a-, an-
without, not
From Greek a-, an-, not, without
Meaning
What does a- mean?
a- is a prefix meaning without, not, also written an-. It comes from Greek a-, an-, not, without.
Inside words it is spelled an.
Use a- before a consonant (apnea, aphasia) and an- before a vowel or h (anemia, anuria, anhidrosis).
In real words
Medical words with a-
blindness in the right or left half of the field of vision
having fewer red blood cells or less hemoglobin than normal · UK spelling: anaemia · In the dictionary
a pause in breathing or its complete absence · UK spelling: apnoea
a language disorder, usually from brain damage, that affects speaking, understanding, reading or writing
making little or no urine
inability to swallow
incomplete or faulty development of an organ or part
wasting away or shrinking of a tissue or organ, such as a muscle · In the dictionary
Don't mix it up
Parts easily confused with a-
In the dictionary
More terms built with it
Terms in our life science dictionary that list a- among their word parts.
Sources
Checked against
Written for biofideX in plain words, after checking these references:
- Appendix A: Word Parts and What They Mean
- 1.3: Common Prefixes
- a- - Wiktionary, the free dictionary
- an- - Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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Good, bad and against
a- is one of 7 parts in this lesson. Learn them together, then take real words apart.
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