Root words and base words are often used as synonyms. At times, an English base word could be the same as a Latin root word.
However, there are some differences between root words and base words.
Root Word
Part of the base word that comes from other languages like Latin or Greek.
Can’t stand alone in English.
Example: aud is Latin and is the root of words like audition, audience, audio
Base Word
A basic word to which affixes (suffixes and prefixes) can be added.
Can stand alone.
Example: cycle is a full word in English derived from the root word cyc. With affixes, it becomes bicycle, tricycle, cyclist, cyclical