Medical Procedures Vocabulary in English

Q: What is the difference between a symptom and a sign?

A symptom is something the patient experiences and reports. A sign is something the doctor observes or measures. Both are used in diagnosis.

Q: What is the difference between chronic and acute?

Chronic means long-lasting, developing slowly over months or years. Acute means sudden and severe but typically short-lived.

Q: What is the difference between diagnosis and prognosis?

Diagnosis identifies what condition the patient has. Prognosis predicts how the condition will develop. Diagnosis answers 'What is wrong?' Prognosis answers 'What is likely to happen?'

Q: What is the difference between therapy and treatment?

Treatment is the general term for any medical care. Therapy is more specific — a structured programme aimed at improving function or well-being, such as physical therapy or speech therapy.

Q: What does rehabilitation involve?

Rehabilitation is the process of helping someone regain function and independence after illness, injury, or surgery. It involves physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, and psychologists.

Q: Does this vocabulary appear in the OET exam?

Yes. Words like diagnosis, prognosis, specimen, inflammation, and consultation appear in OET Reading and Listening tasks. Speaking and Writing tasks require accurate clinical vocabulary use.

Q: What is the difference between a fracture and a break?

Medically, fracture and break mean the same thing. Fracture is the clinical term used in formal medical documentation. Break is more informal and conversational.

Q: What is the best way to learn medical vocabulary in English?

Use Flash Cards for initial recall, then read patient information leaflets, health news, and medical case studies. For OET or IELTS, listen to healthcare podcasts in English.

20 clinical and medical procedure words with precise definitions and example sentences — essential for B2–C1 learners, OET candidates, and healthcare workers.

Medical vocabulary in English is essential for anyone working in or studying healthcare, or for those preparing for the Occupational English Test (OET) or IELTS Academic. This advanced vocabulary set focuses on the language of medical procedures, clinical assessment, and patient care — terms you will encounter in medical reports, hospital conversations, and health journalism.

This page covers 20 core medical procedure and clinical terms at B2–C1 level. These are not the most basic health words (pain, headache, fever) — those are covered on our Health & Medicine page. Instead, this list focuses on the technical vocabulary of diagnosis, treatment, and clinical outcomes.

Many of these words come from Latin and Greek roots, which makes them recognisable across many European languages. However, English-language medical vocabulary has specific usages and collocations that must be learned carefully: for example, you make a diagnosis but give a prognosis; you take a specimen but perform surgery.

Word List

Word	Meaning	Example Sentence
diagnosis	the identification of a disease or condition from its signs and symptoms	The doctor made a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.
prescription	a written order from a doctor authorising medicine for a patient	The pharmacist filled the prescription within minutes.
symptom	a sign or effect of a disease or condition experienced by the patient	Fatigue is a common symptom of anaemia.
treatment	medical care given to a patient to manage or cure a condition	The treatment involves a course of antibiotics.
surgery	a medical procedure in which a doctor makes cuts in the body to repair or remove something	She underwent surgery to remove the tumour.
vaccination	the administration of a vaccine to protect against a disease	Vaccination against measles is recommended for all children.
rehabilitation	therapy designed to restore function after illness, injury, or surgery	He spent six weeks in rehabilitation after the stroke.
consultation	a meeting with a doctor or specialist to discuss a health concern	She booked a consultation with a cardiologist.
pharmacy	a shop or department where prescription and over-the-counter medicines are dispensed	You can collect your medication from the pharmacy downstairs.
allergy	an immune response to a substance that is harmless to most people	She has a severe allergy to penicillin.
dosage	the amount of medicine prescribed to be taken at one time or over a period	Do not exceed the recommended daily dosage.
immune	protected against a specific disease by the body's immune system	Most people who catch the virus become immune to it afterwards.
chronic	persisting for a long time or constantly recurring; long-term	Chronic back pain can significantly affect quality of life.
acute	severe and sudden in onset; lasting a short time (opposite of chronic)	He was admitted to hospital with acute appendicitis.
contagious	able to spread from person to person by direct or indirect contact	Chickenpox is highly contagious among children.
inflammation	redness, swelling, and heat in part of the body as a reaction to injury or infection	The scan showed significant inflammation in the knee joint.
fracture	a break or crack in a bone	The X-ray confirmed a fracture of the left wrist.
therapy	a form of treatment designed to improve health, function, or well-being	Physical therapy helped her regain full movement in her shoulder.
prognosis	a doctor's assessment of the likely course and outcome of a patient's condition	The prognosis for early-stage breast cancer is generally positive.
specimen	a sample of tissue, blood, or fluid taken for medical testing	The nurse collected a blood specimen for laboratory analysis.

Practice with These Exercises

Flash Cards

Review medical vocabulary with spaced repetition

Wordsearch

Find medical procedure words in the grid

Anagram

Unscramble clinical vocabulary letters

Hangman

Guess the medical term letter by letter

Practice What You've Learned

LexFizz has 30 free interactive exercises — no sign-up needed.

Browse All Exercises →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a symptom and a sign?

In medical English, a symptom is something the patient experiences and reports — such as pain, dizziness, or fatigue. A sign is something the doctor observes or measures — such as a fever, rash, or abnormal blood pressure. Both are used in diagnosis, but the distinction matters in clinical writing and OET exam contexts.

What is the difference between chronic and acute?

Chronic means a condition is long-lasting — it develops slowly and persists for months or years (e.g. chronic asthma, chronic pain). Acute means sudden and severe, but typically short-lived (e.g. acute appendicitis, acute infection). A condition can start as acute and become chronic if it does not resolve.

What is the difference between diagnosis and prognosis?

A diagnosis identifies what condition the patient has. A prognosis is the prediction of how the condition will develop — whether the patient will recover, improve, or deteriorate. Diagnosis answers "What is wrong?" Prognosis answers "What is likely to happen?" Both are essential words in clinical and academic medical writing.

What is the difference between contagious and infectious?

Both words describe diseases that can spread from person to person. Contagious specifically means spread by direct physical contact or close proximity (touching, coughing, sneezing). Infectious is a broader term — it means caused by a pathogen (bacteria, virus, etc.) and can spread by various routes, including indirect contact or contaminated water and food.

How do you say dosage correctly and what does it mean?

Dosage is pronounced DOH-sij. It refers to the prescribed amount and frequency of a medicine: "The dosage is one tablet twice daily." Related terms: dose (a single amount taken at one time), overdose (taking more than the safe amount), underdose (taking less than the effective amount). Dosage is the general term for the entire schedule of doses.

What is the difference between therapy and treatment?

Treatment is the general term for any medical care given to address a condition. Therapy is more specific — it usually refers to a structured programme aimed at improving function or well-being: physical therapy, speech therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy. All therapies are treatments, but not all treatments are therapies.

What does rehabilitation involve?

Rehabilitation (often shortened to rehab) is the process of helping someone regain function, independence, and quality of life after an illness, injury, or surgical procedure. It typically involves a team of specialists — physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, and psychologists. Common contexts: stroke rehabilitation, post-surgical recovery, addiction rehabilitation.

Does this vocabulary appear in the OET exam?

Yes. The Occupational English Test (OET) is specifically designed for healthcare professionals and uses authentic medical contexts. Words like diagnosis, prognosis, specimen, inflammation, and consultation appear in OET Reading and Listening tasks. Speaking and Writing tasks require you to use clinical vocabulary accurately in patient communication contexts.

What is the difference between a fracture and a break?

Medically, fracture and break mean the same thing — a crack or complete break in a bone. Fracture is the clinical term used in formal medical contexts and documentation. Break is more informal and conversational. You would say "He has a fractured tibia" in a medical report, but "He broke his leg" in everyday conversation.

What is the best way to learn medical vocabulary in English?

Start with this word list and use Flash Cards for initial recall. Then read authentic medical texts such as patient information leaflets, news health articles, or medical case studies. For OET or IELTS preparation, listen to medical radio programmes or healthcare podcasts in English. Reviewing words in clinical sentences reinforces both meaning and correct usage.