Medical
Plurals
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Medical Plurals: proper form and usage
Forming Plurals of Medical Words
Forming proper plurals of medical
words can be one of the more challenging aspects of medical
transcription. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that
even dictating physicians frequently have difficulty with
plurals. They cannot always be counted on to dictate the correct
plural form. This pushes the burden of identifying and transcribing
the proper plural straight back on the transcriptionist. The
good news is that plurals generally follow some basic rules.
Once you have mastered these rules, you will be able to quickly
form proper plurals for most medical terms that you encounter.
The bad news is that for every rule there is an exception.
This means that you will also need to memorize (or look up)
these exceptions. With practice you will become very familiar
with all common plurals.
The chart below is designed to provide
basic rules of thumb for forming plurals. But remember that
there are exceptions to most of these rules.
Basic Rules of Thumb for Forming Medical
Plurals
|
If the Singular Ending Is: |
Singular
Example: |
The
Plural Rule Is: |
Plural
Form: |
| is |
diagnosis |
Drop
the is and add es |
diagnoses |
| um |
ileum |
Drop
the um and add a |
ilea |
| us |
alveolus |
Drop
the us and add i |
alveoli |
| a |
vertebra |
Drop
the a and add ae |
vertebrae |
| ix |
appendix |
Drop
the ix and add ices |
appendices |
| ex |
cortex |
Drop
the ex and add ices |
cortices |
| ax |
thorax |
Drop
the x and add ces |
thoraces |
| ma |
sarcoma |
Retain
the ma and add ta |
sarcomata |
| on |
spermatozoon |
Drop
the on and add a |
spermatozoa |
| nx |
larynx |
Drop
the x and add ges |
larynges |
| y |
deformity |
Drop
the y and add ies |
deformities |
| yx |
calyx |
Drop
the yx and add yces |
calyces |
| en |
foramen |
Drop
the en and add ina |
foramina |
10 Common Exceptions to Basic Plural Rules:
1. Sometimes the proper
plural of a word ending in is will be formed by dropping the
is and adding ides. For example, epididymis becomes epididymides.
2. Sometimes the proper
plural of a word ending in us will be formed by dropping the
us and adding era or ora. For example: viscus becomes viscera;
corpus becomes corpora.
3. Some words ending
in ix or ax have more than one acceptable plural form. For
example: The plural of appendix can be either appendices or
appendixes - although the most common plural form would utilize
the ices ending.
4. The proper plural
for certain words ending in ion can be formed simply by adding
an s. For example: chorion becomes chorions.
5. The plural form
of the term vas is vasa.
6. The plural form
of pons is pontes.
7. The plural form
of the dual meaning word os is ora when referring to "mouths"
and ossa when referring to "bones".
8. The plural form
of the term femur is femora.
9. The plural form
of cornu is cornua.
10. The plural form
of paries is parietes.
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