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Quizzes > Health & Medicine > Human Anatomy & Medicine

Medical Terminology Plurals Quiz - Test Your Skills!

Think you can master plural medical terms? Dive in and prove it!

Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper art illustration for medical terminology plurals quiz with cutout letters and symbols on dark blue background.

This quick quiz helps you practice medical terminology plurals by turning singular terms into the correct plural forms. You'll build speed and spot tricky endings like ix to ices and us to i, so you can check gaps before your next exam. If you need a refresher, skim the plural rules and then play.

What is the correct plural form of vertebra?
vertebras
vertebri
vertebra
vertebrae
The term vertebra is a first declension Latin noun ending in -a, which changes to -ae in the plural. Thus, the plural form is vertebrae. This rule applies to other Latin-derived medical terms such as scapula (scapulae) and medulla (medullae). You can learn more about medical term plurals at .
What is the correct plural form of bacterium?
bacteriums
bacteriuma
bacteria
bacteriums
The suffix -um in Latin neuter nouns typically changes to -a in the plural form. Therefore bacterium becomes bacteria when denoting more than one. This pattern is common in medical terminology, as seen with ovum (ova) and datum (data). For further details, see .
What is the correct plural form of bronchus?
bronchuses
bronchii
bronchi
bronchius
Bronchus is a second declension Latin noun ending in -us, which typically changes to -i in the plural. Hence bronchus becomes bronchi when referring to both airways. This rule is consistent with other -us nouns such as alveolus (alveoli). More examples are available at .
What is the correct plural form of diagnosis?
diagnosises
diagnosi
diagnoses
diagnosia
Diagnosis is a Greek-derived term ending in -is, and its plural form changes to -es according to standard rules. Thus multiple diagnostic conclusions are called diagnoses. This pattern holds for other Greek-based medical words like prognosis (prognoses). Learn more at .
What is the correct plural form of ganglion?
ganglions
ganglionae
ganglia
ganglioni
Ganglion is a neuter Greek noun ending in -on, and its plural takes the -a ending. Therefore, ganglion becomes ganglia when referring to multiple nerve cell clusters. This rule also applies to terms like criterion (criteria). For more information, visit .
What is the correct plural form of phalanx?
phalangia
phalanxes
phalanxi
phalanges
Phalanx is a Greek noun ending in -nx, which forms its plural by changing -nx to -nges. As a result, the bones in the fingers and toes are called phalanges. This transformation is common in medical terms like meninx (meninges). More on this can be found at .
What is the correct plural form of carcinoma?
carcinomas
carcinomata
carcinomae
carcinomi
Carcinoma is a Greek-derived term ending in -oma, which in classical plural forms takes -omata. Thus the traditional plural is carcinomata. While carcinomas is used informally, carcinomata aligns with scholarly and clinical Latin usage. For further reading, see .
What is the correct plural form of cortex?
cortexa
cortices
cortexes
cortexi
Cortex is a Latin noun ending in -ex, which forms its plural by changing -ex to -ices. Therefore, the outer layer of an organ is referred to in multiples as cortices. This pattern also applies to other terms such as apex (apices). More details are available at .
What is the correct plural form of larynx?
larynges
larynga
laryngi
larynxes
Larynx is a Greek noun ending in -nx, and the plural is formed by replacing -nx with -nges. As a result, multiple voice boxes are called larynges. This follows the same rule seen in phalanx (phalanges). For more examples, visit .
What is the correct plural form of fibroma?
fibromas
fibromae
fibromaes
fibromata
Fibroma is a Greek-derived noun ending in -oma, and its classical plural takes -omata. Hence the correct plural is fibromata in formal medical contexts. Although fibromas is used colloquially, fibromata reflects proper classical pluralization. You can explore this further at .
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Study Outcomes

  1. Identify singular-to-plural conversion rules -

    Recognize how different medical term endings change when forming plurals, including ex, ix, is, y, a, nx, and um.

  2. Apply Latin and Greek pluralization patterns -

    Use established linguistic rules to accurately transform singular medical terminology into their correct plural counterparts.

  3. Distinguish singular from plural medical terms -

    Analyze various medical words to determine which forms are singular or plural with confidence.

  4. Construct correct plural medical terms -

    Create accurate plural forms of singular terms through systematic practice and quiz challenges.

  5. Assess proficiency in medical terminology plurals -

    Evaluate your mastery of plural medical terms through scored quiz feedback and targeted review.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Core medical terminology plurals -

    Medical terminology plurals follow eight main Latin and Greek suffix patterns, including -us → -i, -um → -a, -a → -ae, -on → -a, -is → -es, -ex/ - ix → -ices, -nx → -nges, and -y → -ies. A solid grasp of these root transformations helps you confidently convert singular medical terms into correct plural forms (e.g., "stimulus" → "stimuli", "biopsy" → "biopsies"). University resources like MIT OpenCourseWare and the U.S. National Library of Medicine offer detailed charts for these suffix shifts.

  2. The plural ending for ix is "-ices" -

    When a term ends in -ix or -ex, swap it for -ices; for example, "appendix" becomes "appendices" and "cortex" becomes "cortices". A handy mnemonic is "I X Ice," reminding you that "ix/ex" turns into "ice(s)". This rule is confirmed by authoritative sources such as the Merriam-Webster Medical Dictionary and Oxford University Press.

  3. Converting "-is" to "-es" -

    Words ending in -is change to -es in their plural form; for example, "diagnosis" → "diagnoses" and "metastasis" → "metastases". Think "I S Eye S Es" to retain the vowel sound and streamline your memory. This pattern is widely documented in medical dictionaries and textbooks from institutions like Johns Hopkins University.

  4. Turning "-um" and "-on" endings into "-a" -

    Both -um (Latin) and -on (Greek) endings convert to -a for plurals, such as "bacterium" → "bacteria" and "ganglion" → "ganglia". Remember the phrase "Um and On Go A" to simplify learning. Reputable sources, including the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), reinforce this transformation.

  5. Identifying which of the following medical terms are plurals -

    Many plural medical terms end in -ae or -i, like "vertebrae" (from vertebra) and "bronchi" (from bronchus); spot these patterns to ace "which of the following medical terms are plurals" questions. A quick tip is that -ae always signals a plural of -a, and -i marks a plural of -us. This strategy is supported by guidelines from the American Medical Association Manual of Style.

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