The Big Picture
Medical terms are built from smaller parts called word elements. Breaking a medical term into these parts helps you work out what the term means.
The main word elements in this topic are prefixes, root words, combining vowels, and suffixes. Each part has a different job.
Start Here If You’re Overwhelmed
Focus on these core ideas:
- A prefix comes at the beginning of a word and changes its meaning.
- A root word carries the basic meaning of the word.
- A combining vowel joins word parts and makes pronunciation easier.
- A suffix comes at the end of a root word and changes its meaning.
- Prefixes and suffixes are combined with other word elements rather than used alone.
- Prefixes, root words, and suffixes are based in Greek and Latin.
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Course Notes: Key Ideas You Need to Know
How Medical Terms Are Built
A word element is one part of a word. Medical terms contain word elements joined in different combinations.
To understand a medical term, separate it into its word elements and look at what each part means.
Prefixes, root words, and suffixes in medical terminology are based in Greek and Latin.
The important word elements in this topic are:
- Prefix: placed at the beginning of a word.
- Root word: contains the basic meaning.
- Combining vowel: joins certain word elements and helps with pronunciation.
- Suffix: placed at the end of a root word.
Prefixes
A prefix is a word element placed at the beginning of a word to change its meaning. A prefix always combines with other word elements. It is not used by itself.
For example, olig- means small or scant. When it appears with -uria, which refers to a condition of the urine, oliguria means a small amount of urine.
Prefixes A to E
| Prefix | Meaning |
|---|---|
| a-, an- | without, not, lack of |
| ab- | away from |
| ad- | to, toward, near |
| ante- | before, forward, in front of |
| anti- | against |
| auto- | self |
| bi- | double, two, twice |
| brady- | slow |
| circum- | around |
| contra- | against, opposite |
| de- | down, from |
| dia- | across, through, apart |
| dis- | apart, free from |
| dys- | difficult, abnormal |
| ecto- | outer, outside |
| en- | in, into, within |
| endo- | inner, inside |
| epi- | over, on, upon |
| eryth- | red |
| eu- | normal, good, well, healthy |
| ex- | out, out of, from, away from |
Prefixes H to O
| Prefix | Meaning |
|---|---|
| hemi- | half |
| hyper- | excessive, too much, high |
| hypo- | under, decreased, less than normal |
| in- | in, into, within, not |
| infra- | within |
| inter- | between |
| intra- | into, within |
| leuk- | white |
| macro- | large |
| mal- | illness, disease |
| meg- | large |
| micro- | small |
| mono- | one, single |
| muco- | mucous |
| neo- | new |
| non- | not |
| olig- | small, scant |
Prefixes P to U
| Prefix | Meaning |
|---|---|
| para- | beside, beyond, after |
| per- | by, through |
| peri- | around |
| poly- | many, much |
| post- | after, behind |
| pre- | before, in front of, prior to |
| pro- | before, in front of |
| re- | again, backward |
| retro- | backward, behind |
| sang- | blood |
| semi- | half |
| sero- | thin, watery fluid |
| sub- | under, beneath |
| super- | above, over, excess |
| supra- | above, over |
| tachy- | fast, rapid |
| trans- | across, over |
| uni- | one |
Root Words
A root word carries the basic meaning of a medical term. A root word can combine with another root, a prefix, a suffix, or different combinations of these elements.
Learning common roots helps you recognize what part of the body, substance, structure, or idea a medical term refers to.
Combining Vowels
A combining vowel is a vowel added between two root words or between a root word and a suffix. Its purpose is to make the combined word easier to pronounce.
The most common combining vowel is o. An i is sometimes used when no vowel appears between two combined roots or between a root and a suffix.
In lists of medical roots, the combining vowel often appears in parentheses. For example, abdomin(o) shows the root together with its combining vowel.
Common Root Words
Roots A to C
| Root Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| abdomin(o) | abdomen |
| aden(o) | gland |
| adren(o) | adrenal gland |
| angi(o) | vessel |
| arteri(o) | artery, plural: arteries |
| arthr(o) | joint |
| bronch(o) | bronchus, plural: bronchi |
| card, cardi(o) | heart |
| cephal(o) | head |
| chole, chol(o) | bile, plural: bile |
| chondr(o) | cartilage |
| col(o) | colon, large intestine |
| cost(o) | rib |
| crani(o) | skull |
| cyan(o) | blue |
| cyst(o) | bladder, cyst |
| cyt(o) | cell |
Roots D to H
| Root Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| dent(o) | tooth, plural: teeth |
| derma | skin, plural: skin |
| duoden(o) | duodenum |
| encephal(o) | brain |
| enter(o) | intestines |
| fibr(o) | fibre, fibrous |
| gastr(o) | stomach |
| gloss(o) | tongue |
| gluc(o) | sweetness, glucose |
| glyc(o) | sugar |
| gyn, gyne, gynec(o) | woman, plural: women |
| hem, hema, hemo, hemat(o) | blood |
| hepat(o) | liver |
| hydr(o) | water, plural: water |
| hyster(o) | uterus |
Roots I to M
| Root Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ile(o), ili(o) | ileum, plural: ilea |
| lapar(o) | abdomen, loin, or flank |
| laryng(o) | larynx |
| lith(o) | stone |
| mamm(o) | breast, mammary gland |
| mast(o) | mammary gland, breast |
| men(o) | menstruation |
| my(o) | muscle |
| myel(o) | spinal cord, bone marrow |
Roots N to P
| Root Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| necr(o) | death |
| nephr(o) | kidney |
| neur(o) | nerve |
| ocul(o) | eye |
| oophor(o) | ovary, plural: ovaries |
| ophthalm(o) | eye |
| orth(o) | straight, normal, correct |
| oste(o) | bone |
| ot(o) | ear |
| ped(o) | child, plural: children, or foot, plural: feet |
| pharyng(o) | pharynx |
| phleb(o) | vein |
| pnea | breathing, respiration |
| pneum(o) | lung, air, gas |
| proct(o) | rectum |
| psych(o) | mind |
| pulm(o) | lung |
| py(o) | pus, plural: pus |
Roots R to V
| Root Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| rect(o) | rectum |
| rhin(o) | nose |
| salping(o) | fallopian or uterine tube |
| splen(o) | spleen |
| sten(o) | narrow, constriction |
| stern(o) | sternum |
| stomat(o) | mouth |
| therm(o) | heat |
| thorac(o) | chest |
| thromb(o) | clot, thrombus, plural: thrombi |
| thyr(o) | thyroid |
| tox(o) | poison |
| toxic(o) | poison, poisonous |
| trache(o) | trachea |
| ur(o) | urine, urinary tract, urination |
| urethr(o) | urethra |
| urin(o) | urine, plural: urine |
| uter(o) | uterus |
| vas(o) | blood vessel, vas deferens |
| ven(o) | vein |
| vertebr(o) | spine, vertebrae |
Suffixes
A suffix is placed at the end of a root word to change the meaning of the word. Like a prefix, a suffix does not stand alone.
For example, nephr- refers to the kidney and -itis means inflammation. Together, they form nephritis, meaning inflammation of the kidney.
Suffixes A to G
| Suffix | Meaning |
|---|---|
| -algia | pain |
| -asis | condition, usually abnormal |
| -cele | hernia, herniation, pouching |
| -centesis | puncture and aspiration of |
| -cyte | cell |
| -duction | make something happen |
| -ectasis | dilation, stretching |
| -ectomy | excision, removal of |
| -emia | blood condition |
| -genesis | development, production, creation |
| -genic | producing, causing |
| -gram | record |
| -graph | a diagram, a recording instrument |
| -graphy | making a recording |
Suffixes I to P
| Suffix | Meaning |
|---|---|
| -iasis | condition of |
| -ism | a condition |
| -itis | inflammation |
| -logy | the study of |
| -lysis | destruction of, decomposition |
| -megaly | enlargement |
| -meter | measuring instrument |
| -metry | measurement |
| -oma | tumour |
| -osis | condition |
| -pathy | disease |
| -penia | lack, deficiency |
| -phasia | speaking |
| -phobia | an exaggerated fear |
| -plasty | surgical repair or reshaping |
| -plegia | paralysis |
| -ptosis | falling, sagging, dropping down |
Suffixes R to U
| Suffix | Meaning |
|---|---|
| -rrhage, -rrhagia | excessive flow |
| -rrhaphy | stitching, suturing |
| -rrhea | profuse flow, discharge |
| -scope | examination instrument |
| -scopy | examination using a scope |
| -stasis | maintenance, maintaining a constant level |
| -stomy, -ostomy | creation of an opening |
| -tomy, -otomy | incision, cutting into |
| -uria | condition of the urine |
How the Four Word Elements Differ
Medical terms become easier to break apart when you identify where each element appears and what job it performs.
| Word Element | Main Job |
|---|---|
| Prefix | Appears at the beginning and changes the word’s meaning |
| Root word | Gives the word its basic meaning |
| Combining vowel | Joins word elements and makes pronunciation easier |
| Suffix | Appears at the end of a root and changes the word’s meaning |
A medical term does not need every type of word element at once. Root words combine with other roots, prefixes, and suffixes in different ways.
Fast Review
Medical terminology becomes easier to study when you look for individual word elements instead of treating each term as one large word.
- A word element is a part of a word.
- A prefix appears at the beginning and changes the meaning of the word.
- Prefixes always combine with other word elements. They do not stand alone.
- A root word contains the basic meaning of the word.
- Root words combine with other roots, prefixes, and suffixes to form medical terms.
- A combining vowel helps join word elements and makes pronunciation easier.
- o is the most common combining vowel. i is sometimes used.
- A suffix appears at the end of a root word and changes its meaning.
- Suffixes do not stand alone.
- oliguria combines olig-, meaning small or scant, with -uria, referring to a condition of the urine.
- nephritis combines a kidney root with -itis, meaning inflammation.
- Medical prefixes, roots, and suffixes in this topic are based on Greek and Latin languages.
Final Pep Talk
There are many word elements here, so focus first on recognizing whether a part is a prefix, root, combining vowel, or suffix. Then review the smaller meaning lists in groups instead of trying to remember the entire page at once.