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Medical Terminology22 cards

Medical Prefixes & Suffixes Flashcards

Cards covering the high-frequency prefixes and suffixes that appear in nearly every clinical term. Master these word parts and you can decode the majority of medical vocabulary on sight, without memorising thousands of compound terms one at a time.

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What does the prefix 'hyper-' mean? Give an example.

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Above, excessive, or beyond normal. Examples: hypertension (high blood pressure), hyperglycaemia (high blood sugar), hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid).

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What does the prefix 'hypo-' mean? Give an example.

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Below, deficient, or under normal. Examples: hypotension (low blood pressure), hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar), hypothermia (low body temperature).

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What does the prefix 'brady-' mean?

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Slow. Examples: bradycardia (slow heart rate, under 60 bpm in adults), bradypnoea (slow breathing rate).

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What does the prefix 'tachy-' mean?

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Fast or rapid. Examples: tachycardia (fast heart rate, over 100 bpm in adults), tachypnoea (rapid breathing).

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What does the prefix 'peri-' mean? Give an example.

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Around or surrounding. Examples: pericardium (membrane around the heart), perinatal (around the time of birth), periosteum (membrane around bone).

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What does the prefix 'endo-' mean? Give an example.

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Within or inside. Examples: endocardium (inner lining of the heart), endoscopy (looking inside a body cavity), endometrium (inner lining of the uterus).

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What does the prefix 'epi-' mean? Give an example.

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Upon, on, or above. Examples: epidermis (outer layer of skin), epigastric (above the stomach), epidural (on top of the dura mater).

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What does the prefix 'sub-' mean? Give an example.

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Below or under. Examples: subcutaneous (below the skin), sublingual (under the tongue), subdural (below the dura mater).

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What does the prefix 'intra-' mean and how does it differ from 'inter-'?

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Intra- means within a single structure (intramuscular = within a muscle, intravenous = within a vein). Inter- means between structures (intercostal = between the ribs, intervertebral = between vertebrae).

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What does the prefix 'poly-' mean? Give an example.

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Many or much. Examples: polyuria (excessive urination), polydipsia (excessive thirst), polycystic (many cysts).

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What does the prefix 'oligo-' mean? Give an example.

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Few or scant. Examples: oliguria (low urine output), oligomenorrhoea (infrequent periods), oligodendrocyte (cell with few branches).

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What does the suffix '-itis' mean? Give three examples.

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Inflammation. Examples: appendicitis (inflammation of the appendix), tonsillitis (inflammation of the tonsils), arthritis (inflammation of a joint).

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What does the suffix '-osis' mean? Give an example.

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Abnormal condition or disease, often without inflammation. Examples: cirrhosis (scarring of the liver), psychosis (severe mental disorder), thrombosis (clot formation).

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What does the suffix '-emia' (or '-aemia') mean? Give an example.

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A condition of the blood. Examples: anaemia (low red blood cell count), leukaemia (cancer of white blood cells), hyperglycaemia (high blood sugar).

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What does the suffix '-pathy' mean? Give an example.

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Disease or disorder. Examples: cardiomyopathy (disease of heart muscle), neuropathy (disease of nerves), nephropathy (kidney disease).

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What does the suffix '-algia' mean? Give an example.

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Pain. Examples: neuralgia (nerve pain), myalgia (muscle pain), arthralgia (joint pain), gastralgia (stomach pain).

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What does the suffix '-megaly' mean? Give an example.

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Enlargement. Examples: hepatomegaly (enlarged liver), splenomegaly (enlarged spleen), cardiomegaly (enlarged heart).

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What does the suffix '-ectomy' mean and how does it differ from '-otomy'?

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-ectomy means surgical removal of an organ or structure (appendectomy = removal of appendix). -otomy means cutting into a structure without removing it (tracheotomy = cutting into the trachea to create an airway).

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What does the suffix '-ostomy' mean? How does it differ from -ectomy and -otomy?

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-ostomy means surgically creating a new opening, usually permanent (colostomy = opening between colon and abdominal wall). The trio: -otomy cuts in, -ostomy makes a new opening, -ectomy removes.

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What does the suffix '-scopy' mean? Give an example.

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Visual examination using a scope. Examples: colonoscopy (examination of the colon), endoscopy (examination of a body cavity), arthroscopy (examination of a joint).

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What does the suffix '-gram' mean and how does it differ from '-graphy'?

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-gram is the recording or image produced (electrocardiogram = ECG tracing). -graphy is the procedure that produces the recording (electrocardiography = the act of recording heart electrical activity).

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What does the suffix '-plasty' mean? Give an example.

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Surgical repair or reconstruction. Examples: angioplasty (repair of a blood vessel), rhinoplasty (nose reconstruction), arthroplasty (joint replacement).

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Study Tips for Medical Prefixes & Suffixes

1

Drill prefixes and suffixes before any root words. They appear in every specialty and give the highest decoding return per minute studied.

2

Build comparison cards for the most-confused trios: -ectomy vs -otomy vs -ostomy, brady- vs tachy-, intra- vs inter-, hyper- vs hypo-. Side-by-side cards force the distinction every time.

3

Use decoding cards instead of definition cards. 'Decode appendicitis' beats 'What does appendicitis mean?' because it mirrors how you will actually use the language in clinic.

4

Group prefixes by category (size, rate, location, number) and learn each group together. Chunking by meaning is faster than alphabetical drilling.

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More Medical Terminology Topics

Root Words by Body System

Cards covering the core organ and tissue root words organised by body system. Once you know these roots, combined with the prefixes and suffixes deck, you can decode the majority of clinical terms across cardiology, pulmonology, gastroenterology, nephrology, neurology, and the musculoskeletal system.

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Procedures & Diagnostics

Cards covering the most common surgical procedures, diagnostic tests, and imaging studies you will encounter in clinical practice. Each card decodes the term from its prefix, root, and suffix so you can recognise unfamiliar procedures on sight rather than memorising them in isolation.

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