Medical Terminology Prefixes and Suffixes

Overview of Prefixes

• A prefix is a syllable or group of syllables attached to the beginning of a word
• Prefixes alter or modify the meaning of words, or create entirely new ones
• The word 'abnormal' is created by adding the prefix 'ab-' (away from) to the root 'norm' (norm), and the suffix '-al' (pertaining to)
• In 'abnormal', 'ab-' is the prefix, 'norm' is the root, and '-al' is the suffix
• When defining a word, begin with the meaning of the suffix
• Not all medical words have a prefix
• Prefixes modify the meaning of the word

Common Prefixes with Suffix -pnea (breathing)

• a- (lack of) + -pnea (breathing) forms "apnea," meaning temporary absence of breathing
• brady- (slow) + -pnea (breathing) forms "bradypnea," meaning slow breathing
• dys- (difficult) + -pnea (breathing) forms "dyspnea," meaning difficult breathing
• eu- (good, normal) + -pnea (breathing) forms "eupnea," meaning good, normal breathing
• hyper- (excessive) + -pnea (breathing) forms "hyperpnea," meaning excessive breathing
• hypo- (deficient) + -pnea (breathing) forms "hypopnea," meaning deficient breathing
• tachy- (rapid) + -pnea (breathing) forms "tachypnea" meaning rapid breathing

General Use Prefixes

• a, an- means: no, without, lack of, apart, as in a/mnes/ia (condition of loss of memory) and an/emia (lack of red blood cells)
• anti-, contra- means: against, as in anti/gen (induces formation of antibodies) and contra/cept/ion (process of preventing conception)
• auto- means: self, as in auto/trans/fus/ion (infusing a patient's own blood)
• brachy- means: short, as in brachy/therapy (radiation therapy from a short distance)
• brady- means: slow, as in brady/card/ia (abnormally slow heartbeat, less than 60 bpm)
• cac-, mal- means: bad, as in cac/hexia (ill health, malnutrition, and wasting) and mal/format/ion (being badly shaped, deformed)
• dia- means: through, between, as in dia/gnosis (determination of the nature and cause of a disease)
• dys- means: bad, difficult, painful, abnormal, as in dys/meno/rrhea (difficult or painful monthly flow)
• eu- means: good, normal, as in eu/pnea (good or normal breathing)
• ex-, exo- means: out, away from, as in ex/cis/ion (surgical removal) and exo/crine (gland secreting into ducts)
• hetero- means: different, as in hetero/sexu/al (pertaining to the opposite sex)
• homeo- means: similar, same, likeness, constant, as in homeo/stasis (state of equilibrium in the body's internal environment)
• hydro- means: water, as in hydro/cele (fluid accumulation in a saclike cavity)
• micro- means: small, as in micro/cephal/us (abnormally small head)
• oligo- means: scanty, little, as in oligo/meno/rrhea (scanty monthly flow)
• pan- means: all, as in pan/cyto/penia (lack of cellular elements of blood)
• pseudo- means: false, as in pseudo/cyesis (false pregnancy)
• sym-, syn- means: together, with, as in sym/physis (state of growing together) and syn/erget/ic (working together)

Prefixes with Multiple Meanings

• Prefixes can have multiple meanings
• It is important to analyze the definition of the medical word to identify the correct meaning of the prefix
• To determine the appropriate meaning of the prefix, you must analyze the medical word, and learn the meanings
• dys- means difficult in dyspnea (difficult breathing)
• dys- also means bad, painful, or abnormal

Prefixes Pertaining to Position or Placement

• Prefixes can refer to position or placement, such as away from, toward, before, above, and below
• ab-: away from, as in ab/duct/ion (moving a body part away from the middle)
• ad-: toward, near, to, as in ad/duct/or (muscle drawing a part toward the middle)
• ana-: up, apart, backward, as in ana/trop/ia (tendency of eyeballs to turn upward)
• ante-: before, forward, as in ante/flex/ion (bending forward of an organ or part)
• cata-: down, as in cata/bol/ism (breaking complex substances into basic elements)
• circum-, peri-: around, as in circum/cis/ion (removing the foreskin) and peri/cardi/al (surrounding the heart)
• endo-: within, inner, as in endo/card/itis (inflammation of the inner lining of the heart)
• epi-: upon, above, over, as in epi/gastr/ic (pertaining to the region above the stomach)
• ex-: out, away from, as in ex/cis/ion (surgical removal)
• extra-: outside, beyond, as in extra/corpor/eal (circulation outside the body)
• hyper-: above, beyond, excessive, as in hyper/tens/ion (high blood pressure)
• hypo-: below, under, deficient, as in hypo/tens/ion (low blood pressure)
• inter-: between, as in inter/cost/al (pertaining to the ribs)
• intra-: within, into, as in intra/uter/ine (pertaining to within the uterus)
• meso-: middle, as in meso/derm (middle layer of the embryo)
• para-: beside, alongside, as in para/plegia (paralysis of the lower body)
• retro-: backward, as in retro/vers/ion (being turned backward)
• sub-: below, under, beneath, as in sub/lingu/al (pertaining to below the tongue)
• supra-: above, beyond, superior, as in supra/ren/al (located above each kidney)

Prefixes Pertaining to Numbers and Amounts

• ambi-: both, as in ambi/later/al (pertaining to both sides)
• bi-: two, double, as in bi/later/al (pertaining to two sides)
• bin-: twice, two, as in bin/aur/al (pertaining to both ears)
• centi-: one hundredth, as in centi/meter (one hundredth of a meter)
• deca-: ten, as in deca/gram (a weight of 10 grams)
• di(s)-: two, apart, as in dis/locat/ion (displacement of a bone from a joint)
• milli-: one thousandth, as in milli/liter (0.001 L)
• mono-: one, as in mono/nucle/osis (excessive mononuclear leukocytes)
• multi-: many, much, as in multi/para (woman with two or more children)

Silent Letters

• Medical terms can contain silent letters
• Example: phlegm, where the 'g' is silent

Importance of Correct Spelling

• Correct spelling is vital in medical terminology
• Adding or omitting a single letter can drastically change the meaning of a word
• abduct: means to lead away from the middle
• adduct: towards the middle
• arteritis: means inflammation of an artery
• arthritis: means inflammation of a joint

Frequently Misspelled Prefixes and Suffixes

• Common prefixes: ante- (before, forward), anti- (against), ecto- (out, outside, outer), endo- (within, inner), hyper- (above, beyond, excessive), hypo- (below, under, deficient), inter- (between), intra- (within), para- (beside, alongside, abnormal), per- (through), peri- (around), pre- (before, in front of), pro- (before), super- (above, beyond), supra- (above, beyond)
• Common suffixes: -poiesis (formation), -ptosis (prolapse), -ptysis (spitting), -rrhage (to burst forth), -rrhagia (to burst forth), -rrhaphy (suture), -rrhea (flow, discharge), -rrhexis (rupture), -scope (instrument for examining), -scopy (visual examination), -tome (instrument to cut), -tomy (incision), -tripsy (crushing), -trophy (nourishment, development)

Building and Spelling Medical Words

• Drop the combining vowel from the combining form and add the suffix if the suffix begins with a vowel
• Example: necr/o (death) + -osis (condition) becomes necrosis

Selected Suffixes Used in Surgical and Diagnostic Procedures

• -centesis: Surgical puncture, as in amniocentesis (surgical puncture of the amniotic sac)
• -clasis: A break, as in osteoclasis (intentional surgical fracture of a bone)
• -desis: Binding, as in arthrodesis (surgical binding of a joint; fixation of a joint)
• -ectomy: Surgical excision, surgical removal, resection, as in vasectomy (surgical procedure in which the vas deferens are removed)
• -gram: A weight, mark, record, as in dactylogram (fingerprint)
• -graph: Instrument for recording, as in electrocardiograph (device for recording heart's electrical impulses)
• -graphy: Recording, as in mammography (process of obtaining breast x-rays)
• -ize: to make, to treat, or combine with, as in anesthetize (to induce loss of feeling or sensation)
• -lysis: Destruction, separation, breakdown, loosening, as in lipolysis (destruction of fat)
• -meter: Instrument to measure, measure, as in audiometer (instrument used to measure hearing)
• -metry: Measurement, as in pelvimetry (measurement of the expectant mother's pelvic dimensions)
• -opsy: To view, as in biopsy (surgical removal of a small tissue piece for microscopic examination)
• -pexy: Surgical fixation, as in gastropexy (surgical fixation of the stomach to the abdominal wall for displacement correction)
• -pheresis remove, as in plasmapheresis (Removal of blood from the body and centrifuging it to separate the plasma from the blood )
• -plasty Surgical repair, as in rhinoplasty (surgical repair of the nose
• -rrhaphy: suture, as in myorrhaphy (Suture of a muscle wound)
• -scope: instrument for examining, as in ophthalmoscope (Medical instrument used to examine the interior of the eye)
• -scopy: visual examination, to view, examine, as in laparoscopy (Visual examination of the abdominal cavity)
• -stomy: new opening, as in ileostomy (Creation of a new opening through the abdominal wall into the ileum)
• -tome: instrument to cut, as in dermatome (Instrument used to cut the skin for grafting)
• -tomy incision, as in myringotomy (Surgical incision of the tympanic membrane to remove unwanted fluids)
• -tripsy Crushing, as in lithotripsy (crushing of a kidney stone )

Suffixes That Pertain to Pathological Conditions

• -algia: pain, ache (e.g., dent/algia: toothache)
• -asthenia: weakness (e.g., my/asthenia: muscular weakness)
• -betes: to go (e.g., dia/betes: diseases with excessive discharge of urine)
• -cele: hernia, tumor, swelling (e.g., cyst/o/cele: bladder hernia into the vagina)
• -cusis: hearing (e.g., presby/cusis: age-related hearing impairment)
• -derma: skin (e.g., xer/o/derma: dry skin)
• -dynia: pain, ache (e.g., ot/o/dynia: earache)
• -ectasis: dilation, distention (e.g., bronch/i/ectasis: chronic dilation of bronchi)
• -edema: swelling (e.g., papill/edema: optic disk swelling)
• -emesis: vomiting (e.g., hyper/emesis: excessive vomiting)
• -ion: process (e.g., in/fect/ion: disease-producing microorganism invades the body)
• -itis: inflammation (e.g., burs/itis: inflammation of a bursa)
• -kinesis: motion (e.g., hyper/kinesis: excessive muscular motion/hyperactivity)
• -lepsy: seizure (e.g., narc/o/lepsy: attacks of uncontrollable drowsiness and sleep)
• -lexia: diction, word, phrase (e.g., dys/lexia: difficulty in reading and written language)
• -malacia softening (e.g., oste/o/malacia: softening of the bones)
• -mania: madness (e.g., pyro/mania: compulsive fire setting)
• -megaly enlargement, large (e.g., acr/o/megaly: enlargement of face, jaw, and extremities)
• -mnesia memory (e.g., a/mnesia: loss or lack of memory)
• -noia mind (e.g., para/noia: exaggerated or unwarranted mistrust or suspiciousness)
• -oid: resembles (e.g., carcin/oid: Slow growing type of cancer in the digestive tract)
• -oma: tumor (e.g., carcin/oma: a malignant tumor arising in epithelial cell)
• -oxia: oxygen (e.g., hyp/oxia: deficient amount of oxygen)
• -pathy: disease, emotion (e.g., retin/o/pathy: any disease of the retina)
• -penia: deficiency (e.g., oste/o/penia: Deficiency of bone tissue)
• -pepsia: digestion (e.g., dys/pepsia: Difficultly digesting, indigestion)
• -phagia: eat, swallow (e.g., a/phagia: Loss or lack of the ability to eat or swallow)
• -phasia: speak, speech (e.g., dysphasia: Impairment of speech and caused by damage of the brain. )
• -phobia: fear (e.g., acrophobia: Fear of heights)
• -plasia: formation, produce (e.g., hyper/plasia: Excessive formation and growth of normal cells.)
• -plasm: forming plasma (e.g., neoplasm: new things such as the development abnormal cells.)
• -plegia: paralysis (e.g., hemi/plegia: paralysis in one side of body)
• -pnea: breathing (e.g., sleep a/pnea: temporary of breathing sleep)
• -ptosis Drooping or sagging (e.g., blephar/o/ptosis :drooping or sagging in upper eyelid.)
• -ptysis: Hemoptysis spitting( blooding of the blood
• -rrhage The means of bursting of the blood
• -rrhea: flow, discharge (e.g., rhinorrhea : discharge from of the blood nose)
• -rrhexis Rupture the of a muscle
• -spasm tension, spasm, contractions (e.g, my/o/spasm contractions a muscle.)
• -trophy nourishment development
• -hyper/trophy Means nutrition

Grammatical Suffixes

• Attach to a word root to form a part of speech OR to make a medical word singular or plural form
• Also sued to indicate a diminutive form of a word (specifies a smaller version of the object indicated by the word root)
• Many suffixes are the same as those used in the English language

Adjective Suffixes (Pertaining To)

• -ac: cardi/ac (pertaining to the heart)
• -ad: cephal/ad (pertaining to the head)
• -al: congenit/al (pertaining to presence at birth)
• -ar: muscul/ar (pertaining to the muscles)
• -ary: integument/ary (pertaining to the skin
• -ic: norm/o/cephal/ic (pertaining to a normal head appearance)
• -ile: pen/ile (pertaining to the penis)
• -ior: anter/ior (pertaining to a surface toward the front)
• -ose: grandi/ose (pertaining to a feeling of greatness)
• -ous: edemat/ous (pertaining to fluid accumulation in body tissues)
• -tic: cyan/o/tic (pertaining to oxygen deficiency)
• -us: de/cubit/us (pertaining to a bedsore)
• -y: a/ton/y (pertaining to a lack of normal tone or tension)

Noun Suffixes (Condition, Treatment, or Specialist)

• -esis: enur/esis (involuntary emission of urine)
• -ia: a/lopec/ia (loss of hair; baldness)
• -iatry: pod/iatry (treatment of diseases and disorders of the foot)
• -ician: obstetr/ician (physician specializing in female pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum)
• -ism: embol/ism (blood clot obstructing a blood vessel)
• -ist: cardiologist (physician who specializes in the study of the heart)
• -osis: hyper/hidr/osis (excessive sweating)
• -y: an/encephal/y (lack of brain development)

Diminutive Suffixes (Small or Minute)

• -icle: ventr/icle (small cavity or chamber within a body or organ)
• -ole: bronchi/ole (smaller subdivisions of the bronchial tubes)
• -ula: mac/ula (small spot or discolored area of the skin)
• -ule: pust/ule (small, elevated skin lesion filled with pus)

Suffixes with Multiple Meanings

• Suffixes can have multiple meanings
• This can make defining medical terms difficult
• -ate use action having from of the of of
• • blast: (immature cell)
• ectasis (dilation/stretching/ expansion)
• -gen (formation)
• Genesi (formation the process)
• Genic- formation - produce a
• a record of weight of mark record
• -ive (The nature quality
• serous/ fluid the of lymph: pale fluid
• -lysis: destruction, separation, breakdown, loosening, dissolution.
• -penia: the lack
• Plasm thing that forms the thing in forms of plasma
• -plegia The stroke paralysis stroke palsy paralyse
• A prolaspe a falling prolaspe and sagging sagging
• flow/discharge the discharge and flow the
• to perform the A view
• Spasim tensioins and
• the drippping to drip/ting the
• thropy: the nourishment
• Y-: The condition and condition of things