Medical prefixes and suffixes list
The building blocks of medical words, with what each one means and a real example from the MediGuess glossary.
Most medical terms are made from a few Greek and Latin parts. A prefix at the start changes the meaning, a root names the body part and a suffix at the end says what is happening. Once you know the common ones you can work out words you have never seen: gastr (stomach) + itis (inflammation) gives gastritis, inflammation of the stomach.
Prefixes and word roots
| Part | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| hyper- | above or more than normal | Hyperacusis |
| hypo- | below or less than normal | Hypodense |
| brady- | slow | Bradycardia |
| tachy- | fast | Tachycardia |
| dys- | difficult or abnormal | Dysaesthesia |
| poly- | many | Polymyositis |
| oligo- | few | – |
| endo- | inside | Endocarditis |
| epi- | on or above | Epicondyle |
| peri- | around | Pericarditis |
| para- | beside or near | Paracetamol |
| sub- | under | Subcapital |
| supra- | above | – |
| intra- | within | – |
| inter- | between | Intercostal |
| trans- | across or through | – |
| hemi- | half | Hemianopia |
| macro- | large | – |
| micro- | small | – |
| neo- | new | – |
| anti- | against | Antibody |
| cardio- | heart | Cardiomegaly |
| cardi- | heart | Cardiomegaly |
| gastro- | stomach | Gastrocnemius |
| gastr- | stomach | Gastrocnemius |
| hepat- | liver | Hepatomegaly |
| nephr- | kidney | – |
| neuro- | nerve | Neurofibroma |
| neur- | nerve | Neuralgia |
| osteo- | bone | Osteolysis |
| myo- | muscle | Myoclonus |
| arthro- | joint | Arthrogram |
| arthr- | joint | Arthritis |
| dermat- | skin | Dermatome |
| haemo- | blood | Haemodynamics |
| haema- | blood | Haemangioma |
| hemo- | blood | – |
| pneumo- | lung or air | Pneumonia |
| pulmon- | lung | – |
| encephal- | brain | – |
| cephal- | head | – |
| cranio- | skull | – |
| chole- | bile | – |
| chondro- | cartilage | – |
| chondr- | cartilage | Chondroid |
| entero- | intestine | – |
| glosso- | tongue | Glossopharyngeal |
| laryng- | voice box | – |
| ophthalm- | eye | – |
| rhino- | nose | Rhinorrhoea |
| spondyl- | vertebra | Spondylosis |
| thromb- | clot | Thrombosis |
| angio- | blood vessel | Angioedema |
| adeno- | gland | Adenomyosis |
| leuko- | white | – |
| leuco- | white | – |
| erythro- | red | – |
| cyano- | blue | Cyanosis |
| odont- | tooth | Odontoid |
| gingiv- | gum | Gingivitis |
| myel- | spinal cord or bone marrow | Myeloma |
| mening- | the meninges | Meningioma |
| retro- | behind | Retropulsion |
| antero- | front | – |
| postero- | back | – |
| abduct- | moving away | – |
| adduct- | moving towards | – |
Suffixes
| Part | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -ectomy | surgical removal | – |
| -ostomy | surgically made opening | – |
| -otomy | cutting into | Fasciotomy |
| -plasty | surgical repair or reshaping | – |
| -scopy | looking inside with a scope | Arthroscopy |
| -graphy | recording or imaging | Angiography |
| -gram | a recorded image or trace | Arthrogram |
| -algia | pain | Brachialgia |
| -dynia | pain | Allodynia |
| -itis | inflammation | Apophysitis |
| -aemia | a condition of the blood | – |
| -emia | a condition of the blood | Ischemia |
| -oma | a lump, mass or tumour | Adenoma |
| -osis | an abnormal condition or process | Adenomyosis |
| -pathy | disease or disorder | Myelopathy |
| -plegia | paralysis | Hemiplegia |
| -paresis | weakness or partial paralysis | Hemiparesis |
| -rrhage | bursting out, heavy bleeding | Haemorrhage |
| -rrhoea | flow or discharge | Amenorrhoea |
| -rrhea | flow or discharge | – |
| -logy | the study of | Endocrinology |
| -megaly | enlargement | Acromegaly |
| -penia | too few, a deficiency | Osteopenia |
| -trophy | growth or nourishment | Dystrophy |
| -plasia | formation or growth | Dysplasia |
| -cyte | a cell | Phagocyte |
| -lysis | breaking down | Glycolysis |
| -stenosis | narrowing | – |
| -sclerosis | hardening | – |
| -malacia | softening | Osteomalacia |
| -ectasis | widening or dilation | Atelectasis |
| -pexy | surgical fixing in place | – |
| -desis | fusing or binding | – |
| -pnoea | breathing | Orthopnoea |
| -pnea | breathing | Dyspnea |
| -uria | urine | Dysuria |
| -phagia | swallowing or eating | Dysphagia |
| -cele | a swelling or hernia | – |
How to use this list
Learn a handful at a time rather than the whole table at once. Pick five, spot them in real words for a few days, then add five more. Our guide on how to learn medical terminology explains a simple routine that works.
Practise one medical word a day
One medical word a day, then a quick three-question quiz. Free on iPhone, or play in your browser on Android and computer.
Questions
What is a prefix in medical terminology?
A prefix is the part at the start of a medical word that changes its meaning, often describing position, number, speed or amount. For example, brady- means slow and tachy- means fast, so bradycardia is a slow heart rate and tachycardia a fast one.
What is a suffix in medical terminology?
A suffix is the ending of a medical word. It usually tells you what is happening: -itis means inflammation, -ectomy means surgical removal and -algia means pain.
What is a word root?
The root is the core of the word, usually naming a body part, such as cardi (heart), hepat (liver) or nephr (kidney). Roots are joined to prefixes and suffixes, often with a linking vowel such as o.