Understanding medical terminology can make all the difference in critical health situations. And while understanding medical language is serious business for care providers, learning medical terminology can actually be a thought-provoking, interesting crash course in the history and development of language and parts of speech.
For those who are new to, or are looking to enter the medical field, having a firm grasp on medical verbiage, roots and meanings can give you a leg up as you continue your studies and progress in your career. To get you started, here is our introductory guide to medical terminology, which will serve as a solid foundation as you work to diversify and enhance your medical language skills.
Medical terminology refers to the words and language used specifically in the medical and health fields. The proper definition describes medical terminology as language used to describe anatomical structures, procedures, conditions, processes and treatments in the medical field.
While memorizing terms across that many disciplines might seem impossible, medical language can be simplified when you understand that nearly all medical terms can be broken down into three parts: the prefix, the root and the suffix.
Medical terminology is the linguistic foundation on which the entire healthcare system is built. Because physicians are trained at varying universities and complete their training across different hospitals and disciplines and geographies, having a singular medical terminology system ensures that effective care is delivered while reducing the potential for miscommunication.
Elevate your career with our specialized Medical Terminology course. Click here to learn more! >
Studies show that a standardized medical terminology system can improve overall hospital operations — both in terms of data and clinical applications of such data. A second report found that medical terminology and the usage of structured reporting can improve the usage of medical information in secondary activities, such as research, public health and case studies. This not only will help make research efforts more efficient, it will likely result in better outcomes for patients and medical innovation.
Additional benefits of standardized medical terminology include:
Taking a medical terminology course is a great first step to equip you with the skills and knowledge you’ll need to be successful.
OpenMd
Size
large
macro-, mega(lo)-
small
micro-
Number
half
semi-
half (one side)
hemi-
one
mono-, uni-
two | three | four
bi- | tri- | qua(dr/r/t)-
equal
equi-
many
poly-
Level
above normal
hyper-
below normal
hypo-
normal/good
eu-
Time or Speed
after
post-
again
re-
back/backward
retro-
before
pro-, pre-, ante-
fast
tachy-
new
neo-
time, long time
chron-
slow
brady-
Location or Relationship
away from
ab-
above
supra-
around
peri-
across
trans-
between
inter-
out of, outside
ex-, ec(t)-
self
auto-
through, completely
dia-
together
con-
toward
ad-
within, inside
end(o)-
Function or Quality
against
anti-, contra-
bad
mal-
cause
eti-
without
a-, de-
not working correctly
dys-
A lot of medical terms get their roots from Latin and ancient Greek language, much like many words in the English and romance languages. Here are some of the most common medical root words healthcare providers must know.
Head
brain
enceph
ear
ot, aur
eardrum
tympan, myring
eye
aphthalm, ocul
face
faci
nose
rhin
skull
crani
tongue
lingu
tooth
odont, dent
Heart and Circulatory
aorta
aort
arteries
arteri
blood
hem, sangu
blood vessels
angi
heart
cardi
veins
ven, phleb
Bones and Muscles
arm
brachi
back
dorsa
bones
oste
foot
pod, ped
muscles
myo
rib
cost
shoulder
scapul
wrist
carp
Digestive System
appendix
append
colon
col
esophagus
esophag
intestine (usually small)
inter
kidney
ren, neph
liver
hepat
stomach
gastr
Other Common Roots
cancer
carci
drug
chem
electric
electr
heat
therm
knowledge
gnos
life
bi
pressure
bar
returned sound
echo
The last ingredient in a medical term is likely the suffix, which provides more specifics about the term’s application. Here are just a few of the most important medical suffixes to know.
Basic Noun and Adjective Suffixes
(noun form)
-a, -e, -um, -is
causing
-genic
condition
-ia, -ism, -sis, -y
specialty
-iatry, -iatrics, -ics
specialist
-ian, -ist
structure
-um, -us
study of
-logy
pertaining to
-ac, -ar(y), -(e/i)al, -ic(al), -ior, -ory, -ous, -tic
Tests and Procedures
removal of
-ectomy
image/record/td>
-gram
making a picture
-graph(y)
cut in
-otomy
viewing
-scopy
opening
-stomy
Pathology or Function
blood (condition of)
-emia
breathing
-pnea
inflammation
-itis
condition or disease
-osis
deficiency
-penia
disease
-pathy
excessive flow
-rrhag(e/ia)
mass/tumor
–oma
Just as you would with any new skill, expanding your vocabulary and learning medical terminology takes practice, practice, practice. To assist you during your studies, we’ve rounded up some helpful resources and study tools focused on medical terminology.
No matter what resource you turn to, we recommend starting with the Medical Terminology course from the University of San Diego. This online, self-paced course allows you to immerse yourself in the world of medical language in a way that works for you and your schedule. Participants in this course gain a deep understanding of important medical, diagnostic and laboratory abbreviations and terms they will need throughout their medical careers. To learn more about this course or any of our healthcare programs, please contact us.
Click here to download a PDF version of this article.
This course has a maximum of six (6) months from the date of enrollment to complete the course. Students are recommended to allocate a minimum of two weeks (14 calendar days) per semester unit to complete a course; this time frame allows for instructor interaction and feedback between assignments.
This course is taught in an online Learning Management System. Students will be provided access information upon registration.
Once all course work is submitted, a final grade is submitted by the instructor. The grade is then approved by the office and posted. Once a final grade is posted, official transcripts can be requested — learn more about transcript requests here.
The textbook set for this course should be purchased directly from the publisher.
Become Versed in Medical Language and Terminology
Start date:
Start now, you have 180 days to complete this course once enrolled
What you will learn:
Units: 2
Improve your medical terminology, mental health, and more with 100% online courses.