Words with the root pos/pon
pos/pon means “place, put”, from Latinponere.
15 examples of the root “pos/pon”
- position-itiona place where something is put
- composecom-put together
- opposeop-put against
- depositde-/-itput down for safekeeping
- postponepost-put off until later
- proposepro-put forward for consideration
- supposesup-put under as assumption
- imposeim-put a burden upon someone
- exposeex-put out into the open
- disposedis-put away or get rid of
- componentcom-/-mentsomething put together with others
- deponentde-/-entone who puts down testimony
- proponentpro-/-entone who puts forward a view
- exponentex-/-entone who puts forth an idea
- juxtaposejuxta-put side by side for contrast
How pos/pon works
The root appears as 'pos' when followed by a vowel suffix (position, expose) and as 'pon' in words like postpone and component, reflecting Latin conjugation variants of 'ponere'. Prefixes assimilate to the following consonant, so 'ob-' becomes 'op-' in oppose and 'sub-' becomes 'sup-' in suppose.
Watch out: Words like 'positive' and 'possible' share the same Latin root 'ponere,' so they are not false friends, but 'posture' and 'apostle' do not derive from this root despite resemblance.
To see roots combine with other parts, try the word dissector and root builder, or test yourself in the vocabulary quiz.
Other Greek and Latin roots
- port · carry
- duct · lead
- scrib/script · write
- dict · say
- aud · hear
- vid/vis · see
- rupt · break
- mit/miss · send
- vert/vers · turn
- ped · foot
- man/manu · hand
- spec/spect · look
- cap/cept · take
- fac/fact · make
- voc/vok · voice
- terr · earth
- aqua · water
- luc/lum · light
- nov · new
- temp · time
- mort · death
- gram/graph · write
- log/logy · word
- phon · sound
- bio · life
- chron · time
- geo · earth
- path · feeling
- hydr · water
- scope · look at
- therm · heat
- psych · mind
- auto · self
- tele · far
- micro · small
Questions people ask
What does the root “pos/pon” mean?
pos/pon means “place, put”. It comes from Latin (ponere). The root appears as 'pos' when followed by a vowel suffix (position, expose) and as 'pon' in words like postpone and component, reflecting Latin conjugation variants of 'ponere'. Prefixes assimilate to the following consonant, so 'ob-' becomes 'op-' in oppose and 'sub-' becomes 'sup-' in suppose.
What are some examples of words with the root “pos/pon”?
position, compose, oppose, deposit, postpone, propose, suppose, impose. The full list of 15 examples, with what each one literally means, is above.
Which words look like they have the root “pos/pon” but don’t?
Words like 'positive' and 'possible' share the same Latin root 'ponere,' so they are not false friends, but 'posture' and 'apostle' do not derive from this root despite resemblance.
What is a root word?
A root is the core of a word that carries its main meaning. Many English roots come from Latin or Greek and cannot stand alone, like port (“carry”) in transport and portable.