Medical terms in plain English with pronunciations, word parts, abbreviations and a quiz.
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How to use the medical terminology
1Search for a term, or filter by body system.
2Press the speaker button to hear the word, and read the respelling to see where the stress falls.
3Open Word parts to learn the prefixes, roots and suffixes that build most medical words.
4Check Abbreviations for the shorthand used on charts and prescriptions.
5Take the quiz to test yourself.
Medical words are built from parts
Most medical terms combine a few Greek and Latin building blocks:
a prefix at the start, often describing position, number or amount (hyper- above, brady- slow)
a root naming the body part (cardi heart, hepat liver, nephr kidney)
a suffix at the end describing a condition or procedure (-itis inflammation, -ectomy removal)
Once you know the common parts, unfamiliar words become readable. Tachycardia is tachy (fast) + cardi (heart) + -ia (condition): a fast heart rate.
Reading the pronunciations
Pronunciations use simple respelling, with the stressed syllable in capitals: hepatitis is hep-uh-TY-tis. The speaker button uses your device's built-in voice, so the sound can vary between devices. Some terms have accepted regional variations.
Who this is for
Students in nursing, medicine and allied health, medical scribes and coders, and patients who want to understand a letter or report.
Definitions are short and simplified for learning. They are not medical advice. Talk to a healthcare professional about your own health.
Frequently asked questions
How can I learn medical terminology faster?
Learn the common prefixes, roots and suffixes first. They appear in hundreds of words, so each one you learn unlocks many terms.
Why does the spoken pronunciation sound different on my phone?
The speaker uses your device's own text-to-speech voice. The written respelling is the more reliable guide.
What does -itis mean?
Inflammation. Arthritis is inflammation of the joints, and tonsillitis is inflammation of the tonsils.
Is this a medical diagnosis tool?
No. It explains words for learning only and cannot tell you anything about your own health.