Medical English: Word Formation R–S — Roots, Prefixes & SuffixesUnderstanding medical word formation helps students, clinicians, and translators decode complex terms by recognizing common roots, prefixes, and suffixes. This article focuses on word elements beginning with the letters R and S, showing how they combine to form medical vocabulary, with meanings, examples, and practice exercises.
1. How medical words are built (brief overview)
Medical terms are often formed from Greek and Latin elements:
- Prefixes (beginning) modify meaning (location, number, time, negation).
- Roots (middle) provide the core meaning (organ, tissue, process).
- Suffixes (ending) indicate condition, procedure, specialty, or part of speech.
Knowing these elements lets you interpret unfamiliar terms by breaking them into parts.
2. Common roots beginning with R
- radic- / radix — root
- radicular: relating to a spinal nerve root
- rhin- / rhin(o)- — nose (note: begins with R sound but spelled rh-)
- rhinitis: inflammation of the nasal mucosa
- rhinoplasty: surgical repair of the nose
- retin- — retina (eye)
- retinopathy: disease of the retina
- ren- / reno- — kidney
- renal: relating to the kidney
- renography: imaging of the kidneys
- rhaph- / -rrhaphy — suture
- herniorrhaphy: surgical repair of a hernia (suture)
- rhabdo- — rod-shaped (often muscle)
- rhabdomyolysis: breakdown of striated (skeletal) muscle
- rhage / -rrhage — burst forth, profuse discharge (appears as suffix)
- hemorrhage: excessive bleeding
3. Common prefixes beginning with R
- re- — again, back
- relapse: to fall back into disease; reconstructive procedures (reconstruct)
- retro- — behind, backward
- retroperitoneal: located behind the peritoneum
- rhino- — nose (see rhin-)
- rare- / rar- — rarely used in English medical prefixes; more often part of Latin-derived roots
4. Common suffixes beginning with R
- -rrhexis — rupture
- arteriorrhexis (rare term): rupture of an artery
- -rrhagia / -rrhage — excessive flow/bleeding (appears with R)
- menorrhagia: heavy menstrual bleeding
- -rrhaphy — suture (see rhaph-)
- osteorrhaphy: suturing bone fragments
- -scope / -scopy (not R but often follows R-roots like colonoscopy from colon/o) — included here only when paired with R-roots
5. Common roots beginning with S
- scler- / sclero- — hard
- sclerosis: abnormal hardening of tissue (e.g., multiple sclerosis)
- sect- / -section — cut, surgical removal
- dissection: cutting apart for study; resection: removal of part of an organ
- ser- / sero- — serum, serous (fluid)
- serology: study of serum and immune responses
- sept- — wall, partition; also septum; or pathogens (sepsis-related)
- septum: partition; septicemia: blood infection
- sten- / steno- — narrow
- stenosis: abnormal narrowing of a passage (e.g., spinal stenosis)
- splen- — spleen
- splenectomy: removal of the spleen
- stom- / stomato- — mouth, opening
- stomatitis: inflammation of the mouth
- spondyl- / spondylo- — vertebra
- spondylitis: inflammation of vertebrae
- syn- / sym- / sy- — together, with
- synapse: junction between neurons; symphysis: joint together
6. Common prefixes beginning with S
- sub- — under, below
- subcutaneous: under the skin
- supra- / super- — above, over
- suprarenal: above the kidney (adrenal)
- syn- / sym- / sy- — together, union
- syndesmosis: joint held together by ligaments
- supr- — above (variant of supra-)
- semi- — half, partial
- semilunar: half-moon shaped
- sinistro- — left
- sinistrocardia: heart located on the left (rare; levocardia more common)
7. Common suffixes beginning with S
- -stomy — creating an opening (surgical)
- colostomy: surgical opening from colon to abdominal surface
- -stasis — stopping, controlling flow, standing still
- hemostasis: stopping bleeding
- -scope / -scopy — instrument for viewing / visual examination
- endoscope, laparoscopy
- -sarcoma — malignant tumor of connective tissue
- osteosarcoma: bone cancer
- -spasm — involuntary contraction
- bronchospasm: spasm of bronchial muscles
- -sclerosis — hardening (noun form)
- arteriosclerosis: hardening of arteries
- -stenosis — narrowing (noun form)
- pyloric stenosis
8. Combining forms and rules
- Combining vowel (usually o) links root + suffix or root + root: gastr/o/enteritis → gastroenteritis.
- If a suffix begins with a vowel, the combining vowel is often dropped: hepat/o + -itis → hepatitis (not hepatoitis).
- When adding prefixes, do not use a combining vowel between prefix and root: sub + cutaneous → subcutaneous.
9. Examples: R–S word formation breakdowns
- respiration: re- (again/back) + spir (breathe) + -ation (process) — process of breathing
- renin: ren- (kidney) + -in (protein/chemical) — kidney enzyme
- rhabdomyolysis: rhabdo- (striated muscle) + myo- (muscle) + -lysis (breakdown) — breakdown of skeletal muscle
- rhinoplasty: rhino- (nose) + -plasty (surgical repair) — surgical repair of the nose
- retinopathy: retin- (retina) + -pathy (disease) — disease of the retina
- splenectomy: splen- (spleen) + -ectomy (removal) — removal of the spleen
- stenosis: sten- (narrow) + -osis (condition) — abnormal narrowing
- synarthrosis: syn- (together) + arthr- (joint) + -osis (condition) — immovable joint
10. Practice exercises
- Break down and define: retroperitoneal, subcutaneous, rhinitis, spondylosis, serology.
- Form a word meaning “surgical removal of the spleen” from the root/suffix list.
- Choose the correct prefix: _____cardia meaning “fast heart”: tachy- or brady-? (Answer: tachy-)
- True/False: Combining vowel “o” is always required between root and suffix. (Answer: False — dropped when suffix starts with a vowel.)
11. Tips for memorization
- Group terms by root (e.g., all renal terms together).
- Use flashcards with root on one side and meaning/example on the other.
- Create mini-stories linking roots/prefixes/suffixes (mnemonics).
- Practice with authentic medical texts and mark unfamiliar components.
12. Quick reference table (selected R–S elements)
| Element | Type | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| ren- / reno- | root | kidney | renal, renography |
| rhin- / rhino- | root/prefix | nose | rhinitis, rhinoplasty |
| rhabdo- | root | striated muscle | rhabdomyolysis |
| retro- | prefix | behind, backward | retroperitoneal |
| scler- / sclero- | root | hard | sclerosis, atherosclerosis |
| sub- | prefix | under, below | subcutaneous |
| stom- / stomato- | root | mouth | stomatitis |
| -ectomy | suffix | removal | splenectomy |
| -stomy | suffix | opening | colostomy |
| -stasis | suffix | stopping/controlling | hemostasis |
| -scopy / -scope | suffix/instrument | visual exam | endoscopy, colonoscope |
| -sclerosis | suffix | hardening | multiple sclerosis |
13. Further reading and practice resources
- Medical terminology textbooks and online glossaries.
- Flashcard apps with spaced repetition (e.g., Anki).
- Clinical texts or case reports focusing on anatomy and pathology.
- Practice creating and decoding terms from real clinical scenarios.
If you want, I can convert the practice exercises into a printable worksheet with answers, or make flashcards for the most common R–S elements.
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