WGU C804 COMPLETE QUESTIONS &
ANSWERS BANK: 200 MULTIPLE-CHOICE
QUESTIONS with verified answers
plus rationales | COVERING ALL FOUR
CORE DOMAINS (2026/2027) (newest)
DOMAIN 1: WORD BUILDING – PREFIXES, SUFFIXES,
ROOTS, AND COMBINING FORMS
Section 1A: Foundations
1. Which of the following is the foundation of a medical term that contains the
core meaning of the word?
• A) Combining form
• B) Prefix
• C) Root
• D) Suffix
Correct Answer: C) Root
Rationale: The root is the foundation of a medical term and provides the core
meaning. The prefix is added to the beginning, the suffix to the end, and the
combining form includes the root plus a combining vowel. Understanding roots is
essential for building and decoding medical terminology.
2. A diacritical mark that indicates a long vowel sound is known as a:
• A) Macron
• B) Breve
• C) Schwa
• D) Accent
Correct Answer: A) Macron
Rationale: A macron (¯) is placed over a vowel to indicate a long sound. A breve (˘)
indicates a short vowel sound. Correct pronunciation of medical terms often depends
on understanding these marks.
,3. What type of word element indicates procedure, condition, disease, or part
of speech?
• A) Root
• B) Prefix
• C) Suffix
• D) Combining vowel
Correct Answer: C) Suffix
Rationale: The suffix is added to the end of a word root and indicates a procedure,
condition, disease, or part of speech. It often determines the meaning of the term in
a clinical context.
4. What allows two or more word elements to be connected as one word?
• A) Suffix
• B) Combining vowel
• C) Prefix
• D) Root
Correct Answer: B) Combining vowel
Rationale: A combining vowel (usually "o") connects word roots to suffixes or other
roots, making the term easier to pronounce. Without it, many medical terms would
be difficult to say.
5. A word created by combining root words together is called a:
• A) Compound word
• B) Combining form
• C) Derivative
• D) Prefixal term
Correct Answer: A) Compound word
Rationale: When two or more roots are combined (e.g., "cardiovascular"), the
resulting term is a compound word. Each root contributes to the overall meaning.
6. Which of the following medical terms contains a prefix meaning "without" or
"not"?
• A) Hypertension
• B) Anemia
• C) Bilateral
• D) Dysphagia
,Correct Answer: B) Anemia
Rationale: The prefix "an-" means without or not (an- + -emia = without blood).
Hypertension has "hyper-" (above normal), bilateral has "bi-" (two), and dysphagia
has "dys-" (difficult, painful).
7. Which term has a prefix?
• A) Hypertension
• B) Metastases
• C) Nucleus
• D) Bronchus
Correct Answer: A) Hypertension
Rationale: "Hypertension" contains the prefix "hyper-" (above/excessive). The other
three terms are singular forms without prefixes.
8. Which three terms are singular?
• A) Metastases, Nucleus, Bronchus
• B) Metastasis, Nuclei, Bronchi
• C) Metastases, Nuclei, Bronchi
• D) Metastasis, Nucleus, Bronchus
Correct Answer: D) Metastasis, Nucleus, Bronchus
Rationale: "Metastasis" is singular (plural: metastases), "nucleus" is singular (plural:
nuclei), and "bronchus" is singular (plural: bronchi).
9. Which combining form means "tissue"?
• A) cyt/o
• B) hist/o
• C) dermat/o
• D) my/o
Correct Answer: B) hist/o
Rationale: "Hist/o" is the combining form for tissue. "Cyt/o" means cell, "dermat/o"
means skin, and "my/o" means muscle.
10. What does the word root in the medical term "dermatitis" mean?
• A) Inflammation
• B) Skin
• C) Disease
, • D) Condition
Correct Answer: B) Skin
Rationale: The root "dermat-" means skin. The suffix "-itis" means inflammation.
Therefore, dermatitis is inflammation of the skin.
11. What is the meaning of the suffix in the term "tympanoplasty"?
• A) Inflammation
• B) Surgical repair
• C) Surgical removal
• D) Incision
Correct Answer: B) Surgical repair
Rationale: The suffix "-plasty" means surgical repair. "Tympan/o" refers to the
eardrum, so tympanoplasty is surgical repair of the eardrum.
12. What does the combining form mean in the word "salpingopharyngeal"?
• A) Tube
• B) Throat
• C) Nose
• D) Mouth
Correct Answer: A) Tube
Rationale: "Salping/o" is the combining form for tube (e.g., fallopian tubes or
eustachian tube). "Pharyng/o" means throat.
13. What does the combining form in the term "xenophobia" mean?
• A) Fear
• B) Foreign
• C) Strange
• D) New
Correct Answer: B) Foreign
Rationale: "Xen/o" is the combining form meaning foreign or strange. "-phobia"
means fear. Xenophobia is the fear of foreigners or strangers.
14. Which word element should be added to the suffix "-itis" to construct a
term meaning "inflammation of the middle ear"?
• A) Ot-
ANSWERS BANK: 200 MULTIPLE-CHOICE
QUESTIONS with verified answers
plus rationales | COVERING ALL FOUR
CORE DOMAINS (2026/2027) (newest)
DOMAIN 1: WORD BUILDING – PREFIXES, SUFFIXES,
ROOTS, AND COMBINING FORMS
Section 1A: Foundations
1. Which of the following is the foundation of a medical term that contains the
core meaning of the word?
• A) Combining form
• B) Prefix
• C) Root
• D) Suffix
Correct Answer: C) Root
Rationale: The root is the foundation of a medical term and provides the core
meaning. The prefix is added to the beginning, the suffix to the end, and the
combining form includes the root plus a combining vowel. Understanding roots is
essential for building and decoding medical terminology.
2. A diacritical mark that indicates a long vowel sound is known as a:
• A) Macron
• B) Breve
• C) Schwa
• D) Accent
Correct Answer: A) Macron
Rationale: A macron (¯) is placed over a vowel to indicate a long sound. A breve (˘)
indicates a short vowel sound. Correct pronunciation of medical terms often depends
on understanding these marks.
,3. What type of word element indicates procedure, condition, disease, or part
of speech?
• A) Root
• B) Prefix
• C) Suffix
• D) Combining vowel
Correct Answer: C) Suffix
Rationale: The suffix is added to the end of a word root and indicates a procedure,
condition, disease, or part of speech. It often determines the meaning of the term in
a clinical context.
4. What allows two or more word elements to be connected as one word?
• A) Suffix
• B) Combining vowel
• C) Prefix
• D) Root
Correct Answer: B) Combining vowel
Rationale: A combining vowel (usually "o") connects word roots to suffixes or other
roots, making the term easier to pronounce. Without it, many medical terms would
be difficult to say.
5. A word created by combining root words together is called a:
• A) Compound word
• B) Combining form
• C) Derivative
• D) Prefixal term
Correct Answer: A) Compound word
Rationale: When two or more roots are combined (e.g., "cardiovascular"), the
resulting term is a compound word. Each root contributes to the overall meaning.
6. Which of the following medical terms contains a prefix meaning "without" or
"not"?
• A) Hypertension
• B) Anemia
• C) Bilateral
• D) Dysphagia
,Correct Answer: B) Anemia
Rationale: The prefix "an-" means without or not (an- + -emia = without blood).
Hypertension has "hyper-" (above normal), bilateral has "bi-" (two), and dysphagia
has "dys-" (difficult, painful).
7. Which term has a prefix?
• A) Hypertension
• B) Metastases
• C) Nucleus
• D) Bronchus
Correct Answer: A) Hypertension
Rationale: "Hypertension" contains the prefix "hyper-" (above/excessive). The other
three terms are singular forms without prefixes.
8. Which three terms are singular?
• A) Metastases, Nucleus, Bronchus
• B) Metastasis, Nuclei, Bronchi
• C) Metastases, Nuclei, Bronchi
• D) Metastasis, Nucleus, Bronchus
Correct Answer: D) Metastasis, Nucleus, Bronchus
Rationale: "Metastasis" is singular (plural: metastases), "nucleus" is singular (plural:
nuclei), and "bronchus" is singular (plural: bronchi).
9. Which combining form means "tissue"?
• A) cyt/o
• B) hist/o
• C) dermat/o
• D) my/o
Correct Answer: B) hist/o
Rationale: "Hist/o" is the combining form for tissue. "Cyt/o" means cell, "dermat/o"
means skin, and "my/o" means muscle.
10. What does the word root in the medical term "dermatitis" mean?
• A) Inflammation
• B) Skin
• C) Disease
, • D) Condition
Correct Answer: B) Skin
Rationale: The root "dermat-" means skin. The suffix "-itis" means inflammation.
Therefore, dermatitis is inflammation of the skin.
11. What is the meaning of the suffix in the term "tympanoplasty"?
• A) Inflammation
• B) Surgical repair
• C) Surgical removal
• D) Incision
Correct Answer: B) Surgical repair
Rationale: The suffix "-plasty" means surgical repair. "Tympan/o" refers to the
eardrum, so tympanoplasty is surgical repair of the eardrum.
12. What does the combining form mean in the word "salpingopharyngeal"?
• A) Tube
• B) Throat
• C) Nose
• D) Mouth
Correct Answer: A) Tube
Rationale: "Salping/o" is the combining form for tube (e.g., fallopian tubes or
eustachian tube). "Pharyng/o" means throat.
13. What does the combining form in the term "xenophobia" mean?
• A) Fear
• B) Foreign
• C) Strange
• D) New
Correct Answer: B) Foreign
Rationale: "Xen/o" is the combining form meaning foreign or strange. "-phobia"
means fear. Xenophobia is the fear of foreigners or strangers.
14. Which word element should be added to the suffix "-itis" to construct a
term meaning "inflammation of the middle ear"?
• A) Ot-
