Defining Medical Words

Front 1

All other vowels and consonants have ordinary English sounds.

Back 1

(PRONUNCIATION GUIDELINES)

Front 2

RULE 1

Back 2

A WR is used before a suffix that begins with a vowel.

Front 3

c and g are given the soft sound of s an
j, respectively, before e, i,
and y in words of both Greek
and Latin origins.

Back 3

examples: cerebum, circumcision, cycle,
gel, gingivitis, giant, gyrate

Front 4

RULE 2

Back 4

A combining vowel is used to link a WR to a suffix that begins with a consonant and to link a WR to another WR to form a compound word.

Front 5

e and es, when forming the final letter
or letters of a word, are
often pronounced as separate
syllables.

Back 5

examples: syncope, systole, nares,

Front 6

ch is sometimes pronounced like k.

Back 6

examples: cholesterol, cholera, cholemia

Front 7

Three Basic Steps for Defining Medical Words

Back 7

FIRST, define the SUFFIX, or last part
of the word.

SECOND, define the PREFIX, or first
part of the word.

LAST, define the MIDDLE of the word.

Front 8

i at the end of a word (to form a plural) is pronounced "eye".

Back 8

examples: bronchi, fungi, nuclei

Front 9

pn at the beginning of a word is pronounced with only the n sound.

Back 9

examples: pneumonia, pneumotoxin

Front 10

Two Basic Rules for Building Medical Words

Back 10

RULE 1 A WR is used before a suffix
that begins with a vowel.

RULE 2 A combining vowel is used to
link a WR to a suffix that
begins with a consonant and to
link a WR to another WR to
form a compound word.

Front 11

ps is pronounced like s.

Back 11

examples: psychology, psychosis

Front 12

ae and oe, only the second vowel is
pronounced.

Back 12

examples: bursae, pleaurae, roentgen