-algia

The combining form –algia is used like a suffix meaning “pain.” It is often used in medical terms, especially in pathology.

The form -algia comes from the Greek álgos, meaning “pain.” Similar in meaning and use to algo- are odyno- and -odynia, which derive from odýnē, also meaning “pain.”

What are variants of -algia?

In rare instances, a variant of the combining form -algia is –algy, as in coxalgy.

A corresponding form of -algia combined to the beginning of words is algo-, as in algophobia. Learn more about these forms in our Words That Use articles for each.

An example of a word you may have encountered that features -algia is fibromyalgia, “a syndrome characterized by fatigue and chronic pain in the muscles and in tissues surrounding the joints.”

The first two parts of the word, fibro- and my- mean “fiber” and “muscle,” respectively. The form -algia means “pain,” as we have seen. Fibromyalgia literally translates to “muscle fiber pain.”

What are some words that use the combining form -algia?

• arthralgia
• cardialgia
• cephalalgia
• colpalgia
• coxalgia
• encephalalgia
• esophagalgia
• gonalgia
• hepatalgia
• orchialgia
• otalgia
• ostealgia
• mastodynia
• myalgia
• pleuralgia
• podalgia
• sacralgia
• synalgia
• ureteralgia

What are some other forms that -algia may be commonly confused with?

• -ally
• -alis
• -ably
• -logy
• agro-
• allo-
• angio-

The combining form ot- means “ear.” With this in mind, what is an everyday term for otalgia?