Suffix · forms nouns
From Greek "skopein" (to look): names instruments for viewing or examining. Microscope, telescope.
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
The suffix -scope comes from Greek "skopein" (to look, to examine) and names instruments designed to observe or examine something. From "micro-" (small) comes "microscope"; from "tele-" (far) comes "telescope". The Spanish equivalent is -scopio: microscope → microscopio, telescope → telescopio. The correspondence is almost perfect.
The first part of the compound identifies what or where you observe: micro- (small): microscope (sees bacteria, cells) tele- (far): telescope (sees stars, planets) steto- (chest): stethoscope (listens to the heart) endo- (inside): endoscope (sees inside the body) peri- (around): periscope (sees above a surface) kaleo- (beautiful): kaleidoscope gyro- (rotation): gyroscope horo- (hour): horoscope ("seeing the birth hour")
"Scope" alone in modern English means "range" or "field" ("outside the scope of this project") — not an instrument. The -scope word family: -scope = the instrument (microscope) -scopy = the technique/process (microscopy, endoscopy, laparoscopy) -scopic = the adjective: microscopic (very small), telescopic (seen through a telescope)
Greek/Latin root (what or where is observed) + scope.
Word family: -scope (instrument), -scopy (process/technique), -scopic (adjective). Microscope → microscopy → microscopic. This family is very productive in science and medicine.
-scope/skəʊp/ · sounds like 'scope'
Tap the button to hear how the ending sounds. Each word in the table has its own audio.
"microscope" = the physical instrument. "microscopy" = the technique or science of using it.
In English there is no -io ending: telescope (not "telescopio"), microscope (not "microscopio").
"Scope" without a prefix means range or extent: "the scope of the project". It needs a prefix to name an instrument.
A trick to remember it
-scope = instrument for seeing or examining. The first part tells you what or where: micro- (small), tele- (far), endo- (inside), steto- (chest). In Spanish almost always -scopio. And -scopic as an adjective means "very small" (microscopic).
Exercise 1 · Form the word
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
What is the difference between "microscope" and "microscopy"?
Exercise 3 · Pick the right one
An "endoscope" is used to...
The suffix -scope from Greek "skopein" (to look): names instruments for viewing or examining. Microscope, telescope. In Spanish it usually maps to -scopio.
The ending -scope is pronounced /skəʊp/ · sounds like 'scope'. For example, "microscope".
"micro (small)" becomes "microscope". It is a typical example of the -scope suffix.
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