Medical Prefixes & Suffixes

Medical Prefixes and Suffixes
Prefixes and suffixes are added to words to change their meaning. They can be used to indicate a
word's function or to create new words that are related to the original word.

Medical terminology can look and sound complex, but it's important to be able to break words down
and understand their roots, prefixes and suffixes to prevent any misunderstandings or errors.
Mistakes and misunderstandings can be life-threatening, that is the importance of medical
terminology.

Prefixes are located at the beginning of a medical term. The prefix alters the meaning of the medical
term. It is important to spell and pronounce prefixes correctly.

COMMON PREFIXES

S.NO PREFIX MEANING
1 A-, An- Without, Lacking
2 Andr/o- Male
3 Anti- Against
4 Auto- Self
5 Bio- Life
6 Chemo/- Chemistry
7 Contra- Against
8 Cyt/o- Cell
9 Dis- Separation, taking apart
10 Dys- Difficult, Abnormal
11 Eu- Good, Well
12 Fibr/0- Fiber
13 Gluco/-, Glyco/- Glucose, Sugar
14 Gyn/o-, Gynec- Female
15 Hydr/o- Water
16 Idio- Self, One’s own
17 Lyso-, Lys- Break down, Destruction, Dissolving
18 Mal- Bad, Abnormal
19 Myc/o- Fungus
20 Necr/o- Death
21 Neo- New
22 Oxy- Sharp, acute, oxygen
23 Pan-/Pant/o- All, Everywhere
24 Pharmac/o- Drug, Medicine
25 Re- Again, Backward
26 Somat/o-, Somatic/o Body, Bodily

Body part prefixes

SNO PREFIX MEANING
1 Acous/o- Hearing
2 Aden/o- Gland
3 Adip/o Fat
4 Adren/o- Gland
5 Angi/o Blood vessel
6 Arteri/o Artery
7 Arthr/o- Joint
8 Bucc/o- Cheek
9 Bronch/i- Bronchus
10 Burs/o- Bursa
11 Carcin/o- Cancer
12 Cardi/o- Heart
13 Cephal/o- Head
14 Chol- Bile
15 Chondri- Cartilage
16 Coron- Heart
17 Cost- Rib
18 Crani/o- Brain
19 Cutane- Skin
20 Cyst/o-, Cysti- Bladder or Sac
21 Derm/-, Dermato/- Skin
22 Duoden/o- Duodenum
23 Gastr/- Stomach
24 Gloss- Tongue
25 Hem-, Hema-, Hemat-, Hemo-, Blood

Hemat/o- Liver
26 Hepat/o-, Hepatico- Tissue
27 Hist/o-, Histio- Uterus
28 Hyster/o- Ileum
29 Ileo- Ischium
30 Ischi/o- Corena (eye or skin)
31 Kerat/o- Tear
32 Lacrim/o- Milk
33 Lact/o, Lacti- Larynx
34 Laryng/o- Tongue
35 Lingu/o- Fat
36 Lip/o- Lymph
37 Lymph/o- Breast
38 Mamm-, Mast/o- Meninges
39 Mening/o- Muscle
40 Muscul/o- Muscle
41 My/o-
Spinal cord, bone marrow
42 Myel/o- Kidney
43 Nephr/o-

44 Neur/i-, Neur/o- Nerve
45 Oculo- Eye
46 Onco- Tumor, Bulk, Volume
47 Onych/o- Fingernail, toenail
48 Oo- Egg, ovary
49 Oophor/o- Ovary
50 Op-, Opt- Vision
51 Ophthalm/o- Eye
52 Orchid/o-, Orchio- Testis
53 Orth/o- Straight, Normal, Correct
54 Osseo- Bony
55 Ossi- Bone
56 Ost/-, Oste/o- Bone
57 Ot/o- Ear
58 Ovar/i-, Ovario-, Ovi-, Ovo- Ovary
59 Phalang- Phalanx
60 Pharyng/o- Pharynx, throat
61 Phleb/o- Vein
62 Phren/i-, Phreno-, Phrenico- Diaphragm
63 Pleur-, Pleur/a-, Pleur/o- Rib, Pleura
64 Pneum/a-, Pneumat/o- Air, Lung
65 Proct/o- Anus, Rectum
66 Prostat- Prostate
67 Pseud/o- False
68 Psych/o-, Psyche- Mind
69 Radio- Radiation, Radius
70 Ren/o- Kidney
71 Retin- Retina
72 Rhin/o- Nose
73 Salping/o- Tube
74 Sarco- Muscular, Flesh-like
75 Schiz/o- Split, Cleft
76 Scler/a-, Scler/o- Hardness
77 Sigmoid/o- Sigmoid colon
78 Sperma-, Spermo- Sperm
79 Splen/o- Spleen
80 Sten/o- Narrowed, Blocked
81 Stern- Sternum
82 Stom/a-, Stomat/o- Mouth
83 Thorac/o-, Thoracico- Chest
84 Thromb/o- Blood Clot
85 Thyr/o- Thyroid gland
86 Trache/o- Trachea

87 Tympan/o- Ear drum
88 Ur/o- Urine

89 Vagi/n- Vagina
90 Varic/o- Duct, Blood Vessel
91 Vascul/o- Blood vessel
92 Ven/o- Vein
93 Vertbr- Vertebra, Spine

COLOR PREFIXES

1 Chlor/o- Green
2 Chrom-, Chromato- Color
3 Cyano- Blue
4 Erythr/o- Red
5 Leuk/o- White
6 Melan/o- Black

PHYSICAL PROPERTY AND SHAPE

PREFIXES

1 Cry/o- Cold

2 Elect- Electrical activity

3 Kin/o-, Kine-, Kinesi/o- Movement

4 Kyphy/o- Humped

5 Rhabd/o- Rod-shaped, Striated

6 Phot/o- Light

7 Reticul/o- Net

8 Scoli/o- Twisted

9 Therm/o- Heat

DIRECTION AND POSITION PREFIXES

1 Ab-, Abs- Away from
2 Ad- Towards
3 Ante- Before, Forward
4 Circum- Around
5 Cycl- Circle, Cycle
6 De- Away From, Ending
7 Dia- Across, Through
8 Ect/o-, Ex/o- Outer, Outside
9 End/o-, Ent-, Enter/o- Within, Inner
10 Epi- Upon, Outside Of
11 Ex-, Extra- Beyond
12 Infra- Beneath, Below
13 Inter- Between
14 Intra- Within
15 Meso- Middle

16 Meta- Beyond, Change

17 Para- Alongside, Abnormal
18 Path/o- Disease
19 Peri- Around
20 Post- Behind, After
21 Pre- Before, Infront
22 Retro- Backward, Behind
23 Sub- Under
24 Super- Above
25 Supra- Above, Upon
26 Sy-, Syl-, Sym-, Syn-, Sys- Together
27 Trans- Across, Through

QUANTITY PREFIXES Two
1 Bi- Slow
2 Brady- Double
3 Diplo- Half
4 Hemi- Other, Different
5 Hetero- Same
6 Homo- Above, Beyond, Excessive
7 Hyper- Under, Deficient
8 Hypo- Equal, Like
9 Iso- Large, Long, Big
10 Macro- Small
11 Mic-, Micro- One
12 Mon-, Mono- Few, Little
13 Olig/o- Many, Excessive
14 Poly- Four
15 Quadri- Half
16 Semi- Fast
17 Tachy- Four
18 Tetra- Three
19 Tri- One
20 Uni-

SUFFIXES

Suffixes are word parts that are located at the end of words. Suffixes can alter the meaning of
medical terms. It is important to spell and pronounce suffixes correctly.

COMMON SUFFIXES

S.No. SUFFIXES MEANING
-ac Pertaining to
1 -blast, -blasto, -blastic Bud, Germ
2 -cyte, -cytic Cell
3 -dynia Pain, Swelling
4 -eal, -ial Pertaining to
5 -ectasis Expansion, Dilation
6 -emia Blood condition
7 -ia Condition
8 -iasis Condition, Formation of
9 -ism Condition
10 -ites, -it is Inflammation
11 -ity Pertaining to
12 -ium Structure or tissue
13 -lysis, -lytic Break down, Destruction, Dissolving
14 -malacia Softening
15 -megaly Enlargement
16 -oid Resembling
17 -oma Tumor
18 -osis Condition, usually abnormal
19 -ous Pertaining to
20 -pathy Disease
21 -penia Deficiency, lack of
22 -phagia, -phagy Eating, Swallowing
23 -phasia Speech
24 -plasia, -plastic Growth
25 -plegia Paralysis
26 -pnea Breathing
27 -poiesis Production
28 -pstosis Falling, Drooping
29 -rrhage, -rrhagic Bleeding
30 -rrhea Flow or Discharge
31 -sclerosis Hardening
32 -sis Condition
33 -stasis Level, Unchanging
34 -trophy Growth
35 -uria In the urine
36

1 -centesis Surgical puncture to remove fluid
2 -desis Surgical binding
3 -ectomy Cut out, Removal
4 -gram Record, Picture
5 -graph Instrument used to create a record or picture
6 -graphy To record or take a picture
7 -meter Device used for measuring
8 -opsy Visual examination
9 -ostomy Opening
10 -otomy Incision
11 -pexy Surgical fixation
12 -plasty Surgical reconstruction
13 -scope For Examining
14 -scopy Examine