Medical Terminology Simplified

Section Review 1–1

Review the pronunciation guidelines (located in the inside back cover of this book). Use them as a reference when
needed. Then, in the exercise below, underline one of the items within the parentheses to complete each sentence.

1. The diacritical mark ̆ is called a (breve, macron).


2. The diacritical mark ̄ is called a (breve, macron).


3. The macron ( ̄) above a vowel is used to indicate (short, long) vowel pronunciations.


4. The breve ( ̆) above a vowel is used to indicate the (short, long) vowel pronunciations.


5. When pnis in the middle of a word, pronounce (only p, n, pn). Examples are orthopnea, hyperpnea.


6. The letters cand ghave a (hard, soft) sound before the letters aand o.Examples are cardiac, cast, gastric, gonad.


7. When pnis at the beginning of a word, pronounce (only p, n, pn). Examples are pneumonia, pneumotoxin.


8. When iis at the end of a word (to form a plural), it is pronounced like (eye, ee). Examples are bronchi,fungi,
   nuclei.


9. For aeand oe,only the (first, second) vowel is pronounced. Examples are bursae,pleurae,roentgen.


10. When eand esform the final letter or letters of a word, they are commonly pronounced as (combined,
    separate) syllables. Examples are syncope,systole,appendices.

Competency Verification:Check your answers in Appendix B: Answer Key, page 558. If you are not satisfied with
your level of comprehension, review the pronunciation guidelines (on the inside back cover of this book) and retake
the review.

Correct Answers ×10 = % Score

Common Suffixes

In previous frames, you learned that a combining form (CF) is a word root + vowel and that the CF is the main part,
or foundation, of a medical term. Examples of CFs are gastr/o(stomach), dermat/o(skin), and nephr/o(kidney).
When you see gastr/oin a medical term, you will know the term refers to the stomach. You also learned that a suffix
is an element located at the end of a word. The following sections introduce common surgical, diagnostic, and patho-
logical suffixes as well as plural suffixes. Some of these elements have already been introduced in previous frames, but
they are reinforced below.

Combinations of four elements are used to form medical words. These four elements are the word root,

combining form, suffix, and prefix. Some words may also be used as suffixes. Other words may consist of

just a prefix and a word root.

Surgical Suffixes

Common suffixes associated with surgical procedures, their meanings, and an example of a related term are presented
in the table that follows. First, study the suffix as well as its meaning and practice pronouncing the term aloud. Then
use the information to complete the meaning of the term. The first is completed for you. You may also refer to
Appendix A: Glossary of Medical Word Elements, page 548. To build a working vocabulary of medical terms and
understand how those terms are used in the health-care industry, it is important that you complete these exercises.

16 CHAPTER 1• Introduction to Programmed Learning and Medical Word Building

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