What does -pnea mean in medical terms?

-pnea

Meaning: breathing

Type: Suffix · Often used with: Lungs & Breathing

A suffix goes at the very end of a word, after the root. On this page: what -pnea means, and real medical words that use it, each broken down into its parts.

Example words using -pnea

dyspnea
dys- (difficult) + -pnea (breathing) = difficult breathing
apnea
a- (without) + -pnea (breathing) = temporary absence of breathing
tachypnea
tachy- (rapid) + -pnea (breathing) = rapid breathing

Shortened forms

Charts and notes shorten long terms — see the Medical Abbreviations guide for the short forms you will meet in real records.

Please note: This section teaches the language of medicine — what word parts mean and how terms are built. It is an educational reference, not medical advice. For the meaning of a word in your own medical record, ask the clinician who wrote it.