Day 18

ATI TEAS Version 7 English and Language Usage section. These word parts will help you determine the meaning of unfamiliar medical and general vocabulary on the test.

1. Key Prefixes (Begininnings of Words)

Prefixes change the meaning of the root word by adding negation, direction, time, or amount.

Negative or Opposite Prefixes

Prefix	Meaning	Example	Definition
un-	not, opposite of	unstable	not stable
in- (il-, im-, ir-)	not	incomplete, illegal, immature, irregular	not complete, not legal, not mature, not regular
non-	not	nonverbal	not using words
dis-	not, apart, away	discontinue, disrespect	stop, lack of respect
anti-	against	antibacterial	against bacteria

Time or Order Prefixes

Prefix	Meaning	Example	Definition
pre-	before	preoperative	before surgery
post-	after	postpartum	after childbirth
ante-	before (time/place)	antepartum	before birth
peri-	around, surrounding	perinatal	around time of birth
sub-	under, below	subcutaneous	under the skin
super- (supra-)	above, beyond	superior, supraspinous	above, beyond
inter-	between	intercostal	between ribs
intra-	within	intravenous	within a vein
trans-	across, through	transdermal	across the skin

Number or Amount Prefixes

Prefix	Meaning	Example	Definition
uni-	one	unilateral	one side
bi-	two	bilateral	two sides
tri-	three	triangular	three angles
quad- (tetra-)	four	quadriplegia	paralysis of four limbs
multi- (poly-)	many	multivitamin, polyuria	many vitamins, excessive urination
hemi- (semi-)	half	hemisphere, semicircular	half sphere, half circle
hyper-	excessive, above	hypertension	high blood pressure
hypo-	deficient, below	hypoglycemia	low blood sugar

2. Key Suffixes (Endings of Words)

Suffixes often change a word into a noun, adjective, or verb, or indicate a condition or procedure.

Suffixes That Form Nouns (Person, Thing, Quality)

Suffix	Meaning	Example	Definition
-ness	state/quality of	happiness	state of being happy
-tion (-sion)	act/state of	inflammation	state of being inflamed
-ity (-ty)	quality/condition	humidity, safety	condition of being humid, safe
-ment	result/action of	treatment	action of treating
-er (-or)	one who does	doctor, teacher	one who teaches
-logy	study of	cardiology	study of the heart
-ism	condition/belief	hypothyroidism	condition of low thyroid

Suffixes That Form Adjectives (Describe nouns)

Suffix	Meaning	Example	Definition
-able (-ible)	capable of, worthy of	absorbable, flexible	capable of being absorbed, bent
-less	without	painless	without pain
-ful	full of	careful	full of care
-ous (-eous, -ious)	full of, having	nervous, infectious	having nerves, causing infection
-ic	pertaining to	gastric	pertaining to stomach
-al (-ial, -eal)	pertaining to	intestinal, cardiac	pertaining to intestines, heart
-ary	related to	pulmonary	related to lungs
-ive	tending to	digestive	tending to digest

Suffixes That Indicate Medical Conditions or Procedures

Suffix	Meaning	Example	Definition
-itis	inflammation	arthritis	joint inflammation
-ectomy	surgical removal	appendectomy	removal of appendix
-ostomy	create an opening	colostomy	opening in colon
-otomy	incision into	tracheotomy	incision into trachea
-scopy	visual exam	endoscopy	looking inside
-gram	record/picture	electrocardiogram	heart electrical record
-graphy	process of recording	radiography	x-ray recording
-pathy	disease	neuropathy	nerve disease
-megaly	enlargement	cardiomegaly	enlarged heart
-sclerosis	hardening	atherosclerosis	hardening of arteries
-malacia	softening	osteomalacia	bone softening
-plasia	formation/growth	hyperplasia	excessive growth
-lysis	breakdown/destruction	hemolysis	blood cell breakdown
-rrhea	flow/discharge	diarrhea	excessive bowel flow

3. How to Use Word Parts on the TEAS

Step-by-Step Strategy:

Identify the root (core meaning)

Look at prefix (modifies meaning at beginning)

Look at suffix (grammatical role or condition)

Combine meanings logically

Example 1: uncomfortable

un- = not

comfort = root (ease/relief)

-able = capable of

Meaning: not capable of providing ease

Example 2: subcutaneous

sub- = under

cutane = skin (root)

-ous = pertaining to

Meaning: pertaining to under the skin

Example 3: hypertension

hyper- = excessive

tens = pressure (root)

-ion = act/state of

Meaning: state of excessive pressure

4. Practice TEAS-Style Questions

Question 1:

Using word parts, what does preoperative mean?

A) After surgery
B) Before surgery
C) Without surgery
D) Within surgery

Answer: B (pre- = before, oper = surgery, -ive = tending to → before surgery)

Question 2:

If a patient has bradycardia, what do they have?
(brady- = slow, cardi = heart, -a = condition)

A) Fast heart
B) Irregular heart
C) Slow heart
D) Inflamed heart

Answer: C (slow heart condition)

Question 3:

The word painless contains a suffix meaning:

A) Full of
B) Without
C) Capable of
D) State of

Answer: B (-less = without)

5. Quick Memorization Tips for TEAS

Flashcards – Make 20 cards for most common prefixes/suffixes (un-, re-, pre-, post-, sub-, hyper-, hypo-, -itis, -ectomy, -able, -ness, -less)

Chunk by category – Negative prefixes (un-, in-, dis-), Medical suffixes (-itis, -ectomy, -pathy), Adjective suffixes (-able, -ive, -al)

50 TEAS Version 7–style Practice Questions Focusing on Prefixes and Suffixes

Prefixes (Negation, Time, Amount, Direction)

1. The word rehydrate contains the prefix re-. What does re- mean?
A) Not
B) Again
C) Before
D) Under

Answer: B – Re- means again (to hydrate again).

2. A patient is described as afebrile. The prefix a- means:
A) Without
B) Excessive
C) Within
D) Against

Answer: A – A- means without (without fever).

3. The medication is applied sublingually. The prefix sub- means:
A) Above
B) Through
C) Under
D) Between

Answer: C – Sub- means under (under the tongue).

4. The surgeon performs a preoperative assessment. The prefix pre- means:
A) After
B) During
C) Before
D) Around

Answer: C – Pre- means before (before surgery).

5. A postpartum patient is one who is:
A) Before birth
B) After birth
C) During labor
D) Without pregnancy

Answer: B – Post- means after (after childbirth).

6. The test measures intracellular fluid. The prefix intra- means:
A) Between
B) Outside
C) Around
D) Within

Answer: D – Intra- means within (within the cell).

7. The condition affects intercostal muscles. The prefix inter- means:
A) Within
B) Between
C) Under
D) Above

Answer: B – Inter- means between (between ribs).

8. A bilateral infection is found on:
A) One side
B) Both sides
C) The front
D) The back

Answer: B – Bi- means two (both sides).

9. A unilateral rash appears on:
A) One side
B) Both sides
C) The trunk only
D) The face only

Answer: A – Uni- means one (one side).

10. Hypertension involves the prefix hyper-, which means:
A) Low
B) Slow
C) Excessive
D) Deficient

Answer: C – Hyper- means excessive or above (high blood pressure).

11. Hypoglycemia involves the prefix hypo-, which means:
A) High
B) Low
C) Rapid
D) Painful

Answer: B – Hypo- means low or deficient (low blood sugar).

12. The drug is given transdermally. The prefix trans- means:
A) Under
B) Above
C) Across
D) Within

Answer: C – Trans- means across (through/across the skin).

13. A perinatal complication occurs:
A) After birth only
B) Before birth only
C) Around the time of birth
D) Between pregnancies

Answer: C – Peri- means around (around birth).

14. The lab reports multifocal infection. The prefix multi- means:
A) One
B) Two
C) Many
D) Between

Answer: C – Multi- means many (many locations).

15. Semilunar valves are shaped like:
A) Full circles
B) Half moons
C) Triangles
D) Tubes

Answer: B – Semi- means half (half-moon shaped).

16. The patient has quadriplegia. The prefix quad- means:
A) Two
B) Three
C) Four
D) Many

Answer: C – Quad- means four (paralysis of four limbs).

17. Antepartum care is provided:
A) Before birth
B) After birth
C) During labor
D) Instead of birth

Answer: A – Ante- means before (before birth).

18. The word irregular contains the prefix ir-, which is a variant of in-. What does in- (il-, im-, ir-) mean?
A) Again
B) Not
C) Across
D) Under

Answer: B – In- (il-, im-, ir-) means not (not regular).

19. A supraclavicular mass is located:
A) Below the collarbone
B) Above the collarbone
C) Within the collarbone
D) Between collarbones

Answer: B – Supra- means above (above clavicle).

20. The patient has tachycardia. The prefix tachy- means:
A) Slow
B) Fast
C) Irregular
D) Painful

Answer: B – Tachy- means fast (fast heart rate).

21. Bradycardia means:
A) Fast heart
B) Slow heart
C) Irregular heart
D) Enlarged heart

Answer: B – Brady- means slow.

22. The infection is nosocomial, meaning acquired:
A) At home
B) In the hospital
C) Before birth
D) After surgery

Answer: B – Noso- refers to disease/hospital.

23. The word dysfunction contains dys-, which means:
A) Good
B) Normal
C) Bad/abnormal
D) Fast

Answer: C – Dys- means bad, difficult, or abnormal.

24. Eupnea is normal breathing. The prefix eu- means:
A) Bad
B) Good/normal
C) Without
D) Excessive

Answer: B – Eu- means good or normal.

25. The contraindication means:
A) For the procedure
B) Against the procedure
C) Before the procedure
D) After the procedure

Answer: B – Contra- means against.

Suffixes (Adjective, Noun, Condition, Procedure)

26. The word painless contains the suffix -less. What does -less mean?
A) Full of
B) Without
C) Capable of
D) State of

Answer: B – -less means without.

27. Washable fabric means it is:
A) Without washing
B) Full of washing
C) Capable of being washed
D) Before washing

Answer: C – -able means capable of.

28. Happiness contains the suffix -ness, which means:
A) One who does
B) State/quality of
C) Pertaining to
D) Without

Answer: B – -ness means state or quality of.

29. The suffix -logy means:
A) Fear of
B) Study of
C) Pain in
D) Removal of

Answer: B – -logy means study of (e.g., biology).

30. The suffix -itis means:
A) Enlargement
B) Inflammation
C) Softening
D) Hardening

Answer: B – -itis means inflammation (e.g., arthritis).

31. An appendectomy is:
A) Inflammation of appendix
B) Surgical removal of appendix
C) Incision into appendix
D) Study of appendix

Answer: B – -ectomy means surgical removal.

32. A tracheotomy involves:
A) Removal of trachea
B) Opening/incision into trachea
C) Inflammation of trachea
D) Softening of trachea

Answer: B – -otomy means incision into.

33. The suffix -ostomy means:
A) Removal
B) Incision
C) Creation of an opening
D) Visual exam

Answer: C – -ostomy means creating an opening (e.g., colostomy).

34. An endoscopy is a:
A) Surgical removal
B) Visual exam of the inside
C) Recording of electrical activity
D) Incision into an organ

Answer: B – -scopy means visual examination.

35. An electrocardiogram is a:
A) Visual exam of the heart
B) Recording/tracing of heart’s electrical activity
C) Surgical removal of heart tissue
D) Inflammation of heart muscle

Answer: B – -gram means a record or picture.

36. Cardiomegaly means:
A) Small heart
B) Enlarged heart
C) Inflamed heart
D) Soft heart

Answer: B – -megaly means enlargement.

37. Atherosclerosis involves:
A) Softening of arteries
B) Hardening of arteries
C) Inflammation of arteries
D) Enlargement of arteries

Answer: B – -sclerosis means hardening.

38. Osteomalacia means:
A) Bone hardening
B) Bone softening
C) Bone inflammation
D) Bone tumor

Answer: B – -malacia means softening.

39. Hyperplasia means:
A) Excessive formation/growth
B) Decreased formation
C) Abnormal softening
D) Rupture

Answer: A – -plasia means formation/growth.

40. Hemolysis means:
A) Formation of blood cells
B) Destruction of blood cells
C) Enlargement of blood cells
D) Hardening of blood cells

Answer: B – -lysis means breakdown/destruction.

41. Diarrhea contains the suffix -rrhea, which means:
A) Flow/discharge
B) Stopping flow
C) Pain
D) Rupture

Answer: A – -rrhea means flow or discharge.

42. The suffix -pathy means:
A) Removal
B) Disease
C) Softening
D) Hardening

Answer: B – -pathy means disease (e.g., neuropathy).

43. A gastric ulcer pertains to:
A) Liver
B) Kidney
C) Stomach
D) Intestine

Answer: C – -ic means pertaining to (gastr = stomach).

44. Cardiac refers to the:
A) Lungs
B) Heart
C) Brain
D) Kidneys

Answer: B – -ac means pertaining to (cardi = heart).

45. Nervous tissue has the suffix -ous, which means:
A) Without
B) Full of/having
C) Capable of
D) State of

Answer: B – -ous means full of or having.

46. The suffix -ive in digestive means:
A) Without
B) Full of
C) Tending to
D) State of

Answer: C – -ive means tending to.

47. Pulmonary disease affects the:
A) Heart
B) Lungs
C) Kidneys
D) Liver

Answer: B – -ary means related to (pulmon = lung).

48. The suffix -tion in inflammation means:
A) Without
B) Capable of
C) Act/state of
D) One who

Answer: C – -tion means act or state of.

49. A teacher is one who teaches. The suffix -er means:
A) State of
B) Without
C) One who does
D) Pertaining to

Answer: C – -er (or -or) means one who does.

50. The suffix -ment in treatment means:
A) Without
B) Full of
C) Result/action of
D) Capable of

Answer: C – -ment means result or action of.

Prefixes and Suffixes Used to Form Adjectives

Organized by function, with examples. This is highly relevant for the ATI TEAS Version 7, as adjectives describe patients, conditions, anatomy, and treatment outcomes.

How Prefixes & Suffixes Work in Adjectives

Prefix + root word → modifies meaning (e.g., pain → painless is not correct; actually pain + -less is suffix; better: un + painful)

Root word + adjective suffix → turns noun/verb into adjective

Prefix + root + adjective suffix → fully formed adjective

Part 1: Adjective-Forming Suffixes

These suffixes are added to nouns or verbs to create adjectives.

Suffix	Meaning	Root Word	Adjective	Definition
-able / -ible	capable of, worthy of	flex, absorb, comfort	flexible, absorbable, comfortable	capable of bending, capable of being absorbed, capable of giving comfort
-al / -ial / -eal	pertaining to	abdomen, bronchus, esophagus	abdominal, bronchial, esophageal	pertaining to abdomen, bronchi, esophagus
-ary	related to	lung, saliva	pulmonary, salivary	related to lungs, related to saliva
-ic	pertaining to	pelvis, stomach, heart	pelvic, gastric, cardiac	pertaining to pelvis, stomach, heart
-ive	tending to	digest, secrete, excrete	digestive, secretory, excretory	tends to digest, tends to secrete, tends to excrete
-ous / -eous / -ious	full of, having	nerve, infection, mucus	nervous, infectious, mucous	full of nerves, causing infection, having mucus
-ful	full of	pain, care, help	painful, careful, helpful	full of pain, full of care, full of help
-less	without	pain, pulse, symptom	painless, pulseless, symptomless	without pain, without pulse, without symptoms
-y	characterized by	water, blood, pus	watery, bloody, purulent (note -ulent)	characterized by water, characterized by blood
-ac	pertaining to	heart, mania	cardiac, manic	pertaining to heart, pertaining to mania
-ar	pertaining to	muscle, vertebra	muscular, vertebral	pertaining to muscle, vertebra
-ary	pertaining to	lung, urine	pulmonary, urinary	related to lungs, related to urine
-tic	pertaining to	system, lymph	systemic, lymphatic	pertaining to system, lymph
-oid	resembling	human, spheroid	humanoid, spheroid	resembling a human, resembling a sphere

Part 2: Prefixes That Create Adjectives (with Negative or Limiting Meanings)

These prefixes attach to adjectives or roots to form new adjectives with opposite or modified meaning.

Prefix	Meaning	Base Adjective	New Adjective	Definition
un-	not	stable, conscious, able	unstable, unconscious, unable	not stable, not conscious, not able
in- (il-, im-, ir-)	not	complete, legal, mature, regular	incomplete, illegal, immature, irregular	not complete, not legal, not mature, not regular
non-	not	invasive, verbal	noninvasive, nonverbal	not invasive, not verbal
dis-	not / opposite of	satisfied, similar	dissatisfied, dissimilar	not satisfied, not similar
a- (an- before vowel)	without	typical, rhythmic	atypical, arrhythmic	without typical features, without rhythm
anti-	against	bacterial, inflammatory	antibacterial, anti-inflammatory	against bacteria, against inflammation
pre-	before	operative, natal	preoperative, prenatal	before surgery, before birth
post-	after	operative, natal	postoperative, postnatal	after surgery, after birth
intra-	within	venous, muscular	intravenous, intramuscular	within a vein, within muscle
inter-	between	costal, vertebral	intercostal, intervertebral	between ribs, between vertebrae
sub-	under	cutaneous, lingual	subcutaneous, sublingual	under the skin, under the tongue
super- (supra-)	above	ciliary, spinal	superciliary, supraspinal	above eyelid, above spine
trans-	across	dermal, umbilical	transdermal, transumbilical	across the skin, across the navel
hyper-	excessive	active, trophic	hyperactive, hypertrophic	excessively active, excessive growth
hypo-	deficient	active, tonic	hypoactive, hypotonic	deficient activity, low tone
brady-	slow	cardiac, phrenic	bradycardic, bradyphrenic	slow heart, slow thinking
tachy-	fast	cardiac, phrenic	tachycardic, tachypneic	fast heart, fast breathing
dys-	bad / abnormal	functional, plastic	dysfunctional, dysplastic	abnormal function, abnormal growth
eu-	good / normal	phoric, pneic	euphoric, eupneic	good mood, normal breathing

Part 3: Combined Examples (Prefix + Root + Adjective Suffix)

These show how TEAS questions often combine word parts.

Full Adjective	Prefix	Root	Suffix	Meaning
uncomfortable	un- (not)	comfort	-able (capable of)	not capable of providing comfort
asymptomatic	a- (without)	symptom	-atic (pertaining to)	without symptoms
intercostal	inter- (between)	cost (rib)	-al (pertaining to)	pertaining to between ribs
subcutaneous	sub- (under)	cutane (skin)	-ous (full of)	under the skin
hyperthermic	hyper- (excessive)	therm (heat)	-ic (pertaining to)	pertaining to excessive heat
hypotensive	hypo- (low)	tens (pressure)	-ive (tending to)	tending to low blood pressure
postoperative	post- (after)	oper (surgery)	-ive (tending to)	tending to occur after surgery
prenatal	pre- (before)	nat (birth)	-al (pertaining to)	pertaining to before birth
intravenous	intra- (within)	ven (vein)	-ous (full of)	within a vein
transdermal	trans- (across)	derm (skin)	-al (pertaining to)	pertaining to across the skin
irreversible	ir- (not)	revers	-ible (capable of)	not capable of being reversed
noninfectious	non- (not)	infect	-ious (full of)	not causing infection

Part 4: TEAS-Style Practice for Adjective Word Parts

1. The word painless contains the suffix -less. What does it mean when describing a procedure?

A) Full of pain
B) Without pain
C) Capable of pain
D) Pertaining to pain

Answer: B – -less means without.

2. A flexible joint is:

A) Without flexibility
B) Capable of bending
C) Full of stiffness
D) Pertaining to fracture

Answer: B – -ible means capable of.

3. The term gastric (gastr- + -ic) means:

A) Pertaining to the liver
B) Pertaining to the stomach
C) Pertaining to the kidney
D) Pertaining to the heart

Answer: B – -ic means pertaining to; gastr = stomach.

4. If a patient is asymptomatic, they are:

A) Having many symptoms
B) Without symptoms
C) Before symptoms
D) After symptoms

Answer: B – a- means without; -atic means pertaining to.

5. An intercostal muscle injection is given:

A) Within the ribs
B) Between the ribs
C) Above the ribs
D) Below the ribs

Answer: B – inter- = between; cost = rib; -al = pertaining to.

6. Sublingual medication is placed:

A) Above the tongue
B) Under the tongue
C) Within the tongue
D) Across the tongue

Answer: B – sub- = under; lingu = tongue; -al = pertaining to.

7. The word hyperactive means:

A) Low activity
B) Excessive activity
C) Without activity
D) Between activities

Answer: B – hyper- = excessive; -ive = tending to.

8. Hypoactive bowel sounds mean:

A) Excessive bowel activity
B) Deficient bowel activity
C) Normal bowel activity
D) Painful bowel activity

Answer: B – hypo- = low/deficient; -ive = tending to.

9. A noninvasive procedure is:

A) Without entering the body
B) Full of invasion
C) Pertaining to invasion
D) Capable of invading

Answer: A – non- = not; -ive = tending to; root invade.

10. Dysfunctional tissue means:

A) Normal function
B) Abnormal function
C) Without function
D) Excessive function

Answer: B – dys- = bad/abnormal; -al = pertaining to.

Quick Memory Chart for TEAS

Adjective Suffixes

Adjective Suffix	Meaning	Example	Translation
-able / -ible	capable of	absorbable	can be absorbed
-al, -ic, -ous	pertaining to	cardiac	pertains to heart
-ful	full of	painful	full of pain
-less	without	pulseless	without pulse
-ive	tending to	digestive	tends to digest
-y	characterized by	bloody	contains blood

Adjective Prefixes

Adjective Prefix	Meaning	Example	Translation
un-, in-, non-	not	unstable	not stable
hyper-	excessive	hypertensive	high pressure
hypo-	deficient	hypotensive	low pressure
pre-	before	preoperative	before surgery
post-	after	postoperative	after surgery
sub-	under	subcutaneous	under skin
inter-	between	interstitial	between spaces
intra-	within	intracellular	within cell

This is essential for the ATI TEAS Version 7, as nouns name diseases, procedures, conditions, people, and abstract concepts in healthcare.

Key Difference: Prefixes vs. Suffixes for Nouns

Noun suffixes are much more common than noun prefixes. Most noun prefixes are the same as adjective/verb prefixes (e.g., re-, pre-, post-) but attached to noun roots.

Noun suffixes change verbs or adjectives into nouns (e.g., treat → treatment).

Part 1: Noun-Forming Suffixes (Most Important for TEAS)

These suffixes turn root words into nouns that name a person, thing, quality, condition, or procedure.

Suffixes That Mean “State, Quality, or Condition of”

Suffix	Meaning	Root Word	Noun	Definition
-ness	state/quality of	happy, aware, dark	happiness, awareness, darkness	state of being happy, aware, dark
-ity / -ty	quality/condition	active, safe, humid	activity, safety, humidity	quality of being active, safe, humid
-tion / -sion / -ion	act/state of	inflame, decide, infect	inflammation, decision, infection	state of inflamed, act of deciding, state of infected
-ment	result/action of	treat, govern, measure	treatment, government, measurement	result of treating, action of governing
-ence / -ance	state/quality of	differ, resist, appear	difference, resistance, appearance	state of differing, quality of resisting
-hood	state/condition of	child, adult, mother	childhood, adulthood, motherhood	state of being a child, adult, mother
-ship	state/condition of	friend, partner, relation	friendship, partnership, relation	state of being friends, partners
-cy	state/quality of	accurate, private, normal	accuracy, privacy, normalcy	quality of being accurate, private, normal
-th	state/quality of	strong, wide, deep	strength, width, depth	state of being strong, wide, deep

Suffixes That Mean “One Who Does” (Agent Nouns)

Suffix	Meaning	Root Word	Noun	Definition
-er / -or	one who does	teach, doctor, act	teacher, doctor, actor	one who teaches, one who practices medicine, one who acts
-ist	one who practices	biology, pharmacy, dentistry	biologist, pharmacist, dentist	one who studies life, one who dispenses meds, one who treats teeth
-ian	specialist in	cardiology, pediatrics, music	cardiologist, pediatrician, musician	heart specialist, child specialist
-ant / -ent	one who does	assist, study, depend	assistant, student, dependent	one who assists, one who studies, one who depends
-ee	one who receives action	employ, treat, examine	employee, trainee, examinee	one who is employed, trained, examined

Suffixes That Mean “Study, Practice, or Collection”

Suffix	Meaning	Root Word	Noun	Definition
-logy	study of	cardio (heart), bio (life)	cardiology, biology	study of heart, study of life
-ics	practice/knowledge of	pediatr (child), geriatr (old age)	pediatrics, geriatrics	medical care of children, elderly
-graphy	process of recording	radi (x-ray), electrocardi (heart electrical)	radiography, electrocardiography	process of recording x-rays, heart electrical activity
-metry	measurement of	therm (heat), audi (hearing)	thermometry, audiometry	measurement of heat, hearing
-scopy	visual examination of	end (inside), colon	endoscopy, colonoscopy	visual exam of inside, colon

Suffixes That Mean “Result of an Action or Thing”

Suffix	Meaning	Root Word	Noun	Definition
-age	result/collection of	pack, post, mile	package, postage, mileage	result of packing, collection of post, total miles
-al	result of action	refuse, approve, deny	refusal, approval, denial	result of refusing, approving, denying
-ure	result of action	close, fail, press	closure, failure, pressure	result of closing, failing, pressing
-ing	result/material of	build, paint, clot	building, painting, clotting	result of building, painting, clotting

Medical Condition & Procedure Nouns (High-Yield for TEAS)

Suffix	Meaning	Root Word	Noun	Definition
-itis	inflammation	arthr (joint), append (appendix)	arthritis, appendicitis	joint inflammation, appendix inflammation
-osis	abnormal condition	psych (mind), necro (death)	psychosis, necrosis	abnormal mind condition, tissue death
-oma	tumor/mass	carcin (cancer), lip (fat)	carcinoma, lipoma	cancerous tumor, fatty tumor
-pathy	disease	neuro (nerve), cardi (heart)	neuropathy, cardiomyopathy	nerve disease, heart muscle disease
-megaly	enlargement	cardi (heart), acrom (extremity)	cardiomegaly, acromegaly	heart enlargement, extremity enlargement
-sclerosis	hardening	arterio (artery), athero (fatty plaque)	arteriosclerosis, atherosclerosis	artery hardening, fatty plaque hardening
-malacia	softening	osteo (bone), chondro (cartilage)	osteomalacia, chondromalacia	bone softening, cartilage softening
-lysis	breakdown/destruction	hemo (blood), thrombo (clot)	hemolysis, thrombolysis	blood cell breakdown, clot destruction
-rrhea	flow/discharge	diarrhea (through flow), seborrhea	diarrhea, seborrhea	excessive bowel flow, oil discharge
-ectomy	surgical removal	append (appendix), tonsil	appendectomy, tonsillectomy	appendix removal, tonsil removal
-otomy	incision into	tracheo (trachea), cranio (skull)	tracheotomy, craniotomy	incision into trachea, skull
-ostomy	creation of opening	colo (colon), gastro (stomach)	colostomy, gastrostomy	opening in colon, stomach opening
-gram	record/picture	electrocardiogram, mammogram	ECG, mammogram	heart electrical record, breast x-ray picture

Part 2: Prefixes Used in Nouns

Prefixes are less common for nouns than suffixes, but they appear frequently on the TEAS. Most prefixes modify noun meaning by indicating time, location, amount, or negation.

Prefix	Meaning	Root Noun	New Noun	Definition
re-	again	construction, payment	reconstruction, repayment	act of constructing again, paying again
pre-	before	natal (birth), operative	prenatal, pre-operative	time before birth, before surgery
post-	after	partum (birth), operative	postpartum, post-operative	time after birth, after surgery
sub-	under	section, category	subsection, subcategory	section under main, category under main
super-	above	structure, visor	superstructure, supervisor	structure above, one who oversees
inter-	between	action, face	interaction, interface	action between, surface between
intra-	within	venous (vein), muscular	intravenous (IV), intramuscular (IM)	within a vein, within muscle
micro-	small	scope, organism	microscope, microorganism	instrument to see small, small organism
macro-	large	phage (eater), economics	macrophage, macroeconomics	large eater cell, large-scale economics
hyper-	excessive	tension, trophy (growth)	hypertension, hypertrophy	excessive pressure, excessive growth
hypo-	deficient	tension, glycemia (sugar)	hypotension, hypoglycemia	low pressure, low blood sugar
anti-	against	biotic (life), toxin	antibiotic, antitoxin	against life (bacteria), against toxin
contra-	against	indication, ception	contraindication, contraception	against indication, against conception
dis-	not/apart	comfort, ability	discomfort, disability	lack of comfort, lack of ability
non-	not	compliance, invasive	noncompliance, noninvasive	lack of compliance, not invasive
a-/an-	without	pnea (breathing), rhythm	apnea, arrhythmia	without breathing, without rhythm
dys-	bad/abnormal	function, pepsia (digestion)	dysfunction, dyspepsia	bad function, bad digestion
eu-	good/normal	pnea, trophy	eupnea, eutrophy	normal breathing, normal growth
mal-	bad	nutrition, function	malnutrition, malfunction	bad nutrition, bad function
poly-	many	uria (urine), cythemia (blood cells)	polyuria, polycythemia	excessive urine, many blood cells
oligo-	few	uria, dendrocyte	oliguria, oligodendrocyte	low urine output, few-branched cell

Part 3: Combined Examples (Prefix + Root + Noun Suffix)

Noun	Prefix	Root	Noun Suffix	Meaning
reconstruction	re- (again)	struct (build)	-tion (act/state of)	act of building again
preoperative	pre- (before)	oper (surgery)	-ive (tending to) – not a noun suffix; actually preoperation is noun	Better: preoperation – pre- + oper + -ation (state of before surgery)
postpartum	post- (after)	part (birth)	-um (singular noun ending)	period after birth
subcutaneous	sub- (under)	cutane (skin)	-ous (full of) – adjective	Noun: subcutis or subcutaneous tissue
hypertension	hyper- (excessive)	tens (pressure)	-ion (state of)	state of excessive pressure
hypoglycemia	hypo- (low)	glyc (sugar)	-emia (blood condition)	low sugar in blood condition
dysfunction	dys- (bad)	funct (perform)	-ion (state of)	state of bad function
apnea	a- (without)	pne (breathe)	-a (noun ending)	without breathing
microorganism	micro- (small)	organ (body part)	-ism (condition/belief) – but here organism is a noun	small living being
noncompliance	non- (not)	comply (follow)	-ance (state of)	state of not following orders

Part 4: TEAS-Style Practice Questions for Noun Word Parts

1. The suffix -ness in happiness means:

A) One who does
B) State/quality of
C) Without
D) Capable of

Answer: B – -ness means state or quality of.

2. A biologist is a person who studies life. The suffix -ist means:

A) Study of
B) One who practices
C) State of
D) Pertaining to

Answer: B – -ist means one who practices or specializes in.

3. Appendectomy means:

A) Inflammation of appendix
B) Surgical removal of appendix
C) Incision into appendix
D) Study of appendix

Answer: B – -ectomy means surgical removal.

4. The word treatment contains the suffix -ment, which means:

A) State/quality of
B) One who does
C) Result/action of
D) Pertaining to

Answer: C – -ment means result or action of.

5. Cardiology is the:

A) Disease of the heart
B) Study of the heart
C) Enlargement of the heart
D) Inflammation of the heart

Answer: B – -logy means study of.

6. The suffix -itis in arthritis means:

A) Enlargement
B) Softening
C) Inflammation
D) Hardening

Answer: C – -itis means inflammation.

7. A tracheotomy involves:

A) Removal of trachea
B) Incision into trachea
C) Opening in trachea
D) Inflammation of trachea

Answer: B – -otomy means incision into.

8. A colostomy creates:

A) A removal of colon
B) An opening in colon
C) An incision into colon
D) A record of colon

Answer: B – -ostomy means creation of an opening.

9. The suffix -gram in electrocardiogram means:

A) Visual exam
B) Process of recording
C) Record/picture
D) Measurement

Answer: C – -gram means a record or picture.

10. Hemolysis means:

A) Formation of blood
B) Breakdown of blood cells
C) Enlargement of blood vessels
D) Hardening of arteries

Answer: B – -lysis means breakdown/destruction.

11. The prefix re- in reconstruction means:

A) Before
B) Again
C) Without
D) Under

Answer: B – Re- means again.

12. Hypertension contains the prefix hyper-, which means:

A) Low
B) Normal
C) Excessive
D) Deficient

Answer: C – Hyper- means excessive.

13. Hypoglycemia is low blood sugar. The prefix hypo- means:

A) High
B) Low
C) Fast
D) Slow

Answer: B – Hypo- means low or deficient.

14. The prefix post- in postpartum means:

A) Before
B) During
C) After
D) Around

Answer: C – Post- means after.

15. Prenatal care occurs:

A) After birth
B) Before birth
C) During labor
D) Instead of birth

Answer: B – Pre- means before.

16. Apnea means without breathing. The prefix a- means:

A) Without
B) With
C) Against
D) Before

Answer: A – A- (an- before vowel) means without.

17. Dysfunction contains the prefix dys-, which means:

A) Good
B) Normal
C) Bad/abnormal
D) Excessive