Morphemes in “unfairness”
“unfairness” has 3 morphemes: un- + fair + -ness.
un
prefix
+
fair
root
+
ness
suffix
Spelling changes when the parts join: the boxes show the letters as written; the morphemes themselves are un- + fair + -ness.
Each morpheme explained
| Morpheme | Type | Free / bound | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| un- | derivational prefix | bound | not, opposite of; reverse the action |
| fair | free root | free | free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules |
| -ness | derivational suffix | bound | state or quality of being |
How the word is built
fair → unfair → unfairness
Each step adds one affix to the word before it; the root “fair” is where the chain starts.
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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 "unfairness"?
"unfairness" has three morphemes: un- + fair + -ness.
How do you break "unfairness" into morphemes?
un- + fair + -ness. The root is "fair"; un- is a derivational prefix, -ness is a derivational suffix.
What is the root word of "unfairness"?
The root of "unfairness" is "fair", built up as fair → unfair → unfairness.
Is this morphology tool free?
Yes. The Fixie morphological analyzer is free with no signup and runs in your browser.