Combining Vowels in Medical Terms

Overview

• Topic: Combining vowels in medical terminology and rules for dropping or keeping them.
• Focus: When to keep or drop combining vowel (commonly "o") between root and suffix.
• Purpose: Clarify formation of terms like colostomy, hemostasis, leukocyte.

Rules For Combining Vowels

• Combining vowel commonly used: "o"; sometimes "i" or "e".
• Drop the combining vowel when suffix begins with a vowel.
• Keep the combining vowel when suffix begins with a consonant.
• If root already ends with the combining vowel and suffix starts with a vowel, omit the extra vowel.

Examples And Reasoning

• Colostomy
• Hemostasis
• Leukocyte

• Colostomy: Two o's would occur (colon + ostomy); drop one because the suffix begins with a vowel sound.
• Hemostasis: hem/hemat/hema means blood; combining vowel "o" kept because "stasis" begins with consonant.
• Leukocyte: leuk- means white; combining vowel "o" kept since "-cyte" does not begin with a vowel.

Key Terms And Definitions

• Combining Vowel: A vowel (usually "o") used to link root and suffix/prefix for easier pronunciation.
• Root: Core meaning of the word (e.g., colon, hemat/hemato/hema, leuk).
• Suffix: Ending that modifies meaning (e.g., -stomy, -stasis, -cyte).

Action Items / Next Steps

• Practice forming terms by identifying root, combining vowel, and suffix.
• Apply rule: check whether suffix begins with a vowel before deciding to drop or keep the combining vowel.
• Review common combining vowels: o, i, e; note exceptions case-by-case.