Common Word Components
Prefixes
Common prefixes include the following. As part of your review, it may be helpful to test yourself with flashcards on these items.
- Directions:
- above: supra-, super-, epi-, ultra-, hyper-
- against: anti-, contra-
- around: peri-
- before: pre-, pro-, ante-
- behind: retro-, dors/o, poster/o
- below: infra-, sub-, hypo-
- between: inter-
- inside: endo-
- middle: mid-
- near: para-
- outside: exo-, ecto-, extra-
- side: later/o
- through: dia-, per-
- within: intra-
- Number:
- 1/10: deci-
- 1/100: centi-
- 1/1000: milli-
- 1000: kilo-
- first: primi-, proto-
- four: quadr-
- half: semi-, hemi-
- none: nulli-
- one: uni-, mono-
- two: diplo-, bi-
- three: tri-
- Description:
- after: post-
- bad: mal-
- beyond: meta-
- both: ambi-, amphi-
- different: hetero-
- difficult or poor: dys-
- double: ambi-, amphi-
- easy: eu-
- equal: iso-
- false: pseudo-
- fast: tachy-
- large: macro-
- many: multi-, poly-
- same: homo-
- slow: brady-
- small: micro-
- unequal: aniso-
- without: a-, an-
Suffixes
Common suffixes used in medical terms include the following:
- blood: -emia
- bursting forth: -rrhexis
- cell: -cyte
- condition: -osis, -iasis, -ia, -ism
- to crush: -tripsy
- to cut into: -tomy
- cutting instrument: -tome
- destroy: -lysis
- disease of: -pathy
- drooping: -ptosis
- enlargement: -megaly
- enzyme-related: -ase
- fear: -phobia
- flow or discharge: -rrhea
- formation: -genesis
- hardening: -sclerosis
- herniation: -cele
- infestation: -iasis
- inflammation: -itis
- instrument to examine: -scope
- instrument to measure: -meter
- instrument to record data: -graph
- involuntary movement: -spasm
- kill: -cide
- lack of: -penia
- live birth: -para
- madness: -mania
- make a new opening: -ostomy
- measurement: -metry
- morbidity or unhealthy condition: -ia
- narrowing: -stenosis
- nutrition/development: -trophy
- one who: -er
- pain: -algia, -dynia
- pertaining to: -ic, -al, -otic, -ac, -ar, -ous, -ical
- picture: -gram
- pregnancy: -gravida
- process of: -y
- recording of data: -graphy
- to remove or cut out: -ectomy
- resembling: -oid
- seizure: -lepsy
- small in size: -ule, -ole
- softening: -malacia
- specialist: -ist
- staying in one place: -stasis
- stone: -lith
- stretching: -ectasia
- study of: -logy
- surgical fixation: -pexy
- surgical puncture: -centesis
- to surgically repair: -plasty
- swelling: -edema
- treatment: -therapy
- tumor: -oma
- vomiting: -emesis
- washing: -clysis
Word Roots
Common word roots and combining forms used in medical terms are listed here. They are arranged by the pertinent body system.
- Digestive:
- first part of small intestine: duoden/o
- second part of small intestine: jejun/o
- third part of small intestine: ile/o
- esophagus: esophag/o
- gall bladder: cholecyst/o
- gums: gingiv/o
- intestine: enter/o
- large intestine: col/o
- lips: cheil/o
- liver: hepat/o
- mouth: stomat/o
- pyloric valve: pylor/o
- rectum: proct/o, rect/o
- sigmoid colon: sigmoid/o
- stomach: gastr/o
- teeth: dent/o, dont/o
- throat: pharyng/o
- tongue: gloss/o, lingu/o
- Urinary:
- bladder: cyst/o
- kidney: nephr/o, ren/o
- opening: meat/o
- renal pelvis: pyel/o
- stone: lith/o
- sugar: gluc/o, glyc/o
- ureter: ureter/o
- urethra: urethr/o
- urine: ur/o
- Reproductive:
- birth: nat/o
- breast: mast/o, mamm/o
- fallopian tube: salping/o
- foreskin: phim/o
- menstruation: men/o
- milk: lact/o
- navel: oomphal/o
- ovary: oophor/o
- penis: pen/o, balan/o
- prostate: prostate/o
- testicle: orchid/o, orchi/o
- uterus: hyster/o, uter/o
- vagina: colp/o
- Color:
- black: melan/o
- blue: cyan/o
- green: chlor/o
- purple: purpur/o
- red: erythr/o
- white: leuk/o
- yellow: xanth/o
- Muscles and Bones:
- ankle: tars/o
- back: lumb/o
- bone marrow: myel/o
- bone: oste/o
- bursa: burs/o
- cartilage: chrondr/o
- extremities: acr/o
- fingers/toes: phalang/o
- foot: pod/o, ped/o
- hand: chir/o
- joint: arthr/o
- movement: kinesi/o
- muscle: my/o
- neck: cervic/o
- ribs: cost/o
- spine: rachi/o, spondyl/o
- sternum: stern/o
- straight: orth/o
- synovial: synov/o
- tendon: tend/o, tendin/o
- wrist: carp/o
- General:
- abdomen: lapar/o
- beginning/formation: arche/o, gen/o
- body: corp/o
- breathing: pne/o
- cancer: carcin/o
- child: pedi/a
- dead: necr/o
- death: thanat/o
- disease: path/o
- fixed: ankyl/o
- heat: pyr/o, therm/o
- opening: meat/o
- pus: py/o
- rod-shaped bacteria: bacill/o
- round bacteria: cocc/o
- swallowing: phag/o
- think: gnos/o
- tumor: onc/o
- water: hydr/o
- women: gynec/o
- Nervous System and Special Senses:
- brain: encephal/o
- cerebrum: cerebr/o
- cornea: kerat/o
- covering on brain: mening/o
- ear drum: myring/o, tympan/o
- ear: ot/o
- eye: ophthalm/o
- eyelid: blephar/o
- head: cephal/o
- hearing: phon/o
- iris: irid/o
- nerve: neur/o
- pupil: core/o
- smell: osm/o
- speech: phas/o
- spinal cord: myel/o
- taste: gust/o, geus/o
- tears: lacrim/o
- vision: op/o
- white of eye: scler/o
- Skin/Connective:
- fat: lip/o
- fungus: myc/o
- gland: aden/o
- hair: trich/o, pil/o
- nail: onych/o
- porridge-like: ather/o
- skin: dermat/o, cutan/o
- sweat: hidr/o
- Heart/Lungs:
- artery: arteri/o
- blood: hem/o, hemat/o
- branch/forked: furc/o
- bronchus: bronchi/o
- chest: thorac/o
- clot: thromb/o
- diaphragm: phren/o
- heart: cardi/o
- larynx: laryng/o
- lung: pneumon/o, pulmon/o
- nose: rhin/o, nas/o
- trachea: trache/o
- vein: phleb/o, ven/o
- vessel: vas/o, angi/o