“Phobia” Root Word: Meaning, Words, & Activity
Posted by Audrey Bon on 5th Jan 2020
Using multisensory strategies when teaching Greek and Latin roots will help your older students remember the root and make deeper connections. This matching game connects the root phobia (fear) with pictures of fears that people have. This game is a great review of previously taught roots such as micro (small), hydro (water), phon (sound) and many more!
What Does the Root Word "Phobia" Mean?
The root word "phobia" comes from the Greek word "phobos," which means fear. In English, "phobia" is used to describe an intense fear of something, whether it’s a specific object, situation, or experience. Understanding this root word helps students recognize how it’s used to form words that describe various fears. When children learn what "phobia" means, they can begin to connect it to familiar words and concepts. Teaching the root "phobia" can also be an opportunity to focus on phonological awareness.
Root “Phobia” Multisensory Activity
Materials
Print the game cards of Phobia Match and cut apart (Phobia Match PDF).
Answer key:
- photophobia (fear of light) – lightbulb picture
- phobophobia (fear of fear) – goes with the picture of the scared person with the words phobia/phobic above head
- phonophobia (fear of sound) – picture of person’s ear
- autophobia (fear of being alone) – picture of person by themselves
- technophobia (fear of new technology) – picture of cell phone/laptop
- arithmophobia (fear of numbers) – picture of numbers
- zoophobia (fear of certain animals) – picture of animals
- astrophobia (fear of stars/space) – picture of star
- chronophobia (fear of time) – picture of clock
- microphobia (fear of small things) – picture of small shape next to a large shape
- graphophobia (fear of writing/handwriting) – picture of a pencil writing
- aquaphobia (fear of water) – picture of water
- hydrophobia (fear of water) – picture of water
How to Play
Shuffle the cards and lay them face down on the table. Players take turns choosing two cards and flipping them face up. If the cards match, the player gets to keep the cards and go again. If the cards are not a match, the player puts them back on the table face down. Whoever has the most matches at the end of the game wins!
Additional “Phobia” Words
- Arachnophobia – Fear of spiders
- Claustrophobia – Fear of enclosed or confined spaces
- Acrophobia – Fear of heights
- Xenophobia – Fear of strangers
- Agoraphobia – Fear of open spaces
- Ophidiophobia – Fear of snakes
- Glossophobia – Fear of public speaking
- Trypophobia – Fear of clusters of small holes
- Nyctophobia – Fear of the dark
- Coulrophobia – Fear of clowns.
- Entomophobia – Fear of insects
- Thanatophobia – Fear of death or dying
- Claustrophobia – Fear of tight spaces
Written by Audrey Bon
Audrey is an instructor with Brainspring Educator Academy and a tutor at Brainspring Learning Center in Plymouth, Michigan