1. Differentiation between spelling & pronunciation of medical terms
Medical Terminology

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

3. 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

4. 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

6. RULES OF PRONUNCIATION

7. 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

8. 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……..

9. 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.

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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)

13. 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)

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

15. 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)

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

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

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

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

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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.

23. 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

24. 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

25. 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

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