Morphemes in “superstar”
“superstar” has 2 morphemes: super- + star.
super
prefix
+
star
root
Spelling changes when the parts join: the boxes show the letters as written; the morphemes themselves are super- + star.
Each morpheme explained
| Morpheme | Type | Free / bound | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| super- | derivational prefix | bound | above, beyond, more than |
| star | free root | free | (astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior |
How the word is built
star → superstar
Each step adds one affix to the word before it; the root “star” 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 "superstar"?
"superstar" has two morphemes: super- + star.
How do you break "superstar" into morphemes?
super- + star. The root is "star"; super- is a derivational prefix.
What is the root word of "superstar"?
The root of "superstar" is "star", built up as star → superstar.
Is this morphology tool free?
Yes. The Fixie morphological analyzer is free with no signup and runs in your browser.