Medical English Prefix Suffix

para-

near, beside

-ectomy

excision

pre-

before

retro-

behind, back

endo-

within

peri-

around

supra-

above

brady-

slow

dys-

difficult

eu-

good

mal-

bad

steno-

narrow, contracted

trans-

across, through

quadri-

four

poly-

many

tachy-

fast, rapid

-logy

science, study of

-ician, ist

specialist

-trophy

growth, nutrition

-tomy

incision

-cele

hernia

-cyst

bladder-like sack

-algia

pain

-ia, -osis

diseased condition

-phobia

fear of

-itis

inflammation

-plasty

surgical repair

-tripsy

surgical crushing

-pexy

surgical fixation

-graphy

act of recording

-(a)emia

blood

-dynia

pain

-ecstasis

dilation, expansion

-iasis

abnormal condition

(Produced by something specified)

-malacia

morbid softening

-megaly

enlargement

-oid

resembling

-oma

tumor

-pathy

any disease

-penia

decrease, deficiency

-phagia

eating, swallowing

-phasia

speech

-plegia

paralysis

-ptosis

prolapse, downward displacement

-rrhage, -rrhagia

bursting forth (of)

-rrhea

discharge, flow

-rrhexis

rupture

-sclerosis

hardening

-spasm

involuntary contraction, twitching

-gram

record of data

-graph

instrument for recording

-meter

instrument for measuring

-metry

measurement of

-scope

instrument for viewing

-scopy

visual examination of

-centesis

puncture

-clasis

to break; surgical fracture

-desis

binding, fixation (of a bone or joint)

-lysis

separation; destruction; loosening

-rrhaphy

suture

-stomy

forming an opening (mouth)

-ac, -al, -ary, -ic, -ical, -ory, -ous, -tic, ,ac

pertaining to

-iac

indicate a person afflicted with a certain disease or condition

-is

form noun from root

-ism

condition, state of being

-y

condition, process

abdomen

lapar/o; abdomin/o

above

super-; supra-; epi-

across

trans-

adrenal glands

adren/o; adrenal/o

after, behind

post-

against

anti-; contra-

air

aer/o; pneum/o; pneumon/o

all

pan-

alveolus; air sac

alveol/o

anterior, front

anter/o

anus, rectum

proct/o

aorta

aort/o

appendix

append/o; appendic/o

arm

brachi/o

around

circum-; peri-

arteriole

arteriol/o

artery

arter/o; arteri/o

atrium

atri/o

away from

ef-; ab-

back (of body); behind, posterior

poster/o

backward, behind

retro-

bad

mal-

bad; painful; difficult

dys-

before; in front of

ante-; pre-; pro-

behind; after

post-

belly side, belly

ventr/o

below, deficient, under

hyp-; hyp/o

below, lower

infer/o

below, under

infra-; sub-

bent, crooked; stiffness

ankyl/o

beside, near; beyond

para-

between

inter-

beyond, change

meta-