Common Suffixes
ac

pertaining to

gram

record; x-ray film

phagia

eating; swallowing

al

pertaining to

graph

instrument used to record

philia

love

ar

pertaining to

graphy

process of recording; x-ray filming

phily

love

ary

pertaining to

ia

condition of diseased or abnormal state

phobia

abnormal fear of, or aversion to specific objects or things

eal

pertaining to

iatry

physician; treatment

phonia

sound or voice

ial

pertaining to

ician

one who

phoria

feeling

ic

pertaining to

ictal

seizure; attack

physis

growth

ous

pertaining to

ism

state of

plasia

formation; development; a growth

agra

excessive pain

itis

inflammation

plasm

growth; substance; formation

algia

pain

lepsy

seizure

plasty

plastic or surgical repair

apheresis

removal

lysis

loosening; dissolution; separating

plegia

paralysis

ase

enzyme

lytic

destroy; reduce

pnea

breathing

asthenia

removal

malacia

softening

poiesis

formation

atresia

absence of a normal body opening; occlusion; closure

mania

madness; insane desire

porosis

passage

capnia

carbon dioxide

megaly

enlargement

prandial

meal

cele

hernia; protusion

meter

instrument used to measure

praxia

in front of; before

centesis

surgical puncture to aspirate fluid

metry

measurement

ptosis

dropping; sagging; prolapse

cidal

killing

morph

form; shape

ptysis

spitting

clasia

break

odia

smell

salpinx

fallopian tube

clast

break

odynia

pain

sarcoma

malignant tumor

clysis

irrigating; washing

oid

resembling

schisis

split; fissure

coccus (pl. cocci)

berryshaped (a form of bacterium)

ologist

one who studies and practices (specialist)

sclerosis

hardening

crine

separate; secrete

ology

study of

scope

instrument used for visual examination

crit

to separate

oma

tumor; swelling

scopy

visual examination

cyte

cell

opia

vision (condition)

scopic

visual examination

desis

surgical fixation; fusion

opsy

to view

sepsis

infection

drome

run; running

oorhagia

rapid flow of blood

sis

state of

ectasis

stretching out; dilatation; expansion

orrhaphy

suturing; repairing

spasm

sudden, involuntary muscle contraction

ectomy

excision or surgical removal

orrhea

flow; excessive discharge

stasis

control; stop

ectopia

displacement

orrhexis

rupture

stalsis

contraction

emesis

vomiting

osis

abnormal condition (means increased when used with blood cell word roots)

stenosis

constriction; narrowing

emia

blood condition

ostomy

creation of an artificial opening

thorax

chest

er

one who

otomy

cut into or incision

tocia

birth; labor

esis

condition

oxia

oxygen

tome

instrument used to cut

iasis

condition

paresis

slight paralysis

tripsy

surgical crushing

gen

substance or agent that produces or causes

pathy

disease

trophy

nourishment

genesis

origin; cause

penia

abnormal reduction in number

ule

little

genic

producing; originating; causing

pepsia

digestion

uria

urine; urination

 
pexy

surgical fixation; suspension