Word Root
• Basic foundation of a word
– Component parts are added to change
meaning
• Example word: cardiologist
– cardi (word root) = heart
– Words with cardi will always refer to the
heart
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Stem (or root) words – main stem (part) of word and can appear at the beginning
(prefix) in the middle or at the end of the word (suffix)
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cardi
gastr or ventr
enter
hepat
nephr or ren
oste or ossi
thorac or steth
arthr
cyt
colp
derm
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heart
stomach
intestine
liver
kidney
bone
chest
joint
root for cell
vagina
skin
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Combining Form
• Word root + vowel = combining form
• Vowel is called a combining vowel
– Usually an o
– Combining vowels join word parts
appropriately
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Compound Words
A combining vowel is used to link a stem word to another one
for a compound word such as:
• Gastr + o + enter = itis = gastroenteritis
(stomach) (intestine) (inflammation)
• Oste + o + arthr + itis = osteoarthritis
(bone) (joint) (inflammation)
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Combining Vowels: Rule
• When using more than one word root – as
in compound word
– Combining vowel is needed to separate the
different word roots
– Usually done whether or not second or third
word root begins with a vowel
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Combining Vowels: Rule
• Example word: myoelectric
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Breakdown of word: my/o/electr/ic
Root = my
Combining vowel = o
Root = electr
Suffix = ic
• Note: root + vowel = combining form
– my + o = my/o
• Meaning of myoelectric = electrical properties
of muscles
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Combining Vowels: Rule
• A word cannot end in a combining form
– Drop the combining vowel
– Add a suffix
– Makes the word a noun or an adjective
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Combining Vowels: Rule
• Example word: megalocardia
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Breakdown of word: megal/o/card/ia
Root = megal
Combining vowel = o
Root = card
Suffix = ia
• Note: Word cannot be megal/o/card/o
– Must drop combining vowel o
– Must add ending
• Meaning of megalocardia = enlargement of
heart
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Suffix
• Attaches to the end of the word root
– Makes a word a noun or an adjective
• Meaning of suffix remains the same
– Suffix changes meaning of root to which it is attached
A suffix often indicates the:
• procedure
• condition
• disorder
• disease
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Suffix: Rule
• If suffix begins with a vowel (a,e,i,o,u,y)
– Root will attach directly to it
• If suffix begins with a consonant
– Root will need a combining vowel before
attaching to the suffix
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Suffix: Rule
• Example word: cardiogram
– Breakdown of word: cardi/o/gram
– Root = cardi
– Combining vowel = o
– Suffix = gram
• Note: Suffix begins with a consonant
Combining vowel is needed
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Suffix: Rule
• Example word: cardialgia
– Breakdown of word: cardi/algia
– Root = cardi
– Suffix = algia
• Note: Suffix begins with a vowel
– Combining vowel is not needed
• Meaning of cardialgia = Heart pain/ Heart
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burn
Suffixes – terms used in surgery
Notice the connecting vowel
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Enterotomy
Appendectomy
Gastrorrhaphy
Cystoplasty
Steatorrhea
• Tomy – cut or incision
• Rhaphy- sewing
• Plasty – molding/repair
• Rhea - discharge
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Suffixes = word endings
• Arthr/o + centesis = arthrocentesis
(joint) (puncture)
• Thorac/o + -tomy = thoracotomy
(chest) (incision)
• Gastro/o + -megaly = gastromegaly
(stomach) (enlargement)
• Colon/o + -scopy = colonoscopy
(colon) (see/search)
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• Hepatitis:
Suffix-disease/change in body/used
for diagnoses
– hepa - liver;
itis- inflammation of
• Splenomegaly:
– Spleno – spleen;
megaly-large
• Acrophobia:
– acro – edge;
phobia- fear of
• Artheriosclerosis:
– atherio-artery;
sclerosis-hardening of
• Cardiogram: cardio-heart;
– gram - record or write
• Laparoscopy:
– laparo-abdomen;
scopy- to look in or search
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Prefix
• Attaches to the beginning of a word
• Meaning of prefix always remains the
same
– Prefix changes meaning of root to which it is
attached
– Not all words have prefixes
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Prefix: Rule
• Example word: endocardium
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Breakdown of word: endo/cardi/um
Prefix = endo
Root = cardi
Suffix = um
• Prefix attaches directly to beginning of word
– Note: Combining vowel is not needed
• Meaning of Endocardium = thin, smooth
membrane the lines the inside of the heart
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prefix means before/in front
• peri - prefix means
around
• hemi - prefix means
half
• micro - prefix means
small
• Neo - prefix means
new
• a part of the word part
of the word that
precedes word root
and changes its
changes
• Often indicates
location, time, or
number.
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Some Prefixes
• Peri + cardio + logy = pericardiology
(around) (heart-pericardium) (study of)
• Hyper + therm + -ia = hyperthermia
(excessive) ( heat) (condition)
• Intra + muscul + -ar = intramuscular
(in, within) (muscle) (relating to)
• Macro + gloss + -ia = macroglossia
(large - enlargement) (tongue) (condition)
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Word Structure
• Review
– Prefix is placed at beginning of word
– Suffix is placed at end of word root
– Combining forms are used when word has
more than one word root = compound word
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Word Structure
• Review
– Compound words are usually composed in the following order:
– Combining form + word root + suffix
– Example:
– Leuk + o
+ cyt
+ osis
– (Combining form) + word root + suffix
• Meaning of Leukocytosis = increase in number of white
cells –indicates infection
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In your Notebooks:
What are the 4 parts of a medical term?
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