MedLex guide

Medical prefixes, suffixes and roots

Most medical words are built from a few small parts. Learn the parts once and you can read words you have never seen before.

Quick check: 8 common parts

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UK and US English spell some parts differently, for example -aemia and -emia, or haemat/o and hemat/o. Both mean the same.

Prefixes 90

A prefix sits at the front and changes the meaning: where, how much, how fast.

• a-Absence or lackapnoea
• ab-Away fromabduction
• ad-Towardsadduction
• ambi-Both sidesambidextrous
• amphi-Both or on both sidesamphibolic
• ana-Up, back or againanabolism
• ante-Beforeantenatal
• anti-Against or opposinganticoagulant
• apo-Away or separated fromapocrine
• auto-Selfautoimmunity
• bi-Twobilateral
• brady-Slowbradycardia
• cata-Down or breaking downcatabolism
• circum-Aroundcircumoral
• co-Together or withco-infection
• con-Together or withcongenital
• contra-Against or oppositecontralateral
• de-Removal or reversaldehydration
• deca-Tendecapeptide
• di-Two or doublediplegia
• dia-Through or acrossdialysis
• dis-Apart, reversal or absencedislocation
• dys-Difficult, abnormal or impaireddysphagia
• ec-Out or outsideectopic
• ecto-Outside or outerectoderm
• en-In or withinencysted
• endo-Within or innerendocardium
• epi-Upon or aboveepidermis
• eu-Normal, good or welleuglycaemia
• ex-Out or formerexcision
• exo-Outside or outwardexocrine
• extra-Outside or beyondextracellular
• hemi-Halfhemiplegia
• hepta-Sevenheptavalent
• hetero-Differentheterozygous
• hexa-Sixhexadactyly
• holo-Whole or entireholocrine
• homeo-Similar or stablehomeostasis
• homo-Samehomozygous
• hyper-Above normal or excessivehyperglycaemia
• hypo-Below normal or deficienthypoglycaemia
• infra-Below or beneathinfraclavicular
• inter-Betweenintercostal
• intra-Withinintravenous
• intro-Into or inwardintroversion
• iso-Equal or sameisotonic
• juxta-Next tojuxtaglomerular
• macro-Largemacrocytosis
• mal-Bad, poor or abnormalmalabsorption
• mega-Large or enlargedmegacolon
• meso-Middlemesoderm
• meta-Beyond, change or aftermetaplasia
• micro-Smallmicrocephaly
• mid-Middlemidline
• mono-One or singlemonoplegia
• multi-Many or multiplemultigravida
• neo-Newneonatal
• non-Not or absence ofnoninvasive
• nulli-Nonenullipara
• octa-Eightoctapeptide
• oligo-Few or scantyoliguria
• omni-Allomnivorous
• ortho-Straight, upright, correct or normalorthopnoea
• pan-All or entirepancytopenia
• para-Beside, abnormal or nearparathyroid
• penta-Fivepentadactyly
• peri-Aroundpericardium
• poly-Many or muchpolyuria
• post-After or behindpostoperative
• pre-Beforeprenatal
• primi-Firstprimigravida
• pro-Before, forward or promotingproenzyme
• pros-Towards or in additionprosencephalon
• pseudo-False or resemblingpseudocyst
• quadri-Fourquadriplegia
• re-Again or backreabsorption
• retro-Backward or behindretroperitoneal
• semi-Half or partialsemilunar
• sub-Under or belowsubcutaneous
• super-Above or beyondsuperinfection
• supra-Abovesuprapubic
• syn-Togethersyndactyly
• tachy-Fasttachycardia
• tele-Distanttelemedicine
• tetra-Fourtetraplegia
• trans-Across or throughtransdermal
• tri-Threetricuspid
• ultra-Beyondultrasonography
• un-Not or reversalunconscious
• uni-Oneunilateral

Suffixes 92

A suffix sits at the end and tells you the kind of word: a condition, a procedure, a test.

• -acPertaining tocardiac
• -alPertaining torenal
• -algiaPainneuralgia
• -aryPertaining topulmonary
• -aseEnzymelipase
• -capniaCarbon dioxide conditionhypercapnia
• -celeHerniation, swelling or protrusioncystocele
• -centesisSurgical puncture, often to remove fluidthoracentesis
• -clastCell that breaks down or resorbsosteoclast
• -cyteCellerythrocyte
• -cytopeniaDecreased cell numberpancytopenia
• -cytosisIncreased cell numberleukocytosis
• -desisSurgical binding or fusionarthrodesis
• -dyniaPainmastodynia
• -ealPertaining toperitoneal
• -ectasisDilation or expansionbronchiectasis
• -ectomySurgical removalappendectomy
• -emesisVomitinghematemesis
• -emiaBlood conditionhyperglycemia
• -esthesiaSensationparesthesia
• -genAgent or substance that producescarcinogen
• -genesisOrigin, formation or developmentosteogenesis
• -genicProducing, produced by, or arising inneurogenic
• -geusiaTasteageusia
• -gramRecord or imageelectrocardiogram
• -graphInstrument for recordingelectrocardiograph
• -graphyProcess of recording or imagingangiography
• -iaCondition or statebradycardia
• -ialPertaining tobronchial
• -ianPerson associated with a fieldpediatrician
• -iasisCondition, often a pathological processpsoriasis
• -iatricPertaining to medical treatment or a specialtypediatric
• -iatristMedical practitioner or specialistpsychiatrist
• -iatryMedical treatment or fieldpsychiatry
• -icPertaining togastric
• -icianPractitioner or person associated with a fieldphysician
• -icsField of knowledge or practiceorthopedics
• -ionProcess or actionflexion
• -ismState or conditionhyperthyroidism
• -istPerson who practises or specialisespharmacist
• -itisInflammationdermatitis
• -lithStonenephrolith
• -lithiasisStone formation or presencenephrolithiasis
• -logistSpecialist in a fieldcardiologist
• -lysisBreakdown, separation or destructionhemolysis
• -lyticPertaining to breakdown or destructionhemolytic
• -malaciaSofteningosteomalacia
• -megalyEnlargementhepatomegaly
• -meterInstrument for measurementspirometer
• -metryProcess of measurementspirometry
• -oidResemblingmucoid
• -omaTumor or masslipoma
• -opiaVision conditionmyopia
• -opsiaVisionanopsia
• -opsyViewing or examinationbiopsy
• -osisCondition or processfibrosis
• -osmiaSmellanosmia
• -ostomyCreation of a surgical openingcolostomy
• -otomyIncision intotracheotomy
• -ousPertaining tocutaneous
• -oxemiaOxygen condition in bloodhypoxemia
• -oxiaOxygen conditionhypoxia
• -paresisWeakness or partial paralysishemiparesis
• -pathyDisease or disorderneuropathy
• -peniaDeficiency or reductionleukopenia
• -pexySurgical fixationorchiopexy
• -phagiaEating or swallowingdysphagia
• -phasiaSpeech or languageaphasia
• -phobiaFear or aversionclaustrophobia
• -phoniaVoice or sounddysphonia
• -plasiaFormation or developmenthyperplasia
• -plastySurgical repair or reconstructionrhinoplasty
• -plegiaParalysishemiplegia
• -pneaBreathingapnea
• -poiesisFormation or productionhematopoiesis
• -poieticPertaining to formation or productionhematopoietic
• -praxiaPurposeful action or movementapraxia
• -ptosisDrooping or downward displacementblepharoptosis
• -rrhageBursting forth of bloodhemorrhage
• -rrhagiaExcessive bleedingmenorrhagia
• -rrhaphySurgical suturingherniorrhaphy
• -rrheaFlow or dischargerhinorrhea
• -rrhexisRupturearteriorrhexis
• -sclerosisHardeningarteriosclerosis
• -scopeInstrument for visual examinationendoscope
• -scopyVisual examination with an instrumentbronchoscopy
• -spasmInvoluntary contractionbronchospasm
• -stenosisNarrowingaortic stenosis
• -tripsyCrushinglithotripsy
• -trophyNourishment, growth or developmenthypertrophy
• -uriaUrine conditionpolyuria
• -yState, condition or processatrophy

Combining forms 23

A combining form is the root plus a linking vowel. It names the body part or idea.

• aden/oGlandadenoma
• angi/oVesselangiography
• arteri/oArteryarterial
• arthr/oJointarthritis
• cardi/oHeartcardiology
• cholecyst/oGallbladdercholecystectomy
• cutane/oSkincutaneous
• derm/o · dermat/oSkindermatology
• encephal/oBrainencephalitis
• enter/oIntestineenteritis
• gastr/oStomachgastritis
• hemat/o · hem/oBloodhaematology
• hepat/oLiverhepatomegaly
• my/oMusclemyopathy
• nephr/o · ren/oKidneynephritis · renal
• neur/oNerveneuropathy
• oste/oBoneosteomalacia
• ot/oEarotalgia
• psych/oMindpsychology
• pulmon/oLungpulmonary
• rhin/oNoserhinitis
• splen/oSpleensplenomegaly
• ven/o · phleb/oVeinvenous · phlebitis