs in your browser.