Medical Terminology
Introduction to Basic Word Elements
Spelling & Pronunciation
What is Medical Terminology
 Language of medical terms or words
 Derived from Latin or Greek
 Used to describe diseases, diagnosis,
investigations, procedures, signs and
symptoms, anatomy and physiology
Structure / Elements of medical words
 Are a combination of smaller words / or word
parts
 Consist of one or more of the following parts
1. Root words
2. Prefixes
3. Suffixes
4. Combining vowels
5. Combining forms
1. Word Root
 Is the basic word part or foundation of the word
 Provides the meaning to the word
 Usually refers to a body part
 E.g. cardi refers to the heart
gastr refers to the stomach
Examples of word roots
Word Root
Gastr
Body Part
Stomach
 Gastric juices means acids in the stomach
Example
Word Root
cardi
Body Part
heart
Cardiac Arrest means heart attack
Example
Word Root
trache
Body Part
Trachea i.e. windpipe
Tracheitis means inflammation of the trachea
Pg 1
2.Prefixes ( pre means before)
 Is the element at the beginning of the word
 Comes before the word root
 Prefix modifies or changes the meaning of
the root word
Application of prefixes
 The prefix pan means whole
E.g. pan + arthritis = panarthritis
arthritis of the joints
Application of prefixes
 E.g. INTER/COSTAL
inter (between)
(prefix)
+
costal (ribs)
(word root)
INTERCOSTAL
pg1.
3.Suffixes
 Come at the end of the word root
 Modifies the word root
 Adds to the meaning to the word root

Pg 2
Application of Suffixes
 Itis - means inflammation
E.g. appendicitis means inflammation of the
appendix
 Algia - means pain
E.g. pharynalgia means pain of the throat
Pg 2
Suffixes that mean relating to
ac
cardiac
Relating to the heart
al
skeletal
Relating to the skeleton
ar
muscular
Relating to the muscle
ary
urinary
Relating to urine
ic
epigastric
Relating to above the stomach
ive
infective
relating to infection
ous
nervous
Relating to nerves
4.Combining vowels
 used to join various parts of the word
 a,e,i,o,u
 Most common vowels used are “o” and “i”
 Acts like a maths “+” sign
 E.g. cardi /o/ logist
Pg 2,3
5.Combining form
 Is simply a root word plus a combining vowel
 E.g. gastr = root word for stomach
gastro = combining form of stomach
 Gastro can now be joined to another root
word or suffix
 Makes words easier to pronounce
More combining forms
Body Part
Word Root
stomach
gastr
Combining
Form
gastro
intestine
enter
entero
heart
cardi
cardio
nose
rhin
rhino
skin
*
dermat
dermato
*
Interpreting the meaning of medical
terms
 Breaking the words down makes it easier
E.g. Gastro /enter / itis
 then look up meaning of each component
 Read the word backwards beginning with the suffix
 Listen to experts
 Ask your supervisor for clarification if unsure
Interpreting medical terms
e.g. Gastroenterology
1.break up the word into its components
2.e.g.gastro / entero / logy
3.then read the meaning backwards i.e.
1.logy = study of
2.entero = intestines
3.gastro = stomach
Meaning – study of the intestines and stomach
Interpreting medical terms
e.g. gastroenteric
Gastr (stomach)
root
/
o
combining
vowel
/
enter (intestines) / ic
root
 Gastroenteric means relating to the stomach &
intestines
suffix
Interpreting medical terms
e.g.Rhinoplasty
Rhin (nose) /
root
o
combining
vowel
/
plasty (surgical repair of)
suffix
 Rhinoplasty means surgical repair of the nose
Dermatologist
Dermat (skin)
root
/
o
combining
vowel
/ logist (specialist)
suffix
 Dermatologist means specialist who studies
the skin
Dropping a vowel when joining words
 If root word ends in a vowel & suffix begins with a vowel,
combining vowel is dropped
e.g. gastr/o +
-itis
(stomach) (inflammation of)
= gastritis
 If a prefix ends in a vowel & root word begins with a vowel
the combining vowel is dropped
e.g. anti +
(against)
acid
(acid)
= antacid (not antiacid)
(works against acid)
When to leave the combining vowel in
 If the suffix begins with a consonant the
combining vowel stays
e.g. cardio
+
pathy
= cardiopathy
Pronunciation
 Lightly emphasise the first syllable
 Break up the words
 E.g. pericarditis
peri
card
it is
gastroenteritis
gastro
entero
it is
Myocardium
myo
cardi
um
Using dictionaries
 Stress marks used when word has > one
syllable
 Stress mark ‘ or , placed before syllable to be
stressed
 Symbol “ə” is a neutral or unstressed vowel
e.g. “a”in above or “e” in sicken
Look up respiration
gastrostomy
Hints for pronouncing
Consonant
Example
c (before a,o,u) = k
Cavity, colon,cure
c (before e,i ) = s
Cephalic, cirrhosis
ch = k
cholesterol
g (before a, o, u) = g
gallstone,gonad
g (before e, i ) = j
generic, giant
Hints for pronouncing
Consonant
Example
ph = f
phase, pharnyx
pn = n
pneumonia
ps = s
psychiatry, psychology
pt = t
ptosis, pterygium
rh,rrh
rhythm, haemorrhoid
Spelling medical terms correctly
Abduction
Adduction
move away from
move towards
Arteritis
Arthitis
inflammation of an artery
inflammation of a joint
Ileum
Ilium
lower part of small intestine
hip bone
Plurals
 Most words are made plural by adding used
“s”, or replacing “y” with “ies”
but
 Latin words use other letters
Application of plurals
Singular
ending
Plural Singular
ending example
Plural
example
meaning
-a
-ae
vertebra
hernia
vertebrae
herniae
part of spine
protrusion of an
organ
-is
-es
diagnosis
diagnoses
testis
testes
identification of
a disease
male sex organ
-um
-a
bacterium
ovum
bacteria
ova
microorganism
female egg cell
-us
-i
bronchus
bacillus
bronchi
bacilli
small airway
type of
bacterium
English & American Spelling
 American spelling drops any silent vowels i.e
an “o” or “a” that is silent is left out of the
spelling
 If “c” is pronounced as a hard “k” sound the
Americans will spell it with a “k”
 Both English & American is used
American versus English spelling
English
American
Pronunciation
Meaning
diarrhoea
diarrhea
di – a - rear
watery bowel
motion
foetal
fetal
fee - tal
child in womb
haematologist
hematologist
hem –a – tol ogist
blood specialist
leucocyte
leukocyte
lew – ko - site
white blood cell
oedema
edema
e- deema
swelling
paediatrics
pediatrics
peedi - atrics
area of child
health
Medical terms
Diseases and disorders
 Aetiology - study of cause of diseases
 Signs – clinical evidence of cause of diseases or
disorders
 Symptoms – indicators of disease that the patient is
experiencing
 Disease – set of signs and symptoms that disrupts
normal function of a body system or organ
 Diagnosis – is when the doctor finds or decides what
is causing the signs and symptoms i.e. the disease or
disorder
Diseases and disorders
 Prognosis – forecast of the outcome /
recovery from the disease
 Morbidity – presence of illness or disease
 Mortality – death
 Acute – beginning abruptly and usually
intense
 Chronic – refers to something lasting for a
long time
 Terminal - will cause death
Pg 6
Disorder prefixes
Disorder Prefixes
Meaning
a, an
without
brady
slow
dys
difficult or painful
hyper
above
hypo
below
oligo
few
poly
many
tachy
fast
Disorder Suffixes
pg 6
Disorder suffix Meaning
-ema
-trophy
-ia
-iasis
swelling
nourishment
condition of
abnormal condition of
-megaly
-oma
enlargement
tumour (mass which may or may not
be cancerous)
-osis
-ptysis
-staxis
abnormal condition
spitting up
dripping blood