Morphemes in “transformer”
“transformer” has 3 morphemes: trans- + form + -er.
trans
prefix
+
form
root
+
er
suffix
Spelling changes when the parts join: the boxes show the letters as written; the morphemes themselves are trans- + form + -er.
Each morpheme explained
| Morpheme | Type | Free / bound | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| trans- | derivational prefix | bound | across, beyond, through |
| form | free root | free | the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something |
| -er | derivational suffix | bound | a person or thing that does (agent); also 'more' when comparative |
How the word is built
form → transform → transformer
Each step adds one affix to the word before it; the root “form” 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 "transformer"?
"transformer" has three morphemes: trans- + form + -er.
How do you break "transformer" into morphemes?
trans- + form + -er. The root is "form"; trans- is a derivational prefix, -er is a derivational suffix.
What is the root word of "transformer"?
The root of "transformer" is "form", built up as form → transform → transformer.
Is this morphology tool free?
Yes. The Fixie morphological analyzer is free with no signup and runs in your browser.