Medword Resources
Medical Terminology Basics:
Suffixes

Suffixes are the one or more syllables or elements added to the root or stem of a word (the part that indicates the essential meaning) to alter the meaning or indicate the intended part of speech.

In order to make a word pronounceable, the last letter or letters of the root to which the suffix is attached may be changed. The last vowel may be changed to an "o," or an "o" may be inserted if it is not already present before a suffix beginning with a consonant, as in "cardiology." The final vowel in the root may be dropped before a suffix beginning with a vowel, as in "neuritis."

Most suffixes are in common use in English, but there are some peculiar to medical science. The suffixes most commonly used to indicate disease are "itis," meaning inflammation; "oma," meaning tumor; and "osis," meaning a condition, usually morbid. The suffixes listed occur often in medical terminology, but they are also used in ordinary language.

You may also be interested in reviewing these Medword pages: Prefixes, USP Drug Listings, Basic Medical Terms, Examples of Transcribed Reports.