How Medical Terms Are Built
Medical terminology follows a consistent structure. Once you understand that structure, you can decode words you've never seen before. Most medical terms are built from three components:
- Word root: The core meaning (e.g., cardi = heart)
- Prefix: Placed before the root; modifies meaning (e.g., tachy- = fast)
- Suffix: Placed after the root; often indicates condition or procedure (e.g., -itis = inflammation)
A combining vowel — usually "o" — connects root to suffix when needed (e.g., cardi/o/logy). Not every term has all three parts. Some have just a root and suffix; others have a prefix, root, and suffix. The key skill is being able to pull the parts apart.
Example: Tachycardia = tachy- (fast) + cardi (heart) + -ia (condition) = a condition of a fast heart rate.
On the Exam: Medical terminology questions show up across every section of the NHA CCMA — not just one domain. You'll see terms in clinical scenarios, pharmacology questions, administrative tasks, and patient communication questions. A strong terminology foundation helps you answer questions correctly even when the topic is unfamiliar.
Common Prefixes
| Prefix | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a-, an- | without, absence of | anemia (without enough blood cells) |
| brady- | slow | bradycardia (slow heart rate) |
| tachy- | fast, rapid | tachycardia (fast heart rate) |
| hyper- | excessive, above normal | hypertension (high blood pressure) |
| hypo- | deficient, below normal | hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) |
| dys- | difficult, painful, abnormal | dyspnea (difficulty breathing) |
| poly- | many, much | polyuria (excessive urination) |
| peri- | around, surrounding | pericardium (sac around the heart) |
| endo- | within, inside | endoscopy (viewing inside the body) |
| epi- | upon, above | epidermis (outer layer of skin) |
| inter- | between | intercostal (between the ribs) |
| intra- | within | intramuscular (within the muscle) |
| sub- | under, below | subcutaneous (under the skin) |
| supra- | above | suprarenal (above the kidney) |
| bi- | two | bilateral (both sides) |
| hemi- | half | hemiplegia (paralysis of one side) |
| macro- | large | macrocyte (abnormally large cell) |
| micro- | small | microbiology (study of small organisms) |
| pre- | before | prenatal (before birth) |
| post- | after, behind | postoperative (after surgery) |