,Pronunciation Guidelines
Here are guidelines to help you pronounce medical terms as well as understand pronunciation marks used
throughout this text and in most dictionaries.
Special Sounds
Here are rules regarding certain letter combinations and special sounds attributed to letters based on their
placement in a medical word:
• For ae and oe, only the second vowel is pronounced.
Examples are bursae, pleurae, and roentgen.
• The soft sound of s and j are given to c and g, respectively, before e, i, and y in words of Greek or
Latin origin.
Examples are cerebrum, circumcision, cycle, gel, gingivitis, giant, and gyrate.
• Before other letters, c and g have a hard sound.
Examples are cardiac, cast, gastric, and gonad.
• The letters ch are sometimes pronounced like k.
Examples are cholesterol, cholera, and cholemia.
• When pn appears at the beginning of a word, p is silent and only n is pronounced.
Examples are pneumonia and pneumotoxin.
• When pn appears in the middle of a word, p and n are pronounced.
Examples are orthopnea and hyperpnea.
• When ps appears at the beginning of a word, p is silent and only s is pronounced.
Examples are psychology and psychosis.
• When forming the final letter(s) of a word, e and es are commonly pronounced as separate syllables.
Examples are syncope, systole, and nares.
• When i appears at the end of a word (to form a plural), it is pronounced eye.
Examples are bronchi, fungi, and nuclei.
• All other vowels and consonants have normal English sounds.
Pronunciation Marks
Diacritical marks and capitalization are used to aid pronunciations throughout the text. Diacritical marks
are used to show vowel sounds, and capitalization is used to show emphasis.
Diacritical marks are symbols placed above or under vowels. They show vowel sounds. In this text, only
two diacritical marks are used: the macron (¯) and the breve (˘).
The macron indicates the long The breve indicates the short
sound of vowels, as in: sound of vowels, as in:
ā in rate ă in apple
ē in rebirth ĕ in ever
ı̄ in isle ı̆ in it
ō in over ŏ in not
ū in unite ŭ in cut
Capitalization is used to indicate primary accent. For example, the pronunciation LĔT-tĕr indicates that
emphasis should be placed on the first syllable when pronouncing the word letter.
,Medical Terminology
Systems A Body Systems Approach
SIXTH EDITION
Barbara A. Gylys (Gl̆L-Ĭs), MEd, CMA-A (AAMA)
Professor Emerita
College of Health and Human Services
Coordinator of Medical Assisting Technology
University of Toledo
Toledo, Ohio
Mary Ellen Wedding, MEd, MT(ASCP), CMA,
(AAMA) AAPC
Professor of Health Professions
College of Health Science and Human Services
University of Toledo
Toledo, Ohio
, What’s
CLEAR, CONCISE
PRESENTATION
INSIDE
using the classic MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY SYSTEMS
word-building and A Body Systems Approach, 6th Edition
body systems
approach to learning.
25
e 4
Pag
M R
7 P TE
6:3 AP
/0 9 CH
3/3
14
xd
4.q
25 -46
stem
1 4_4
_Ch
Sy
er vous
N
CHAPTER OUTLINES es f this
ctiv tion o the stru
ctu
chap
ter,
you
re
Objen comple describe
to orient students to Upo
• Lo em.
cate
syst
and
on
e fu
onal
ncti other b
e th em and , spell, a
ti
rela d
o
scrib
each chapter’s content ce
st
line • De ous sy ronoun m.
Out n erv e ,p st e
nd
ter iz
ogn rvous
sy
al co
os hap rmtsrutem Sys
Rec
and e m Cand s in
of th cture ange s s
a
gy TeS
Keyr ous Sysous us sy s:
st•emtontheuero nen
atho
logic res, a
my
u
siolo logy ula ervo s of cell tDtresc anrism beitp proced .
one oth stru ical chbjerocticevesseand Phy hysio ll erv er v
ato is e e n tic em
em b m O, p myasis. d P C f the N N th p e a• pe u st
An syst body in nd che nmentsAm nateoost oin an ure o the xity, al ty lls th thera ervous acology
sy r
ous e l a nviro in ho Ata mgy,
lk r Sdtr uct of mple princip are ce n
nerv of th sica nat s co o s the m
phar rders.
The stems ses phy ternal e mainta ing and Cioellu n aenuro-ns
la
esp ite nits only tw euron plain iso n
ivisdioote f m lia. N • Ex ous d ur k
ed sy . It sen and ex onds to as walk s digest ndNinete u ro glia m
l
DD
o se ys ro g S ys tem n e rv te yo arn
l a euras Sys pous neSuyste
S m ra
tion interna en resps, such such lated, a N
te ou s st le
re enrvosiuotrnal Nervaenrvdous ms–Nerv mon the
the , and th ctivitie tivities, d, regu he enti Nsm • De pleting
HOW DOES WORD BUILDING WORK?
isCen - ral N te o m
m a c
the ntary tary a rdinate em. T e tra are Peele n c S ys r c s.
ses fo
e itie
riph g Body ts activ
Volu involun are coo ous systes on thpulses onnectin Elemen analy
ord
and lation, e nerv dy reli ous im C
Wo
rd ns. W
circu d by th the bo s. Ner v ical
Med logyermhsy eeiasr edef
initio
It begins with the basics g ra te
of n
ork
netw ervous
o f
imp
u ls e
sio
log
h o
y K Raderebroteva
T
Patey iculo scsualand th
p at
rm rders
C stemre Diso ease
r D is
stru
cture
bloo
d-
Phy ous sySeizu nson Disrosis ntral the
ner v a ce ner v s
es.
nd in
and
e
rt ant Par ki iple Scl isease ard and Term s fou
y po u n er D
lt tow
t om ce s im ided. Mitio e im ess ard or v esRseelslated s bstance
a u rov
n h Illninw h su
An trod De Alz tal ve to bicot, and csp
fi re
n in also p edecuific rd
Mernmo gy refersmat Pros al co
sectio s are ry o coloereSnytmpto peatutibclock in tissu
e
spin
This ed term Car On affic , erath ra and
select termost Tishm ate b brain
TheDiagn sticecanhdan g delic in the
m n
Introduces word elements
o e y ri d
foun
e
Diactiv ac
gn
oloengte rrhag
Term Proteharm from tions s tissue emo
stream
P vouies id h ure gia es
nt revia ner ctivit ctivities barac hnostructaraple es. puls
affere-ĕr-ĕnt Abborkinogf A tral set p ner v its im
r w n rd A y: Su cen on and ansm
ĂF
b arrie NetLear R eco mmfrarom: aAcutevessels at tr wan
n ce
• Roots awnayrepo to both
al su
on th
in rt
d -bra (C NS) ic
Med ischaroge ve rs e ax by Sch
o D r m ltat t refe io rmed
blo
syst
em ry o nsu n lly th is fo on, it
Car Co effere ecia em
ous , esp that us syst e ax s.
KEY TERMS
er v te rm ro n li n vo to th on
al n The a neu mye al ner jury red ax
centrR-vĕs al to er in
• Combining forms n of her ju
NĔ ctio
th ex
tern e perip te aft on of in s
Proje shea ons in
th tegra ati and
disin regener brain
nt ional ax not r the
ffere -rĕntcs m y ddit eonly on does enue fo ide
highlighted in the
s eag ra te A d me ka v u ts
ĔFy-ĕpnoti arbitu
c gunthd a o
oti rilem id rianne ted
• Suffixes hypn as in
fo eu es
d a te ca
H
tes. Ber c re n roDve xe enodyid lo t
use
turae fib n. by in Beca n tube p ylphe b ı̆-dā that
nerdvdictio a ehav
ior
oltloow ethof th -FĔN- stem it
m ulsive b itters hec mssue ı̆l us sy ansm
a g eff ity us ti mĕth-
• Prefixes beginning of each chapter rilem
neu duı̆-
leve
ceLĔ
lo
imM
Rneŭ-r f neuro
p -ă
tran
sm
ts h a
ulan tion dsteem
v
lmin activ ner vot
e a ca it hyper Atoll trea
f ic o used
als
R it a lin
ion
ep er ip
of th alking anr integra
d
ner vo and tr terp
heral lking, and in
ta tio n
r ho
lds
lants ostim tten s sy are port ch as w brain fo es o
imu Psych withnaerH vou ) and nal ceiv
host pleheral(AD D ctio tions su to the at re
psyc peorip Fun an th
e rd er R -v ĕs
S ) ta ry ac ceptors o rg
p diso S) sy. NĔ n
Reviews each element one by one (SN u ry re of an
(PNrc˘ole-ĕ p -răl
npaĕr-IF syst
em senso vity
r cags.
ous er noin
nerv ĔR-vĕs ammbea
atic N thCeihr
som ĂT-ı̆ k n s and n ing ure ĕ—
ever
iatio press
Me a
sŏ-M one
brev nial ı̄—isle ssă—al
Applies the principles of word ns tr –
ic relate-l
le
vestem -trı̆ k
n
d ab
belly
si d
A ebbre
viati
on acra
intr rebirth scı̆—
ē— ite on
ū— of
un c
iousn
it e
tio ous sy VĔN tr: belly, ing to CP d loss
te
ā—ra er
via ner v
building to each body system I Soun ov
ven pertain
bre uces cture
ō—
Ab trod -ica
l: Long Sound
t C
bar
pun
ct io n in ning se nH
elp ShLorO
lum
se e a e a io y
This r dis Pronun eractivit
M ciat
e gram
on eim yp
Alzh angio
• Learn the parts from which Abb
rev
iati
tion
-defi
n
atte er
cit h
rosi
l scle ease
s;
LP
neti
c re giogra sona
nce hy
p
AD diso
rd
latera g dis mag ance an agin
words are built AD
HD otro
phic u Gehri
amy called L
o
sy stem MR
A
reso
ma
n
gn etic
reso
nan
ce im
mult
iple
also ervo
us tal; ral sten
ABBREVIATIONS
ele
ic n ulosk s; mit
• Decipher words based on ALS auto
nom
elec
tr ic a l acti
vity
MRI musc l statu
m e n ta
ndu
ctio
n v eloc
brain ing MS e co
knowledge of word parts for common terms stem on to
S
AN map
p nerv
rv o us sy
n e missi
M e tro
BEA al n posi us
centr V ervo
pals
y NC ral n
bral phe
cere peri
S P ET
Uses mnemonic devices and interactive CN
CP cere
brosp
in al fl
uid
ogra
ph y PNS
tom
activities (in the book and on the CD) CSF
co mpu
ted
brov
ascu
lar accid
ent
cere
to make word building fun and increase retention CT
CVA
Gylys Walkthrough_2-09_FINAL.ind2 2 3/6/09 7:59:58
Here are guidelines to help you pronounce medical terms as well as understand pronunciation marks used
throughout this text and in most dictionaries.
Special Sounds
Here are rules regarding certain letter combinations and special sounds attributed to letters based on their
placement in a medical word:
• For ae and oe, only the second vowel is pronounced.
Examples are bursae, pleurae, and roentgen.
• The soft sound of s and j are given to c and g, respectively, before e, i, and y in words of Greek or
Latin origin.
Examples are cerebrum, circumcision, cycle, gel, gingivitis, giant, and gyrate.
• Before other letters, c and g have a hard sound.
Examples are cardiac, cast, gastric, and gonad.
• The letters ch are sometimes pronounced like k.
Examples are cholesterol, cholera, and cholemia.
• When pn appears at the beginning of a word, p is silent and only n is pronounced.
Examples are pneumonia and pneumotoxin.
• When pn appears in the middle of a word, p and n are pronounced.
Examples are orthopnea and hyperpnea.
• When ps appears at the beginning of a word, p is silent and only s is pronounced.
Examples are psychology and psychosis.
• When forming the final letter(s) of a word, e and es are commonly pronounced as separate syllables.
Examples are syncope, systole, and nares.
• When i appears at the end of a word (to form a plural), it is pronounced eye.
Examples are bronchi, fungi, and nuclei.
• All other vowels and consonants have normal English sounds.
Pronunciation Marks
Diacritical marks and capitalization are used to aid pronunciations throughout the text. Diacritical marks
are used to show vowel sounds, and capitalization is used to show emphasis.
Diacritical marks are symbols placed above or under vowels. They show vowel sounds. In this text, only
two diacritical marks are used: the macron (¯) and the breve (˘).
The macron indicates the long The breve indicates the short
sound of vowels, as in: sound of vowels, as in:
ā in rate ă in apple
ē in rebirth ĕ in ever
ı̄ in isle ı̆ in it
ō in over ŏ in not
ū in unite ŭ in cut
Capitalization is used to indicate primary accent. For example, the pronunciation LĔT-tĕr indicates that
emphasis should be placed on the first syllable when pronouncing the word letter.
,Medical Terminology
Systems A Body Systems Approach
SIXTH EDITION
Barbara A. Gylys (Gl̆L-Ĭs), MEd, CMA-A (AAMA)
Professor Emerita
College of Health and Human Services
Coordinator of Medical Assisting Technology
University of Toledo
Toledo, Ohio
Mary Ellen Wedding, MEd, MT(ASCP), CMA,
(AAMA) AAPC
Professor of Health Professions
College of Health Science and Human Services
University of Toledo
Toledo, Ohio
, What’s
CLEAR, CONCISE
PRESENTATION
INSIDE
using the classic MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY SYSTEMS
word-building and A Body Systems Approach, 6th Edition
body systems
approach to learning.
25
e 4
Pag
M R
7 P TE
6:3 AP
/0 9 CH
3/3
14
xd
4.q
25 -46
stem
1 4_4
_Ch
Sy
er vous
N
CHAPTER OUTLINES es f this
ctiv tion o the stru
ctu
chap
ter,
you
re
Objen comple describe
to orient students to Upo
• Lo em.
cate
syst
and
on
e fu
onal
ncti other b
e th em and , spell, a
ti
rela d
o
scrib
each chapter’s content ce
st
line • De ous sy ronoun m.
Out n erv e ,p st e
nd
ter iz
ogn rvous
sy
al co
os hap rmtsrutem Sys
Rec
and e m Cand s in
of th cture ange s s
a
gy TeS
Keyr ous Sysous us sy s:
st•emtontheuero nen
atho
logic res, a
my
u
siolo logy ula ervo s of cell tDtresc anrism beitp proced .
one oth stru ical chbjerocticevesseand Phy hysio ll erv er v
ato is e e n tic em
em b m O, p myasis. d P C f the N N th p e a• pe u st
An syst body in nd che nmentsAm nateoost oin an ure o the xity, al ty lls th thera ervous acology
sy r
ous e l a nviro in ho Ata mgy,
lk r Sdtr uct of mple princip are ce n
nerv of th sica nat s co o s the m
phar rders.
The stems ses phy ternal e mainta ing and Cioellu n aenuro-ns
la
esp ite nits only tw euron plain iso n
ivisdioote f m lia. N • Ex ous d ur k
ed sy . It sen and ex onds to as walk s digest ndNinete u ro glia m
l
DD
o se ys ro g S ys tem n e rv te yo arn
l a euras Sys pous neSuyste
S m ra
tion interna en resps, such such lated, a N
te ou s st le
re enrvosiuotrnal Nervaenrvdous ms–Nerv mon the
the , and th ctivitie tivities, d, regu he enti Nsm • De pleting
HOW DOES WORD BUILDING WORK?
isCen - ral N te o m
m a c
the ntary tary a rdinate em. T e tra are Peele n c S ys r c s.
ses fo
e itie
riph g Body ts activ
Volu involun are coo ous systes on thpulses onnectin Elemen analy
ord
and lation, e nerv dy reli ous im C
Wo
rd ns. W
circu d by th the bo s. Ner v ical
Med logyermhsy eeiasr edef
initio
It begins with the basics g ra te
of n
ork
netw ervous
o f
imp
u ls e
sio
log
h o
y K Raderebroteva
T
Patey iculo scsualand th
p at
rm rders
C stemre Diso ease
r D is
stru
cture
bloo
d-
Phy ous sySeizu nson Disrosis ntral the
ner v a ce ner v s
es.
nd in
and
e
rt ant Par ki iple Scl isease ard and Term s fou
y po u n er D
lt tow
t om ce s im ided. Mitio e im ess ard or v esRseelslated s bstance
a u rov
n h Illninw h su
An trod De Alz tal ve to bicot, and csp
fi re
n in also p edecuific rd
Mernmo gy refersmat Pros al co
sectio s are ry o coloereSnytmpto peatutibclock in tissu
e
spin
This ed term Car On affic , erath ra and
select termost Tishm ate b brain
TheDiagn sticecanhdan g delic in the
m n
Introduces word elements
o e y ri d
foun
e
Diactiv ac
gn
oloengte rrhag
Term Proteharm from tions s tissue emo
stream
P vouies id h ure gia es
nt revia ner ctivit ctivities barac hnostructaraple es. puls
affere-ĕr-ĕnt Abborkinogf A tral set p ner v its im
r w n rd A y: Su cen on and ansm
ĂF
b arrie NetLear R eco mmfrarom: aAcutevessels at tr wan
n ce
• Roots awnayrepo to both
al su
on th
in rt
d -bra (C NS) ic
Med ischaroge ve rs e ax by Sch
o D r m ltat t refe io rmed
blo
syst
em ry o nsu n lly th is fo on, it
Car Co effere ecia em
ous , esp that us syst e ax s.
KEY TERMS
er v te rm ro n li n vo to th on
al n The a neu mye al ner jury red ax
centrR-vĕs al to er in
• Combining forms n of her ju
NĔ ctio
th ex
tern e perip te aft on of in s
Proje shea ons in
th tegra ati and
disin regener brain
nt ional ax not r the
ffere -rĕntcs m y ddit eonly on does enue fo ide
highlighted in the
s eag ra te A d me ka v u ts
ĔFy-ĕpnoti arbitu
c gunthd a o
oti rilem id rianne ted
• Suffixes hypn as in
fo eu es
d a te ca
H
tes. Ber c re n roDve xe enodyid lo t
use
turae fib n. by in Beca n tube p ylphe b ı̆-dā that
nerdvdictio a ehav
ior
oltloow ethof th -FĔN- stem it
m ulsive b itters hec mssue ı̆l us sy ansm
a g eff ity us ti mĕth-
• Prefixes beginning of each chapter rilem
neu duı̆-
leve
ceLĔ
lo
imM
Rneŭ-r f neuro
p -ă
tran
sm
ts h a
ulan tion dsteem
v
lmin activ ner vot
e a ca it hyper Atoll trea
f ic o used
als
R it a lin
ion
ep er ip
of th alking anr integra
d
ner vo and tr terp
heral lking, and in
ta tio n
r ho
lds
lants ostim tten s sy are port ch as w brain fo es o
imu Psych withnaerH vou ) and nal ceiv
host pleheral(AD D ctio tions su to the at re
psyc peorip Fun an th
e rd er R -v ĕs
S ) ta ry ac ceptors o rg
p diso S) sy. NĔ n
Reviews each element one by one (SN u ry re of an
(PNrc˘ole-ĕ p -răl
npaĕr-IF syst
em senso vity
r cags.
ous er noin
nerv ĔR-vĕs ammbea
atic N thCeihr
som ĂT-ı̆ k n s and n ing ure ĕ—
ever
iatio press
Me a
sŏ-M one
brev nial ı̄—isle ssă—al
Applies the principles of word ns tr –
ic relate-l
le
vestem -trı̆ k
n
d ab
belly
si d
A ebbre
viati
on acra
intr rebirth scı̆—
ē— ite on
ū— of
un c
iousn
it e
tio ous sy VĔN tr: belly, ing to CP d loss
te
ā—ra er
via ner v
building to each body system I Soun ov
ven pertain
bre uces cture
ō—
Ab trod -ica
l: Long Sound
t C
bar
pun
ct io n in ning se nH
elp ShLorO
lum
se e a e a io y
This r dis Pronun eractivit
M ciat
e gram
on eim yp
Alzh angio
• Learn the parts from which Abb
rev
iati
tion
-defi
n
atte er
cit h
rosi
l scle ease
s;
LP
neti
c re giogra sona
nce hy
p
AD diso
rd
latera g dis mag ance an agin
words are built AD
HD otro
phic u Gehri
amy called L
o
sy stem MR
A
reso
ma
n
gn etic
reso
nan
ce im
mult
iple
also ervo
us tal; ral sten
ABBREVIATIONS
ele
ic n ulosk s; mit
• Decipher words based on ALS auto
nom
elec
tr ic a l acti
vity
MRI musc l statu
m e n ta
ndu
ctio
n v eloc
brain ing MS e co
knowledge of word parts for common terms stem on to
S
AN map
p nerv
rv o us sy
n e missi
M e tro
BEA al n posi us
centr V ervo
pals
y NC ral n
bral phe
cere peri
S P ET
Uses mnemonic devices and interactive CN
CP cere
brosp
in al fl
uid
ogra
ph y PNS
tom
activities (in the book and on the CD) CSF
co mpu
ted
brov
ascu
lar accid
ent
cere
to make word building fun and increase retention CT
CVA
Gylys Walkthrough_2-09_FINAL.ind2 2 3/6/09 7:59:58
