Medical Terminology Quiz and Practice Test
Learn medical words the way the exams test them: by their parts. Quiz yourself on prefixes, suffixes and root words, then on whole terms like hepatomegaly and thoracentesis, with every answer broken down. For phlebotomy, medical assistant, nurse aide, EMT and pharmacy tech students.
Medical terminology quiz
20 questions a round, drawn at random, so every round is different. Each answer shows how the word breaks into its parts.
How to break down a medical term
Most medical terms are built from up to three kinds of parts. Read the suffix first, then the beginning, then the middle.
- Prefix, at the front, changes the meaning: brady- slow, hyper- above normal, sub- under.
- Root, the core, usually a body part. Written as a combining form with a linking vowel: cardi/o heart, nephr/o kidney.
- Suffix, at the end, names the condition or procedure: -itis inflammation, -ectomy surgical removal.
Example: bradycardia = brady- (slow) + cardi/o (heart) + -ia (condition), a slow heart rate. The combining vowel drops before a suffix that starts with a vowel (gastr/o + -itis = gastritis) and stays before a consonant (gastr/o + -scopy = gastroscopy).
Medical terminology word parts
The prefixes, root words and suffixes this quiz uses, from MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine)'s word-part list and standard terminology courses.
Prefixes
| a-, an- | without, not |
| ab- | away from |
| ad- | toward |
| ante- | before |
| anti- | against |
| bi- | two |
| brady- | slow |
| circum- | around |
| contra- | against, opposite |
| dys- | difficult, painful, abnormal |
| ecto- | outside |
| dia- | through, across |
| endo- | within, inside |
| epi- | upon, over |
| eu- | good, normal |
| hemi- | half |
| hyper- | above normal, excessive |
| hypo- | below normal, deficient |
| inter- | between |
| intra- | within |
| macro- | large |
| micro- | small |
| mono- | one |
| multi- | many |
| neo- | new |
| olig- | few, scanty |
| pan- | all |
| para- | beside, near, abnormal |
| per- | through |
| peri- | around |
| poly- | many, much |
| post- | after, behind |
| pre- | before, in front of |
| pseudo- | false |
| quadri- | four |
| retro- | backward, behind |
| semi- | half |
| sub- | under, below |
| supra- | above |
| tachy- | fast |
| trans- | across, through |
| tri- | three |
| uni- | one |
Root words (combining forms) by body system
Heart and blood vessels
| angi/o | vessel |
| aort/o | aorta |
| arteri/o | artery |
| ather/o | fatty plaque |
| cardi/o | heart |
| phleb/o | vein |
| ven/o | vein |
| thromb/o | clot |
| vas/o | vessel, duct |
Blood and immune system
| hem/o, hemat/o | blood |
| erythr/o | red |
| leuk/o | white |
| cyt/o | cell |
| lymph/o | lymph |
| splen/o | spleen |
| immun/o | immune, protection |
Respiratory system
| bronch/o | bronchus (airway into the lung) |
| laryng/o | larynx (voice box) |
| pharyng/o | pharynx (throat) |
| pneum/o, pneumon/o | lung, air |
| pulmon/o | lung |
| rhin/o, nas/o | nose |
| trache/o | trachea (windpipe) |
| thorac/o | chest |
| pleur/o | pleura (lining of the lungs and chest cavity) |
Digestive system
| or/o, stomat/o | mouth |
| gloss/o, lingu/o | tongue |
| esophag/o | esophagus |
| gastr/o | stomach |
| enter/o | intestine (usually the small intestine) |
| col/o, colon/o | colon (large intestine) |
| hepat/o | liver |
| chol/e | bile, gall |
| cholecyst/o | gallbladder |
| pancreat/o | pancreas |
| proct/o | rectum and anus |
| append/o, appendic/o | appendix |
Urinary system
| nephr/o, ren/o | kidney |
| cyst/o | urinary bladder, sac |
| ur/o | urine, urinary tract |
| urethr/o | urethra |
| ureter/o | ureter |
| lith/o | stone |
Nervous system and senses
| neur/o | nerve |
| encephal/o | brain |
| cerebr/o | cerebrum, brain |
| mening/o | meninges (membranes around the brain and spinal cord) |
| myel/o | spinal cord, bone marrow |
| psych/o | mind |
| ophthalm/o, ocul/o | eye |
| ot/o | ear |
Muscles and bones
| my/o | muscle |
| oste/o | bone |
| arthr/o | joint |
| chondr/o | cartilage |
| crani/o | skull |
| cost/o | rib |
| vertebr/o, spondyl/o | vertebra (backbone) |
Skin
| derm/o, dermat/o, cutane/o | skin |
| onych/o | nail |
| lip/o, adip/o | fat |
Reproductive and endocrine
| hyster/o, uter/o | uterus |
| mamm/o, mast/o | breast |
| oophor/o | ovary |
| aden/o | gland |
| thyr/o, thyroid/o | thyroid gland |
| glyc/o, glycos/o, gluc/o | sugar, glucose |
Body and general
| cephal/o | head |
| carcin/o | cancer |
| onc/o | tumor |
| path/o | disease |
| hist/o | tissue |
| necr/o | death |
| py/o | pus |
| therm/o | heat |
Suffixes
| -algia | pain |
| -cele | hernia, bulging |
| -centesis | surgical puncture to remove fluid |
| -cyte | cell |
| -ectomy | surgical removal |
| -emia | blood condition |
| -gram | record, image |
| -graphy | process of recording |
| -itis | inflammation |
| -logy | study of |
| -lysis | breakdown, destruction |
| -malacia | softening |
| -megaly | enlargement |
| -oma | tumor, mass |
| -osis | abnormal condition |
| -stomy | creation of an opening |
| -tomy | cutting into, incision |
| -pathy | disease |
| -penia | deficiency, too few |
| -pexy | surgical fixation |
| -phagia | eating, swallowing |
| -plasty | surgical repair |
| -plegia | paralysis |
| -pnea | breathing |
| -ptosis | drooping, falling |
| -rrhage | bursting forth (of blood) |
| -rrhea | flow, discharge |
| -sclerosis | hardening |
| -scope | instrument for viewing |
| -scopy | visual examination |
| -stasis | stopping, controlling |
| -tripsy | crushing |
| -uria | urine condition |
| -al, -ac, -ic, -ous | pertaining to |
25 medical terminology practice questions with answers
A fixed set for read-through review. Try each one before you open its answer.
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1. What does the word part urethr/o mean?
- Asugar, glucose
- Burethra
- Cbeside, near, abnormal
- Dwithout, not
Show answer
The answer is B: urethra. urethr/o means urethra.
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2. What does the word part necr/o mean?
- Asurgical puncture to remove fluid
- Bsmall
- Cdeath
- Dpleura (lining of the lungs and chest cavity)
Show answer
The answer is C: death. necr/o means death.
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3. What does the word part splen/o mean?
- Aspleen
- Bsugar, glucose
- Cwithout, not
- Dhardening
Show answer
The answer is A: spleen. splen/o means spleen.
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4. What does the word part cholecyst/o mean?
- Agallbladder
- Bheart
- Cinflammation
- Dskin
Show answer
The answer is A: gallbladder. cholecyst/o means gallbladder.
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5. What does the word part crani/o mean?
- Apain
- Bpus
- Cnew
- Dskull
Show answer
The answer is D: skull. crani/o means skull.
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6. What does the word part -pnea mean?
- Abreathing
- Bsmall
- Ctumor, mass
- Done
Show answer
The answer is A: breathing. -pnea means breathing.
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7. What does the word part ante- mean?
- Asoftening
- Bacross, through
- Cbefore
- Dtoward
Show answer
The answer is C: before. ante- means before.
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8. What does the word part -plegia mean?
- Aparalysis
- Bnail
- Call
- Dnose
Show answer
The answer is A: paralysis. -plegia means paralysis.
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9. What does the word part thyr/o, thyroid/o mean?
- Amuscle
- Bbreathing
- Cthyroid gland
- Dabnormal condition
Show answer
The answer is C: thyroid gland. thyr/o, thyroid/o means thyroid gland.
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10. What does the word part macro- mean?
- Afalse
- Bstudy of
- Cstone
- Dlarge
Show answer
The answer is D: large. macro- means large.
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11. What does neuralgia mean?
- Aincision into a vein (drawing blood)
- Bnerve pain
- Csurgical removal of the tonsils
- Dinflammation of the brain
Show answer
The answer is B: nerve pain. neur/o (nerve) + -algia (pain).
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12. What does apnea mean?
- Acondition of porous, thinning bone
- Babsence of breathing
- Cstopping of bleeding
- Dincision into a vein (drawing blood)
Show answer
The answer is B: absence of breathing. a- (without, not) + -pnea (breathing).
-
13. What does gastritis mean?
- Ainflammation of the stomach
- Bsurgical repair or replacement of a joint
- Cx-ray image of the breast
- Dbeneath the skin
Show answer
The answer is A: inflammation of the stomach. gastr/o (stomach) + -itis (inflammation).
-
14. What does craniotomy mean?
- Aenlargement of the heart
- Bdisease of the kidneys
- Cincision into the skull
- Dx-ray image of the breast
Show answer
The answer is C: incision into the skull. crani/o (skull) + -tomy (cutting into, incision).
-
15. What does leukocyte mean?
- Ainability to swallow
- Bwhite blood cell
- Cstopping of bleeding
- Dx-ray image of the breast
Show answer
The answer is B: white blood cell. leuk/o (white) + -cyte (cell).
-
16. What does angioplasty mean?
- Asurgical repair of a blood vessel
- Bvisual examination of the colon
- Cinflammation of the skin
- Denlargement of the spleen
Show answer
The answer is A: surgical repair of a blood vessel. angi/o (vessel) + -plasty (surgical repair).
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17. What does oophorectomy mean?
- Asurgical removal of the thyroid gland
- Bpus in the urine
- Csurgical removal of an ovary
- Dheadache
Show answer
The answer is C: surgical removal of an ovary. oophor/o (ovary) + -ectomy (surgical removal).
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18. What does mammography mean?
- Aprocess of x-ray imaging of the breast
- Brecord of the heart's electrical activity
- Cvisual examination of a joint
- Dinflammation of the meninges
Show answer
The answer is A: process of x-ray imaging of the breast. mamm/o (breast) + -graphy (process of recording).
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19. What does nephrolithiasis mean?
- Ainflammation of the bronchi
- Bvisual examination of the stomach
- Ckidney stones
- Dinflammation of a vein
Show answer
The answer is C: kidney stones. nephr/o (kidney) + lith/o (stone) + -iasis (abnormal condition).
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20. What does pericardial mean?
- Aaround the heart
- Bstudy of blood
- Cx-ray image of the breast
- Drecord of the heart's electrical activity
Show answer
The answer is A: around the heart. peri- (around) + cardi/o (heart) + -al (pertaining to).
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21. What does hypertension mean?
- Ahigh blood pressure
- Bhardening of the arteries
- Cexcessive urination
- Dinflammation of a joint
Show answer
The answer is A: high blood pressure. hyper- (above normal, excessive) + tens/o (pressure, stretching) + -ion (process, condition).
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22. What does leukemia mean?
- Astudy of tissue
- Bcancer of the white blood cells (literally "white blood")
- Cstudy of the kidneys
- Dkidney stones
Show answer
The answer is B: cancer of the white blood cells (literally "white blood"). leuk/o (white) + -emia (blood condition).
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23. What does cephalalgia mean?
- Aslow breathing
- Bexcessive urination
- Cvisual examination of the stomach
- Dheadache
Show answer
The answer is D: headache. cephal/o (head) + -algia (pain).
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24. What does tachycardia mean?
- Afast heart rate
- Bparalysis of the lower half of the body
- Cbone tumor
- Dcrushing of a stone
Show answer
The answer is A: fast heart rate. tachy- (fast) + cardi/o (heart) + -ia (condition).
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25. What does phlebitis mean?
- Asurgical removal of the tonsils
- Binflammation of the meninges
- Cinflammation of a vein
- Dslow heart rate
Show answer
The answer is C: inflammation of a vein. phleb/o (vein) + -itis (inflammation).
Put the terminology to work on a practice test
Each free test is 30 questions weighted like the real exam, with every answer explained and sourced.
Medical terminology questions
What is the fastest way to learn medical terminology?
Learn the word parts, not the words. Most medical terms are built from a prefix, a root (written with a combining vowel, like gastr/o) and a suffix. Once you know that hepat/o means liver and -megaly means enlargement, you can read hepatomegaly without ever having memorized it. A few hundred word parts unlock thousands of terms.
What is a combining form?
A combining form is a word root plus a combining vowel, usually o, written with a slash: cardi/o, oste/o, nephr/o. The vowel links the root to a suffix or another root. It is usually dropped when the suffix starts with a vowel (gastr/o + -itis = gastritis) and kept when the suffix starts with a consonant (gastr/o + -scopy = gastroscopy).
Which certification exams test medical terminology?
Terminology runs through every allied health exam rather than sitting in one section: phlebotomy (NHA CPT), medical assistant (CCMA), nurse aide (CNA), EMT (NREMT) and pharmacy technician (PTCE) questions all assume you can read terms like hematoma, dyspnea or subcutaneous. Many programs also give a standalone terminology test early in the course.
How do I read a medical term I have never seen?
Start with the suffix, then read the beginning, then the middle. Pericarditis: -itis (inflammation) of the peri- (around) cardi/o (heart), so inflammation of the sac around the heart. Arthroscopy: -scopy (visual examination) of the arthr/o (joint), so looking inside a joint with a scope.
Sources: MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine): Appendix A, Word Parts and What They Mean; MedlinePlus: Understanding Medical Words tutorial. Last checked November 8, 2026. Spot a mistake? Email support@certoutlook.com and we'll fix it.