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Medical terminology prefixes and suffixes

Twenty-four medical word parts: prefixes, roots and suffixes such as tachy-, cardi/o and -itis, with meanings and example terms to help you decode medical words.

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The cards, front and back

  1. 1
    Front

    hyper-

    Back

    Above normal or excessive.

    Example: hypertension (high blood pressure), hyperthermia (high body temperature)

  2. 2
    Front

    hypo-

    Back

    Below normal or under.

    Example: hypoglycaemia, spelled hypoglycemia in US English (low blood sugar)

  3. 3
    Front

    tachy-

    Back

    Fast.

    Example: tachycardia (a faster than normal heart rate), tachypnoea (fast breathing)

  4. 4
    Front

    brady-

    Back

    Slow.

    Example: bradycardia (a slower than normal heart rate)

  5. 5
    Front

    dys-

    Back

    Difficult, painful or abnormal.

    Example: dyspnoea, spelled dyspnea in US English (difficulty breathing), dysphagia (difficulty swallowing)

  6. 6
    Front

    a- / an-

    Back

    Without or absence of.

    Example: apnoea or apnea (temporary absence of breathing), anaemia or anemia (lack of healthy red blood cells or haemoglobin)

  7. 7
    Front

    peri-

    Back

    Around.

    Example: pericardium (the sac around the heart)

  8. 8
    Front

    endo-

    Back

    Within or inside.

    Example: endoscopy (looking inside the body with a camera)

  9. 9
    Front

    sub-

    Back

    Below or under.

    Example: subcutaneous (beneath the skin), sublingual (under the tongue)

  10. 10
    Front

    inter- vs intra-

    Back

    Inter- means between; intra- means within.

    Example: intercostal (between the ribs), intravenous (within a vein)

  11. 11
    Front

    cardi/o

    Back

    Heart.

    Example: cardiology (study of the heart), cardiomyopathy (disease of the heart muscle)

  12. 12
    Front

    gastr/o

    Back

    Stomach.

    Example: gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining)

  13. 13
    Front

    hepat/o

    Back

    Liver.

    Example: hepatitis (inflammation of the liver)

  14. 14
    Front

    nephr/o and ren/o

    Back

    Kidney. Nephr/o comes from Greek and ren/o from Latin.

    Example: nephrology (study of the kidneys), renal failure

  15. 15
    Front

    neur/o

    Back

    Nerve or nervous system.

    Example: neurology, neuralgia (nerve pain)

  16. 16
    Front

    oste/o

    Back

    Bone.

    Example: osteoporosis (bones becoming porous and fragile), osteoarthritis

  17. 17
    Front

    derm/o, dermat/o

    Back

    Skin.

    Example: dermatology (study of the skin), dermatitis (inflammation of the skin)

  18. 18
    Front

    pneum/o and pulmon/o

    Back

    Lung or air.

    Example: pneumonia (infection of the lungs), pulmonary (relating to the lungs)

  19. 19
    Front

    -itis

    Back

    Inflammation.

    Example: arthritis (joint inflammation), appendicitis, tonsillitis

  20. 20
    Front

    -ectomy

    Back

    Surgical removal.

    Example: appendectomy (removal of the appendix), tonsillectomy

  21. 21
    Front

    -otomy vs -ostomy

    Back

    -otomy means cutting into; -ostomy means surgically creating an opening.

    Example: tracheotomy (cutting into the windpipe), colostomy (an opening from the colon to the outside of the body)

  22. 22
    Front

    -ology

    Back

    The study of.

    Example: haematology or hematology (study of the blood), dermatology

  23. 23
    Front

    -algia

    Back

    Pain.

    Example: myalgia (muscle pain), arthralgia (joint pain)

  24. 24
    Front

    -scopy

    Back

    Viewing or examining with an instrument.

    Example: colonoscopy, arthroscopy (looking inside a joint)

How to use this template

This deck teaches the building blocks of medical vocabulary: common prefixes, word roots and suffixes, each with its meaning and real example terms. Once you know the parts, you can work out unfamiliar words, for example tachy- plus cardi/o plus -ia gives tachycardia, a fast heart rate. It suits nursing, medical, allied health and first aid students, medical secretaries and interpreters. British and American spellings are both shown where they differ. This is a general study aid for terminology only; it is not medical advice and is no substitute for your course materials or professional training. Study in Learn mode, then Test mode with spaced repetition, and print double-sided for quick review.

Tips

  • Break every new term into its parts: prefix, root and suffix. Then read the meaning from the end backwards.
  • Learn opposite pairs together: hyper- and hypo-, tachy- and brady-, inter- and intra-.
  • Make your own examples by combining parts, then check them in a medical dictionary.
  • Say the terms out loud. Many exams and placements expect correct pronunciation as well as spelling.
  • Notice the spelling differences between British and American English, such as haem- and hem-.
  • Keep a running list of new terms from lectures, placements or textbooks, split into their parts, and add the hardest ones to this deck as new cards.

Make it fit

  • Add word parts for the body system you are studying, such as the respiratory or digestive system.
  • Add the anatomical position terms anterior, posterior, medial and lateral for an anatomy unit.
  • Use only British or only American spellings to match your course.
  • Turn the deck around and give the meaning on the front to practise building terms from scratch.

Updated October 28, 2026

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