Which describes a morpheme that cannot stand alone as a word?

Which describes a morpheme that cannot stand alone as a word?

• A. Bound morpheme
• B. Free morpheme
• C. Root morpheme
• D. Suffix morpheme

Answer: (A)

A morpheme is the smallest unit of meaning in language. Some morphemes can stand alone as words—the free morphemes, like book or run. Others cannot stand alone and must attach to another element; these are bound morphemes. Prefixes and suffixes are common examples, such as un- or -ed, which modify meaning or tense but can’t function independently. The idea is that anything that cannot stand as a word by itself is a bound morpheme.

A morpheme is the smallest unit of meaning in language. Some morphemes can stand alone as words—the free morphemes, like book or run. Others cannot stand alone and must attach to another element; these are bound morphemes. Prefixes and suffixes are common examples, such as un- or -ed, which modify meaning or tense but can’t function independently. The idea is that anything that cannot stand as a word by itself is a bound morpheme.