Prefixes and Roots Denoting Number or Size
Roots Denoting Anatomical Location
bi-
two
abdomin/o
abdomen
dipl/o
two, double
acr/o
extremity
hemi-
half
aden/o
gland
hyper-
over or more than usual
angi/o
vessel
hypo-
under or less than usual
arter/i/o
artery
iso-
equal, same
arthr/o
joint
macro-
large
blast/o
embryo
megal/o enlargement
blephar/o
eyelid
micro-
small
bronch/i, bronch/o
bronchus
mono-
one
calcane/o
calaneous
multi-
many
cardi/o
heart
nulli-
none
carp/o
carpal, wrist
poly-
many
cephal/o
head
semi-
half, partial
cerebr/o
cerebrum
tri-
three
cheil/o
lip
uni-
one
chol/e
bile, gall
chondr/o
cartilage
cocc/i
coccus
col/o
colon
colp/o
vagina
condyl/o
condyle
core/o, cor/o
pupil
corne/o
cornea
cost/o
ribs
crani/o
cranium
cycl/o
ciliary body
cyst/o
bladder, sac
cyt/o
cell
dactyl/o
fingers or toes
dent/o
tooth
derm/o
skin
dermat/o
skin
duoden/o
duodenum
enter/o
intestine
esophag/o
esophagus
fibr/o
fiber
gangli/o
ganglion
gastr/o
stomach
gingiv/o
gums
gloss/o
tongue
gynec/o
women
hem/o, hemat/o
blood
hepat/o
liver
Roots Denoting Color
chlor/o
green
cyan/o
blue
erythr/o
red
leuk/o
white
melan/o
black
xanth/o
yellow
Prefixes and Roots Denoting Relative Direction
per-
through
peri-
around
post-
behind, after
poster/o behind
pre-
before, in front of
pro-
before
retr/o
behind, in back of
sub-
under
super-
beyond
supra-
above
supra--
above
syn-
together
trans-
across
ventr/o
belly
hidr/o
sweat
py/o
pus
humer/o
humerus
pyel/o
kidney
hydr/o
water
rect/o
rectum
hyster/o
uterus
ren/o
kidney
ile/o
ileum
retin/o
retina
irid/o, ir/o
iris
rhin/o
nose
ischi/o
ischium
salping/o
fallopian tube
jejun/o
jejunum
scler/o
sclera
kerat/o
cornea
spermat/o
sperm
lacrim/o
tear
splen/o
spleen
laryng/o
larynx
stern/o
sternum, breastbone
laryng/o
larynx
stomat/o
mouth
lip/o
fat
thorac/o
thorax, chest
lith/o
stone, calculus
trache/o
trachea
lumb/o
loin, lumbar area
traumat/o
trauma
ment/o
chin
tympan/o
Eardrum
my/o
muscle
ur/o
Urine
myel/o
spinal cord, bone marrow
ureter/o
Ureter
nas/o
nose
urethr/o
Urethra
nephr/o
kidney
vas/o
Vessel
neur/o
nerve
viscer/o
gut, contents of the abdomen
omphal/o
umbilicus, navel
onych/o
nail
oophor/o
ovary
opthalm/o
eye
orchid/o
testicles
oste/o
bone
ot/o
ear
ot/o
ear
pancreat/o
pancreas
pelv/i
pelivs
pelv/i
pelivs
peps/o, peps/ia
digestion
phalang/o
phalange
pharyng/o
pharynx
phas/o
speech
phleb/o
veins
pleur/o
pleura
pne/o
air, breathing
pneum/o, pneumono lung
pod/o
foot
proct/o
rectum and anus
psych/o
mind
pub/o
pubis
Other Prefixes
a-, an- without
anti-
against
auto-
self
brady- slow
con-
with
contra- against
dis-
free of
dys-
difficult or without pain
mal-
bad, poor
neo-
new
syn-
together
tachy- fast
Other Roots
necr/o
dead
noct/i
night
par/o
bear
phag/o
eat
phil/o
attraction
plast/o
repair
plast/o
formation
plasm
growth
pyr/o
fire, fever
plegia, plegic
paralysis
scler/o
tough, hard
ptosis
drooping
sinistr/o
left
scope, scopy
examining, looking at
syphil/o
syphilis
spasm
twitching
therap/o
treatment
sperm
sperm
therm/o
heat
stasis
slow, stop
thromb/o
thrombosis
tome
instrument
troph/o
development
tripsy
crushing
Other Suffixes
algia
pain
ar
pertaining to
centesis
puncture
clysis
irrigation
ectasia
dilatation, dilation
ectomy
excision
emes/is
vomiting
emia
blood
esthesia
feelings
genesis, gen/o development, formation, beginning
gnosis
know
ia
noun ending
ia, ic
pertaining to
it is
inflammation
manual
hand
meter
measuring instrument
oid
resembling
ologist
one who studies
ology
study of
oma
tumor
opia
vision
orrhagia
hemorrhage
orrhaphy
suture
orrhea
flow
orrhexis
rupture
osis
condition of
ostomy
new opening
otomy
incision
pedal
foot
pexy
fixing, fixation
phob/ia
fear