Medical Terminology: Prefixes, Suffixes & Root Words Notes
Introduction:
Medical terminology is the language used in healthcare to describe the human body, diseases,
procedures, and treatments. Most medical terms are made from three parts:
Prefix — appears at the beginning
Root word — main meaning of the term
Suffix — appears at the end
Understanding these parts helps students decode complex medical words easily.
1. Prefixes
Definition:
A prefix is added to the beginning of a word to modify its meaning.
Common Medical Prefixes
Prefix Meaning Example Meaning of
Example
a-, an- without Anemia Without
enough blood
anti- against Antibiotic Against
bacteria
brady- slow Bradycardia Slow heart
rate
tachy- fast Tachypnea Fast
breathing
dys- abnormal Dysphagia Difficulty
swallowing
hyper- excessive Hypertension High
blood pressure
hypo- below normal Hypoglycemia Low
blood sugar
intra- within Intravenous Within a vein
inter- between Intercostal Between ribs
Introduction:
Medical terminology is the language used in healthcare to describe the human body, diseases,
procedures, and treatments. Most medical terms are made from three parts:
Prefix — appears at the beginning
Root word — main meaning of the term
Suffix — appears at the end
Understanding these parts helps students decode complex medical words easily.
1. Prefixes
Definition:
A prefix is added to the beginning of a word to modify its meaning.
Common Medical Prefixes
Prefix Meaning Example Meaning of
Example
a-, an- without Anemia Without
enough blood
anti- against Antibiotic Against
bacteria
brady- slow Bradycardia Slow heart
rate
tachy- fast Tachypnea Fast
breathing
dys- abnormal Dysphagia Difficulty
swallowing
hyper- excessive Hypertension High
blood pressure
hypo- below normal Hypoglycemia Low
blood sugar
intra- within Intravenous Within a vein
inter- between Intercostal Between ribs
