Morphemes in “unexpectedly”
“unexpectedly” has 4 morphemes: un- + expect + -ed + -ly.
Spelling changes when the parts join: the boxes show the letters as written; the morphemes themselves are un- + expect + -ed + -ly.
Each morpheme explained
| Morpheme | Type | Free / bound | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| un- | derivational prefix | bound | not, opposite of; reverse the action |
| expect | free root | free | regard something as probable or likely |
| -ed | inflectional suffix | bound | past tense / past participle |
| -ly | derivational suffix | bound | in the manner of; every (as in daily) |
How the word is built
expect → expected → unexpected → unexpectedly
Each step adds one affix to the word before it; the root “expect” is where the chain starts.
Morphemes are not syllables
Morphemes are units of meaning; syllables are units of sound. The boundaries often fall in different places, which is why “unexpectedly” splits one way for a morphology exercise and another for a syllable count.
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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.