Morphemes in “uncertainty”
“uncertainty” has 3 morphemes: un- + certain + -ty.
un
prefix
+
certain
root
+
ty
suffix
Spelling changes when the parts join: the boxes show the letters as written; the morphemes themselves are un- + certain + -ty.
Each morpheme explained
| Morpheme | Type | Free / bound | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| un- | derivational prefix | bound | not, opposite of; reverse the action |
| certain | free root | free | definite but not specified or identified |
| -ty | derivational suffix | bound | quality or condition of |
How the word is built
certain → uncertain → uncertainty
Each step adds one affix to the word before it; the root “certain” is where the chain starts.
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 "uncertainty"?
"uncertainty" has three morphemes: un- + certain + -ty.
How do you break "uncertainty" into morphemes?
un- + certain + -ty. The root is "certain"; un- is a derivational prefix, -ty is a derivational suffix.
What is the root word of "uncertainty"?
The root of "uncertainty" is "certain", built up as certain → uncertain → uncertainty.
Is this morphology tool free?
Yes. The Fixie morphological analyzer is free with no signup and runs in your browser.