What Is Morphology? 

Morphology is the study of how words are formed. Morphemes are the smallest meaningful parts of words. An understanding of morphology helps students make connections to other words and their definitions, boosting vocabulary and comprehension skills. 

This teaching resource requires students to match cards to connect parts of words and various morphology terms with their meanings. Here’s how to play:

1. Shuffle all the cards thoroughly.
2. Lay all the cards face up in the center of the playing area.
3. Explain that every numbered orange card has a matching lettered green card.
4. Players take turns finding two cards that match.
5. Continue playing until there are no more cards left in the playing area.
6. The player with the most matches at the end wins!

Tips for Differentiation + Scaffolding 

A team of dedicated, experienced educators created this resource to support your ELA lessons. If you have a mixture of above and below-level learners, check out these suggestions for keeping students on track with the concepts: 

• Support Struggling Students – Help students who need assistance understanding the concepts by limiting the cards in play. Exclude the terms and their matching meaning cards or reduce the number of word part cards and their meanings.
• Challenge Confident Students – Challenge students think of another word that uses the same prefix or suffix and use it in a sentence, either orally or written, depending on the student’s abilities.

Download This Morpheme Matching Game

Use the dropdown icon on the Download button to choose between the quick-print PDF or editable Google Slides file. An answer key is included in both downloads.

Print on cardboard for added durability and longevity. Place all pieces in a folder or large envelope for easy access. 

This resource was created by Lindsey Phillips, a teacher in Michigan and Teach Starter collaborator. 

More Resources for Exploring Morphology

Don’t stop there! We’ve got more activities and resources that cut down on lesson planning time.

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Prefix, Suffix, and Root Word Bingo

Examine prefixes, suffixes and root words and identify their morphological meanings with this engaging bingo game.

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Greek and Latin Roots Practice Worksheet Bundle

Practice using vocabulary containing Greek roots and Latin roots with 24 weekly root word practice worksheets.

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Greek and Latin Roots – Word Tree Anchor Charts

Encourage vocabulary development with 24 Greek and Latin root anchor charts.