Connecticut Foundations of Reading Test (FORT) Practice

What is a base word?

1. A word that has no prefixes or suffixes

2. A word that can stand alone and form other words

3. A type of compound word

4. A word that exclusively uses vowels

The correct answer is: A word that can stand alone and form other words

A base word is fundamentally understood as a word that can stand alone and serves as the primary form from which other words can be derived by adding prefixes or suffixes. In linguistic terms, a base word retains its core meaning and can combine with various affixes to create related words, enhancing its use in different contexts. For example, the base word "run" can lead to variations like "running," "runner," or "runnable," which all maintain the essence of the original word while expanding its form and meaning. The other options do not accurately capture the broader concept of a base word. While it's true that a base word has no prefixes or suffixes, this definition does not highlight its capacity to form additional words. Similarly, the notion of a compound word does not apply to base words, and focusing solely on vowels ignores the entirety of consonant-inclusive base words, which represent a significant portion of the language.