{"id":20,"date":"2018-10-12T18:05:08","date_gmt":"2018-10-12T18:05:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/acchpr1040\/chapter\/word-parts-and-rules\/"},"modified":"2025-03-04T21:12:59","modified_gmt":"2025-03-04T21:12:59","slug":"word-parts-and-rules","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/acchpr1040\/chapter\/word-parts-and-rules\/","title":{"raw":"Word Parts and Rules","rendered":"Word Parts and Rules"},"content":{"raw":"<div class=\"textbox textbox--learning-objectives\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<h2 class=\"textbox__title\"><strong><em>Learning Objectives<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<ul>\n \t<li>Identify word parts in medical terms.<\/li>\n \t<li>Examine the rules for building medical terms.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Word Parts<\/h2>\nMedical terms are built from word parts. Those word parts are [pb_glossary id=\"204\"]prefix[\/pb_glossary], [pb_glossary id=\"205\"]word root[\/pb_glossary], [pb_glossary id=\"206\"]suffix[\/pb_glossary], and [pb_glossary id=\"207\"]combining form vowel[\/pb_glossary]. When a word root is combined with a combining form vowel the word part is referred to as a [pb_glossary id=\"208\"]combining form[\/pb_glossary].\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">[h5p id=\"1\"]<\/p>\n\n<h2>Identifying Word Parts in Medical Terms<\/h2>\nBy the end of this book, you will have identified hundreds of word parts within medical terms. Let's start with some common medical terms that many non-medically trained people may be familiar with.\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--examples\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<h4 class=\"textbox__title\">Examples<\/h4>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n\n<strong>Osteoarthritis\nOste\/o\/arthr\/itis - Inflammation of bone and joint.<\/strong>\nOste\/o is a [pb_glossary id=\"208\"]combining form[\/pb_glossary] that means bone\narthr\/o is a [pb_glossary id=\"208\"]combining form[\/pb_glossary] that means joint\n-itis is a [pb_glossary id=\"206\"]suffix [\/pb_glossary] that means inflammation\n\n<strong>Intravenous\n<\/strong><strong>Intra\/ven\/ous - Pertaining to within a vein.\n<\/strong>Intra- is a [pb_glossary id=\"204\"]prefix [\/pb_glossary] that means within\nven\/o \u2013 is a [pb_glossary id=\"208\"]combining form[\/pb_glossary] that means vein\n-ous is a [pb_glossary id=\"206\"]suffix [\/pb_glossary] that means pertaining to\n\n<strong>Notice, when breaking down words that you place slashes between word parts and a slash on each side of a [pb_glossary id=\"207\"]combining form vowel[\/pb_glossary].<\/strong>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Language Review<\/h2>\nBefore we begin analyzing the rules let\u2019s complete a short language review that will assist with pronunciation and spelling.\n<div class=\"textbox\">\n\n<strong>Short Vowels\n<\/strong>a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes y are indicated by lower case.\n\n<strong>Long Vowels\n<\/strong>A, E, I, O, U are indicated by upper case.\n\n<strong>Consonants\n<\/strong>Consonants are all of the other letters in the alphabet. b, c, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, q, r, s, t, v, w, x, and z.\n\n<\/div>\n<h2>Language Rules<\/h2>\nLanguage rules are a good place to start when building a medical terminology foundation. Many medical terms are built from word parts and can be translated [pb_glossary id=\"203\"]literally[\/pb_glossary]. At first, literal translations sound awkward. Once you build a medical vocabulary and become proficient at using it, the awkwardness will slip away. For example, suffixes will no longer be stated and will be assumed. The definition of <em>intravenous<\/em> then becomes <em>within the vein<\/em>.\n\nSince you are at the beginning of building your medical terminology foundation, stay literal when applicable. It should be noted that as with all language rules there are always exceptions and we refer to those as [pb_glossary id=\"202\"]rebels[\/pb_glossary].\n<h2>Language Rules for Building Medical Terms<\/h2>\n<ol>\n \t<li>When combining two [pb_glossary id=\"208\"]combining forms[\/pb_glossary], you keep the [pb_glossary id=\"207\"]combining form vowel[\/pb_glossary].<\/li>\n \t<li>When combining a [pb_glossary id=\"208\"]combining form[\/pb_glossary] with a [pb_glossary id=\"206\"]suffix [\/pb_glossary] that begins with a consonant, you keep the [pb_glossary id=\"207\"]combining form vowel[\/pb_glossary].\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--examples\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<h3 class=\"textbox__title\">Examples<\/h3>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n\nGastr\/o\/enter\/o\/logy \u2013 The study of the stomach and the intestines\n<ul>\n \t<li>Following\u00a0<strong>rule 1,<\/strong>\u00a0when we join combining form gastr\/o (meaning stomach) with the combining form enter\/o (meaning intestines) we keep the combining form vowel o.<\/li>\n \t<li>Following\u00a0<strong>rule 2<\/strong>, when we join the combining form enter\/o (meaning intestines) with the suffix -logy (that starts with a suffix and means the study of) we keep the combining form vowel o.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n&nbsp;<\/li>\n \t<li>When combining a [pb_glossary id=\"208\"]combining form[\/pb_glossary] with a [pb_glossary id=\"206\"]suffix [\/pb_glossary] that begins with a vowel, you drop the [pb_glossary id=\"207\"]combining form vowel[\/pb_glossary].<\/li>\n \t<li>A [pb_glossary id=\"204\"]prefix [\/pb_glossary] goes at the beginning of the word and no [pb_glossary id=\"207\"]combining form vowel[\/pb_glossary] is used.\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--examples\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<h3 class=\"textbox__title\"><em>Examples<\/em><\/h3>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n\nIntra\/ven\/ous \u2013 Pertaining to within the vein\n<ul>\n \t<li>Following\u00a0<strong>rule 3<\/strong>, notice that when combining the combining form ven\/o (meaning vein) with the suffix -ous ( that starts with a vowel and means pertaining to) we drop the combining form vowel o.<\/li>\n \t<li>Following\u00a0<strong>rule 4<\/strong>, the prefix intra- (meaning within) is at the beginning of the medical term with no combining form vowel used.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n&nbsp;<\/li>\n \t<li>When defining a medical word, start with the [pb_glossary id=\"206\"]suffix [\/pb_glossary] first and then work left to right stating the word parts. You may need to add [pb_glossary id=\"209\"]filler[\/pb_glossary] words. As long as the filler word does not change the meaning of the word you may use it for the purpose of building a medical vocabulary. Once you start to apply the word in the context of a sentence it will be easier to decide which filler word(s) to choose.\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--examples\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<h3 class=\"textbox__title\"><em>Examples<\/em><\/h3>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n\nIntra\/ven\/ous \u2013 Pertaining to within the vein or Pertaining to within a vein.\n<ul>\n \t<li>Following\u00a0<strong>rule 5<\/strong>, notice that I start with the suffix -ous (that means pertaining to) then we work left to right starting with the prefix Intra- (meaning within) and the combining form ven\/o (meaning vein).<\/li>\n \t<li>Notice that we have used two different definitions that mean the same thing.<\/li>\n \t<li>In these examples we do not have the context of a full sentence. For the purpose of building a medical terminology foundation either definition is accepted.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>","rendered":"<div class=\"textbox textbox--learning-objectives\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<h2 class=\"textbox__title\"><strong><em>Learning Objectives<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<ul>\n<li>Identify word parts in medical terms.<\/li>\n<li>Examine the rules for building medical terms.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Word Parts<\/h2>\n<p>Medical terms are built from word parts. Those word parts are <a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_20_204\">prefix<\/a>, <a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_20_205\">word root<\/a>, <a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_20_206\">suffix<\/a>, and <a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_20_207\">combining form vowel<\/a>. When a word root is combined with a combining form vowel the word part is referred to as a <a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_20_208\">combining form<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">\n<div id=\"h5p-1\">\n<div class=\"h5p-iframe-wrapper\"><iframe id=\"h5p-iframe-1\" class=\"h5p-iframe\" data-content-id=\"1\" style=\"height:1px\" src=\"about:blank\" frameBorder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" title=\"Word Parts and Rules: Key Terms\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Identifying Word Parts in Medical Terms<\/h2>\n<p>By the end of this book, you will have identified hundreds of word parts within medical terms. Let&#8217;s start with some common medical terms that many non-medically trained people may be familiar with.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--examples\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<h4 class=\"textbox__title\">Examples<\/h4>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<p><strong>Osteoarthritis<br \/>\nOste\/o\/arthr\/itis &#8211; Inflammation of bone and joint.<\/strong><br \/>\nOste\/o is a <a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_20_208\">combining form<\/a> that means bone<br \/>\narthr\/o is a <a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_20_208\">combining form<\/a> that means joint<br \/>\n-itis is a <a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_20_206\">suffix <\/a> that means inflammation<\/p>\n<p><strong>Intravenous<br \/>\n<\/strong><strong>Intra\/ven\/ous &#8211; Pertaining to within a vein.<br \/>\n<\/strong>Intra- is a <a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_20_204\">prefix <\/a> that means within<br \/>\nven\/o \u2013 is a <a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_20_208\">combining form<\/a> that means vein<br \/>\n-ous is a <a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_20_206\">suffix <\/a> that means pertaining to<\/p>\n<p><strong>Notice, when breaking down words that you place slashes between word parts and a slash on each side of a <a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_20_207\">combining form vowel<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Language Review<\/h2>\n<p>Before we begin analyzing the rules let\u2019s complete a short language review that will assist with pronunciation and spelling.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox\">\n<p><strong>Short Vowels<br \/>\n<\/strong>a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes y are indicated by lower case.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Long Vowels<br \/>\n<\/strong>A, E, I, O, U are indicated by upper case.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Consonants<br \/>\n<\/strong>Consonants are all of the other letters in the alphabet. b, c, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, q, r, s, t, v, w, x, and z.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Language Rules<\/h2>\n<p>Language rules are a good place to start when building a medical terminology foundation. Many medical terms are built from word parts and can be translated <a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_20_203\">literally<\/a>. At first, literal translations sound awkward. Once you build a medical vocabulary and become proficient at using it, the awkwardness will slip away. For example, suffixes will no longer be stated and will be assumed. The definition of <em>intravenous<\/em> then becomes <em>within the vein<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Since you are at the beginning of building your medical terminology foundation, stay literal when applicable. It should be noted that as with all language rules there are always exceptions and we refer to those as <a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_20_202\">rebels<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Language Rules for Building Medical Terms<\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li>When combining two <a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_20_208\">combining forms<\/a>, you keep the <a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_20_207\">combining form vowel<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>When combining a <a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_20_208\">combining form<\/a> with a <a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_20_206\">suffix <\/a> that begins with a consonant, you keep the <a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_20_207\">combining form vowel<\/a>.\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--examples\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<h3 class=\"textbox__title\">Examples<\/h3>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<p>Gastr\/o\/enter\/o\/logy \u2013 The study of the stomach and the intestines<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Following\u00a0<strong>rule 1,<\/strong>\u00a0when we join combining form gastr\/o (meaning stomach) with the combining form enter\/o (meaning intestines) we keep the combining form vowel o.<\/li>\n<li>Following\u00a0<strong>rule 2<\/strong>, when we join the combining form enter\/o (meaning intestines) with the suffix -logy (that starts with a suffix and means the study of) we keep the combining form vowel o.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>When combining a <a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_20_208\">combining form<\/a> with a <a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_20_206\">suffix <\/a> that begins with a vowel, you drop the <a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_20_207\">combining form vowel<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>A <a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_20_204\">prefix <\/a> goes at the beginning of the word and no <a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_20_207\">combining form vowel<\/a> is used.\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--examples\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<h3 class=\"textbox__title\"><em>Examples<\/em><\/h3>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<p>Intra\/ven\/ous \u2013 Pertaining to within the vein<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Following\u00a0<strong>rule 3<\/strong>, notice that when combining the combining form ven\/o (meaning vein) with the suffix -ous ( that starts with a vowel and means pertaining to) we drop the combining form vowel o.<\/li>\n<li>Following\u00a0<strong>rule 4<\/strong>, the prefix intra- (meaning within) is at the beginning of the medical term with no combining form vowel used.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>When defining a medical word, start with the <a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_20_206\">suffix <\/a> first and then work left to right stating the word parts. You may need to add <a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_20_209\">filler<\/a> words. As long as the filler word does not change the meaning of the word you may use it for the purpose of building a medical vocabulary. Once you start to apply the word in the context of a sentence it will be easier to decide which filler word(s) to choose.\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--examples\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<h3 class=\"textbox__title\"><em>Examples<\/em><\/h3>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<p>Intra\/ven\/ous \u2013 Pertaining to within the vein or Pertaining to within a vein.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Following\u00a0<strong>rule 5<\/strong>, notice that I start with the suffix -ous (that means pertaining to) then we work left to right starting with the prefix Intra- (meaning within) and the combining form ven\/o (meaning vein).<\/li>\n<li>Notice that we have used two different definitions that mean the same thing.<\/li>\n<li>In these examples we do not have the context of a full sentence. For the purpose of building a medical terminology foundation either definition is accepted.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<div class=\"glossary\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\" id=\"definition\">definition<\/span><template id=\"term_20_204\"><div class=\"glossary__definition\" role=\"dialog\" data-id=\"term_20_204\"><div tabindex=\"-1\"><p>Word part at the beginning of a medical term that changes the meaning of the word root.<\/p>\n<\/div><button><span aria-hidden=\"true\">&times;<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Close definition<\/span><\/button><\/div><\/template><template id=\"term_20_205\"><div class=\"glossary__definition\" role=\"dialog\" data-id=\"term_20_205\"><div tabindex=\"-1\"><p>The foundational meaning of a word<\/p>\n<\/div><button><span aria-hidden=\"true\">&times;<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Close definition<\/span><\/button><\/div><\/template><template id=\"term_20_206\"><div class=\"glossary__definition\" role=\"dialog\" data-id=\"term_20_206\"><div tabindex=\"-1\"><p>A word part added to the end of a word that changes the meaning of the word root<\/p>\n<\/div><button><span aria-hidden=\"true\">&times;<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Close definition<\/span><\/button><\/div><\/template><template id=\"term_20_207\"><div class=\"glossary__definition\" role=\"dialog\" data-id=\"term_20_207\"><div tabindex=\"-1\"><p>The combining form vowel is used to join word parts and to ease pronunciation. The most common combining form vowel is an \"o,\" but sometimes it is an \"i\" or an \"e\".<\/p>\n<\/div><button><span aria-hidden=\"true\">&times;<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Close definition<\/span><\/button><\/div><\/template><template id=\"term_20_208\"><div class=\"glossary__definition\" role=\"dialog\" data-id=\"term_20_208\"><div tabindex=\"-1\"><p>A word root with a combining form vowel<\/p>\n<\/div><button><span aria-hidden=\"true\">&times;<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Close definition<\/span><\/button><\/div><\/template><template id=\"term_20_203\"><div class=\"glossary__definition\" role=\"dialog\" data-id=\"term_20_203\"><div tabindex=\"-1\"><p>Follows the rules exactly<\/p>\n<\/div><button><span aria-hidden=\"true\">&times;<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Close definition<\/span><\/button><\/div><\/template><template id=\"term_20_202\"><div class=\"glossary__definition\" role=\"dialog\" data-id=\"term_20_202\"><div tabindex=\"-1\"><p>Word parts that do not fit within the language rules<\/p>\n<\/div><button><span aria-hidden=\"true\">&times;<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Close definition<\/span><\/button><\/div><\/template><template id=\"term_20_209\"><div class=\"glossary__definition\" role=\"dialog\" data-id=\"term_20_209\"><div tabindex=\"-1\"><p>additional words that makes the definition complete.<\/p>\n<\/div><button><span aria-hidden=\"true\">&times;<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Close definition<\/span><\/button><\/div><\/template><\/div>","protected":false},"author":32,"menu_order":1,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[47],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-20","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry","chapter-type-standard"],"part":19,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/acchpr1040\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/20","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/acchpr1040\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/acchpr1040\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/acchpr1040\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/32"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/acchpr1040\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/20\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1478,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/acchpr1040\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/20\/revisions\/1478"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/acchpr1040\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/19"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/acchpr1040\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/20\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/acchpr1040\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/acchpr1040\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=20"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/acchpr1040\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=20"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/acchpr1040\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=20"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}