Medical Word Elements and Construction: Prefixes, Suffixes, Roots, and Rules

Medical vocabulary

Specialized vocabulary used by health-care providers

Word root (WR)

Foundation of the word that contains its main meaning

Origin of word roots

Usually derived from Latin or Greek language

Word root presence

At least one word root in most medical words

Examples of word roots

hepat in hepat/itis, tonsill in tonsill/ectomy, gastr in gastr/oma, laryng in laryng/itis

Combining form (CF)

Created when a word root is combined with a vowel, known as a combining vowel

Combining vowel

Usually an o, but sometimes an i or an e

Function of combining vowel

Enables two or more word elements to be connected

Examples of combining forms

mamm/o in mamm/o/gram, psych/o in psych/o/logy, laryng/o in laryng/o/spasm, hepat/o in hepat/o/megaly

Suffix

Word element placed at the end of a word

Function of suffix

Changes the meaning of a medical word

Examples of suffixes

-ectomy in append/ectomy, -itis in appendic/itis, -oma in neur/oma, -tomy in crani/o/tomy, -scope in gastr/o/scope

Prefix

Word element placed at the beginning of a word

Function of prefix

Changes the meaning of a medical word

Examples of prefixes

hyper- in hyper/tension, hemi- in hemi/plegia, epi- in epi/derm/al, post- in post/nat/al, inter- in inter/cost/al

Steps for defining medical words

1. Define the suffix first. 2. Define the first part of the word (WR, CF, or prefix). 3. Define the middle part of the word (WR or CF).

Rule 1 for building medical words

A WR links a suffix that begins with a vowel.

Rule 2 for building medical words

A CF links a suffix that begins with a consonant.

Rule 3 for building medical words

A CF links a root to another root to form a compound word.

Example of Rule 1

arthr/itis: A WR links a suffix that begins with a vowel.

Example of Rule 2

hepat/o/cyte: A CF links a suffix that begins with a consonant.

Example of Rule 3

gastr/o/intestin/al: A CF links a root to another root to form a compound word.

Diacritical marks

Help with pronunciation of terms throughout the text

Surgical Suffixes

Describe a type of invasive procedure performed on a body part

Example of Surgical Suffix

append/ectomy

Linking a Suffix

A word root (WR) links a suffix that begins with a vowel

Linking a Suffix Example

gastr/itis

Excision, removal

-ectomy

Surgical puncture

-centesis

Crushing

-tripsy

Separation; destruction; loosening

-lysis

To break; surgical fracture

-clasis

Fixation (of an organ)

-pexy

Suture

-rrhaphy

Surgical repair

-plasty

Forming an opening (mouth)

-stomy

Binding, fixation (of a bone or joint)

-desis

Instrument to cut

-tome

Incision

-tomy

Instrument for examining

-scope

Visual examination

-scopy

Instrument for recording

-graph

Process of recording

-graphy

Instrument for measuring

-meter

Act of measuring

-metry

Record, writing

-gram

Pathological Suffixes

Describe an abnormal condition or a disease

Example of Pathological Suffix

neur/algia

Pain

-algia, -dynia

Formation, growth

-plasia, -plasm

Forming, producing, origin

-gen, -genesis

Bursting forth (of)

-rrhage, -rrhagia

Swelling

-edema

Hernia, swelling

-cele

Stone, calculus

-lith

Abnormal condition; increase (used primarily with blood cells)

-osis

Involuntary contraction, twitching

-spasm

Narrowing, stricture

-stenosis

Discharge, flow

-rrhea

Disease

-pathy

Inflammation

-itis

Tumor

-oma

Rupture

-rrhexis

Paralysis

-plegia

Dilation, expansion

-ectasis

Vomiting

-emesis

-ectasis

dilation, expansion

-emesis

vomiting

-emia

blood condition

-iasis

abnormal condition (produced by something specified)

gastr/ic

adjective

neur/al

adjective

obstetr/ician

noun

pneumon/ia

noun

tub/ule

small, minute

arteri/ole

small, minute

-ac, -al, -ar, -ary, -ic, -ile, and -ous

pertaining to

-esis, -ia, and -ism

condition

-ician and -ist

specialist

-iatry

medicine; treatment

-icle, -ole, and -ule

small, minute

diagnosis

diagnoses

thrombus

thrombi

ovum

ova

fungus

fungi

lith/o/tripsy

crushing of a stone

colon/o/stomy

forming a new opening (mouth) in the colon

append/ectomy

excision, removal of the appendix

arthr/o/pathy

disease of the joint(s)

arthr/o/scope

instrument to examine a joint

gastr/itis

inflammation of the stomach

arthr/o/centesis

surgical puncture of a joint

my/o/rrhaphy

suture of muscle(s)

arthr/o/desis

binding, fixation (of a joint)

trache/o/stomy

forming an opening (mouth) into the trachea

cardi/o/graph

instrument for recording the heart

electr/o/cardi/o/gram

record of electrical activity of the heart

neur/algia

pain of a nerve

carcin/o/gen or carcin/o/genesis

forming, producing, origin of cancer

oste/o/malacia

softening of bone