Differentiation between spelling & pronunciation of medical terms Medical Terminology

objectives Correct spelling of medical terms is crucial for communication among health care professionals. Careless spelling causes misunderstandings that can have serious consequences.

Pronunciation ch sounds like k. ps sounds like s. pn sounds like n. Chyme, Cholecystectomy, Chronic ps sounds like s. Psychiatric, Psychology, Psoriasis pn sounds like n. Pneumonia, Pneumatic c sounds like a soft s when it comes before e, i, and y. Cycle, Cytoplasm, Centrifuge

Pronunciation g sounds like j when it comes before e, i, and y. Giant, Gestation, Generic, Gyration i sounds like “eye” when added to the end of a word to form a plural. Glomeruli, Villi, Alveoli, Bacilli

RULES OF PRONUNCIATION

FIVE BASIC RULES FOR FORMING AND SPELLING MEDICAL TERMS If the root ends in a consonant (any letter except a, e, i, o, u) and the suffix begins with a consonant, insert a combining vowel (usually an “o”) between the component parts hepat/o -megaly is spelled hepatomegaly and is defined as………. enlargement of liver

2. A combining vowel is not used before a suffix that begins with vowel: vas/o -ectomy is spelled vasectomy and is defined as……. 3. If the root ends in a vowel and the suffix begins with the same vowel, drop the final vowel from the root and do not use a combining vowel: cardi/o -itis is spelled carditis and is defined as……..

4. Most often, a combining vowel is inserted between two roots even when the second root begins with a vowel: cardi/o esophag/o -eal is spelled cardioesophageal and is defined as……….. 5. Occasionally, when a prefix ends in a vowel, and the root begins with a vowel, the final vowel is dropped from the prefix: para- enter/o -al is spelled parenteral and is defined as…….. excision (removal) of a vessel inflammation of the heart pertaining to the heart and esophagus pertaining to alongside of the small intestine Note: All these rules have exceptions.

EXERCISE 2 1. angi/o -ectasis is spelled………..and means………… angiectasis expansion or dilation of a vessel 2. hemat/o -logy is spelled…………… and means……….. hematology study of blood 3. gastr/o enter/o -stomy is spelled…….and means……… gastroenterostomy creation of an opening (between) stomach and small intestine

5. oligo- ur/o -ia is spelled…… and means……. oliguria condition of deficient urine 6. oste/o -ectomy is spelled………. and means……... ostectomy excision (removal) of bone

Pitfalls in SPELLING MEDICAL TERMS In medicine, spelling is critical!!! One wrong letter could mean an entirely different place on the body or test to be performed Some words sound the same but are spelled differently and have different meanings. For example, ileum (part of the intestine) and ilium (part of the hip bone) sitology (study of food) cytology (study of cells)

2. Other words sound similar but are spelled differently and have different meanings. For example, abduction (to draw away from) adduction (to draw toward) hepatoma (liver tumor) hematoma (blood tumor) aphagia (inability to swallow) aphasia (inability to speak)

3. Some words have more than one accepted spelling. For example, orthopedic = orthopaedic Leukocyte = leucocyte

4- Some combining forms have the same meaning but different origins that compete for usage. For example, three combining forms mean uterus: hyster/o (Greek) metr/o (Greek) uter/o (Latin)

EXERCISE 2 Circle the correct spelling: a. nephroraphy b. nephrorrapy c. nephrorrhaphy d. nephrorrhapy

Circle the correct spelling: a. abdominoscopy b. abdemenoscopi c. abdomenscopy d. abdominoschope

Circle the correct spelling: a. perrycardium b. pericardium c. periocardium d. paracardium

Abbreviations Can save time May cause confusion Acronym = abbreviation formed from first letter of each word in a phrase ASAP = as soon as possible

EXERCISE 3 the longest word in the English language Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis Draw lines to separate the component parts, then define the words pneumono/ultra/micro/scopic/silico/volcano/coni/sis

ultra = excessive micro = small scopic = pertaining to an instrument used to examine silico = silica volcano = volcano pneumo = air or lung coni = dust osis = condition of

The term refers to a condition of excessively small volcanic and silica dust in the lung. It is said to be a specific type of pneumoconiosis (a condition of dust in the lungs) such as described at the time of the eruption of Mt. St. Helen’s in May 1980 in Washington State.

Singular & Plural Endings Word ends with “a” Vertebra --------- a to ae ---------------------- just add e Word ends with “x” Appendix -------- ix to appendices Apex -------------- ex to apices KEY = ix/ ex -to- ices Phalanx ----------- nx to ges nx -to- ges Word ends with “is” diagnosis --------- diagnoses ------------------------is to es testis --------------- testes metastasis ----------metastases Word ends with “on” or “um” ----------------- just change to “a” Ganglion --------- ganglia Ovum-------------- ova Atrium ------------atria Word ends with “us” ----------------------------- just change to “i” Alveolus ----------alveoli Nucleus -----------nuclei

Singular & Plural Endings (note: these are listed in alphabetical order) Words ending in Singular Plural -a vertebra vertebrae -ax thorax thoraces - ex or -ix appendix appendices apex apices -is metastasis metastases diagnosis diagnoses testis testes -ma sarcoma sarcomata -nx phalanx phalanges -on ganglion ganglia -us nucleus nuclei -um ovum ova -y biopsy biopsies

Question Losing a large amount of blood in a short time is a: hemorage A vertebra is a bone in the spine. What is the plural of vertebra? vertebras vertebri vertebrae Losing a large amount of blood in a short time is a: hemorage hemorrhage hemorhage

Question The ilium is part of the hip bone, and the ileum is part of the small intestine. True or False?