• Success depends on
• Learning word parts
• Learning rules for combining word parts

• 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

• Word root + vowel = combining form

• Vowel is called a combining vowel
• Usually an o – occasionally an i
• Combining vowels join word parts appropriately

• 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

• Example Word: myoelectric
• 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

• A word cannot end in a combining form

• Drop the combining vowel
• Add a suffix
• Makes the word a noun or an adjective

Combining Vowels: Rule

• Example Word: megalocardia
• 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

• Attaches to the end of the word root
• Makes a word a noun or an adjective

• Meaning of suffix always remains the same
• Suffix changes meaning of root to which it is attached

• 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

• Example Word: cardiogram
• Breakdown of word: cardi/o/gram
• Root = cardi
• Combining vowel = o
• Suffix = gram

• Note: Suffix begins with a consonant

• Example Word: cardialgia
• Breakdown of word: cardi/algia
• Root = cardi
• Suffix = algia
• Note: Suffix begins with a vowel
• Combining vowel is not needed

• Attaches directly 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

• Example Word: endocardium
• 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

• Review of Rules
• 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

• Review of Rules (continued)
• Compound Words are usually composed in following order:
• Combining form + word root + suffix
• Example:
• Leuk + o + cyt + osis___
• (Combining Form) + word root + suffix

• Review of Rules (continued)
• Defining a medical term:
• Define suffix first
• Read from right to left & define each word element
• Example: carditis
• Suffix = itis = inflammation
• Word Root = card = heart
• Definition = inflammation of the heart

• Review of Rules (continued)
• For medical words with prefixes
• Define suffix first, prefix second, word roots last
• Example: intracardiac
• Suffix = ac = pertaining to
• Prefix = intra = within
• Word Root = cardi = heart
• Definition = pertaining to within the heart

• Review of Rules (continued)
• When medical words identify body systems or parts
• Define suffix first, body organs in order they are studied in body system
• Example: cardiopulmonary
• Suffix = ary = pertaining to
• Body organ = cardi = heart
• Body organ = pulmon = lungs
• Definition = pertaining to the heart and the lungs

• Pronunciation of medical word

• May be exactly like it sounds
• Example: febrile = ‘f’ sound, begins with ‘f’
• May begin with a letter, or letters that produces the same phonetic sound
• Example: physiology = ‘f’ sound, begins with ‘ph’

Pronunciation Guidelines (continued)

• If it sounds like ‘f’
• Look for ‘f’ = febrile
• Look for ‘ph’ = physiology

• If it sounds like ‘j’
• Look for ‘j’ = jejunum
• Look for ‘ge’ = genesis
• Look for ‘gi’ = gingivitis
• Look for ‘gy’ = gyrus

• If it sounds like ‘k’
• Look for ‘k’ = kyphosis
• Look for ‘c’ = cornea
• Look for ‘ch’ = chorion
• Look for ‘qu’ = quadruplet

• If it sounds like ‘n’
• Look for ‘n’ = neonatal
• Look for ‘pn’ = pneumonia
• Look for ‘kn’ = knee

• If it sounds like ‘s’
• Look for ‘s’ = sarcoma
• Look for ‘c’ = cervix
• Look for ‘ps’ = psychology

• If it sounds like ‘sk’
• Look for ‘sk’ = skeleton
• Look for ‘sc’ = sclera
• Look for ‘sch’ = schizophrenia

• If it sounds like ‘z’
• Look for ‘z’ = zygomatic
• Look for ‘x’ = xanthoma

• Words that begin with ‘c’
• If followed by ‘e’, ‘i’, or ‘y’
• Pronounced as soft ‘c’
• Has ‘j’ sound

• Examples
• ‘ce’ = cervix
• ‘ci’ = circumduction
• ‘cy’ = cyst

• Words that begin with ‘c’
• If followed by ‘a’, ‘o’, ‘u’, or consonant
• Pronounced as hard ‘c’
• Has a ‘k’ sound
• Examples
• ‘ca’ = cancer
• ‘co’ = collagen
• ‘cu’ = cuticle
• ‘ch’ = cheiloplasty

• Word roots that end in ‘g’
• If followed by ‘e’ or ‘i’
• Pronounced as soft ‘g’
• Sounds like ‘j’

• Examples
• Laryng / ectomy
• Pharyng / it is

• Word roots that end in ‘g’
• If followed by ‘a’, ‘o’, or consonant
• Pronounced as hard ‘g’
• Has ‘guh’ sound

• Examples
• Laryng / algia
• Mening / ocele
• Glossal