Morphemes in “unhelpful”
“unhelpful” has 3 morphemes: un- + help + -ful.
un
prefix
+
help
root
+
ful
suffix
Spelling changes when the parts join: the boxes show the letters as written; the morphemes themselves are un- + help + -ful.
Each morpheme explained
| Morpheme | Type | Free / bound | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| un- | derivational prefix | bound | not, opposite of; reverse the action |
| help | free root | free | give help or assistance; be of service |
| -ful | derivational suffix | bound | full of, having |
How the word is built
help → helpful → unhelpful
Each step adds one affix to the word before it; the root “help” 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 "unhelpful"?
"unhelpful" has three morphemes: un- + help + -ful.
How do you break "unhelpful" into morphemes?
un- + help + -ful. The root is "help"; un- is a derivational prefix, -ful is a derivational suffix.
What is the root word of "unhelpful"?
The root of "unhelpful" is "help", built up as help → helpful → unhelpful.
Is this morphology tool free?
Yes. The Fixie morphological analyzer is free with no signup and runs in your browser.