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Medical English can feel overwhelming because of its long and technical words. But the secret is that most of these words are built from smaller word parts: prefixes, roots, and suffixes. If you know the most common prefixes and suffixes, you can quickly guess the meaning of unfamiliar terms.
Why Learn Medical Prefixes and Suffixes?
Prefixes and suffixes in medical English are essential because they may
- Improve comprehension: Helps you understand new words without a dictionary.
- Save time: You don’t need to memorize every term individually.
- Boost confidence: Makes medical texts less intimidating.
Prefixes and Suffixes Medical Terminology
1. Common Medical Prefixes
Prefixes appear at the beginning of a word and usually describe location, time, number, or condition.
| Prefix | Meaning | Example | Meaning of Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| a- / an- | without, not | Anemia | lack of blood/hemoglobin |
| anti- | against | Antibiotic | against bacteria |
| brady- | slow | Bradycardia | slow heart rate |
| tachy- | fast | Tachypnea | fast breathing |
| hyper- | above normal | Hypertension | high blood pressure |
| hypo- | below normal | Hypoglycemia | low blood sugar |
| peri- | around | Pericardium | membrane around the heart |
| sub- | under | Subcutaneous | under the skin |
| endo- | inside, within | Endoscopy | looking inside the body |
| exo- / extra- | outside, beyond | Exocrine | glands secreting outward |
| inter- | between | Intercostal | between the ribs |
| intra- | within | Intravenous | inside the vein |
| neo- | new | Neoplasm | new growth (tumor) |
| pan- | all | Pandemic | disease affecting all people |
| poly- | many | Polyuria | frequent urination |
| uni- / mono- | one | Unilateral / Monocyte | one side / single cell |
Additional Medical Terms for Prefixes:
- Anuria → no urine
- Anorexia → loss of appetite
- Anticoagulant → prevents blood clotting
- Antihistamine → counteracts histamines
- Bradykinesia → slow movement
- Tachycardia → rapid heart rate
- Hyperthyroidism → overactive thyroid
- Hypotension → low blood pressure
- Perinatal → around birth
- Subdural → beneath dura mater
- Endometriosis → growth of uterine tissue outside uterus
- Exocytosis → cell secreting substances
- Intercellular → between cells
- Intracranial → inside the skull
- Neonatal → newborn period
- Pancreatitis → inflammation of the pancreas
- Polydipsia → excessive thirst
- Monocyte → type of white blood cell
2. Common Medical Suffixes
Suffixes appear at the end of a word and usually indicate a condition, disease, procedure, or specialist.
| Suffix | Meaning | Example | Meaning of Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| -algia | pain | Neuralgia | nerve pain |
| -itis | inflammation | Gastritis | inflammation of the stomach |
| -ectomy | surgical removal | Appendectomy | removal of appendix |
| -ology | study of | Cardiology | study of the heart |
| -ologist | specialist | Dermatologist | skin specialist |
| -oma | tumor, mass | Carcinoma | cancerous tumor |
| -osis | abnormal condition | Neurosis | abnormal mental state |
| -pathy | disease | Neuropathy | disease of nerves |
| -emia | blood condition | Anemia | lack of blood cells |
| -genic | producing, causing | Carcinogenic | cancer-causing |
| -gram | record | Electrocardiogram | record of heart’s activity |
| -graphy | process of recording | Angiography | imaging of vessels |
| -plasty | surgical repair | Rhinoplasty | nose surgery |
| -scopy | visual exam | Colonoscopy | viewing the colon |
| -stomy | surgical opening | Colostomy | opening in the colon |
| -therapy | treatment | Chemotherapy | chemical treatment |
| -uria | urine condition | Hematuria | blood in urine |
Additional Medical Terms for Suffixes:
- Myalgia → muscle pain
- Arthritis → joint inflammation
- Tonsillectomy → removal of tonsils
- Neurology → study of nerves
- Cardiologist → heart specialist
- Sarcoma → malignant tumor
- Cirrhosis → liver disease
- Cardiomyopathy → heart muscle disease
- Anemia → low red blood cells
- Hypoxemia → low oxygen in blood
- Pathogenic → disease-causing
- Mammogram → breast imaging
- Mammography → process of breast imaging
- Arthroplasty → joint repair
- Endoscopy → internal visual exam
- Tracheostomy → surgical opening in trachea
- Radiotherapy → treatment with radiation
- Glycosuria → sugar in urine
- Erythrocyte → red blood cell
- Hydrophobia → fear of water
- Dysplasia → abnormal tissue growth
Tips for Learning Medical Word Parts
- Group them by category (diseases, procedures, specialists).
- Practice breaking down terms you encounter.
- Use flashcards with prefix/suffix on one side and examples on the other.
- Make connections—the same suffix often appears across body systems.
Explore more medical terminology.
Quick Quiz: Medical Prefixes and Suffixes
Choose the best answer.
Example:
Prefix “brady-” means:
d) pain
a) fast
b) slow ✅
c) high
- The prefix “tachy-” means:
- a) slow
- b) fast
- c) low
- d) painful
- The suffix “-itis” refers to:
- a) surgical removal
- b) inflammation
- c) blood condition
- d) disease
- The word “hypoglycemia” means:
- a) high blood sugar
- b) low blood sugar
- c) absence of sugar
- d) sugar in urine
- The suffix “-ectomy” means:
- a) inflammation
- b) study of
- c) surgical removal
- d) pain
- The prefix “peri-” in “pericardium” means:
- a) around
- b) inside
- c) under
- d) above
- The suffix “-ology” means:
- a) study of
- b) specialist
- c) tumor
- d) disease
- The prefix “poly-” in “polyuria” means:
- a) few
- b) many
- c) none
- d) all
1. b) fast
2. b) inflammation
3. b) low blood sugar
4. c) surgical removal
5. a) around
6. a) study of
7. b) many
2. b) inflammation
3. b) low blood sugar
4. c) surgical removal
5. a) around
6. a) study of
7. b) many
Final Thoughts
By learning these common prefixes and suffixes, you can decode hundreds of medical terms without memorizing them individually. This skill is especially helpful for medical students, healthcare professionals, and English learners in medicine.
