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Suffix · forms nouns

-emia / -aemia

From Greek "haima" (blood): indicates a blood condition or the presence of a substance in the blood. Anemia, leukemia, hyperglycemia.

In Spanish: -emiaScientific

Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated June 2026

What this suffix does

The suffix -emia (American English) or -aemia (British English) comes from Greek "haima" (blood) and indicates a condition affecting the blood, or the presence, excess or deficiency of a substance in the blood. From "an-" (without) comes "anemia" (too little haemoglobin/iron in blood); from "leuko-" (white) comes "leukemia" (too many abnormal white blood cells); from "hyper- + glyco-" comes "hyperglycemia" (too much sugar in blood). Spanish: anemia, leucemia, hiperglucemia, septicemia — almost always identical.

Prefixes that show excess or deficiency in blood

The -emia system is very logical: the prefix names the substance and an optional modifier shows whether there is too much or too little: hyper + glyc + emia = hyperglycemia (too much sugar → diabetes) hypo + glyc + emia = hypoglycemia (too little sugar → dizziness) hyper + lip + emia = hyperlipidemia (too much fat in blood) an + emia = anemia (too little haemoglobin) leuko + emia = leukemia (blood cancer: too many abnormal white cells) septic + emia = septicemia (bacteria in the bloodstream) bacter + emia = bacteremia (bacteria in blood) poly + cyte + emia = polycythemia (too many red blood cells)

Anemia and leukemia: the two most familiar

"Anemia" (US) / "anaemia" (UK): - Literally "without blood" (an = without + emia = blood) - In practice: deficiency of haemoglobin or red blood cells - Symptoms: fatigue, paleness, breathlessness - Most common cause: iron deficiency ("iron-deficiency anemia") "Leukemia" (US) / "leukaemia" (UK): - leuko = white (white blood cells) - A blood cancer: uncontrolled production of abnormal white blood cells - Pronounced /luːˈkiːmiə/ = "loo-KEE-mee-uh"

How it is formed

Substance or condition + emia (presence or state in the blood).

  • substance + emiaglyc (sugar) = glycemia · lip (fat) = lipemia · urea = uremia · toxin = toxemia
  • hyper/hypo + substance + emiahyper + glyc = hyperglycemia · hypo + glyc = hypoglycemia · hyper + lip = hyperlipidemia
  • cell type + emia (excess in blood)leuko (white) = leukemia · poly + cyte = polycythemia · bacter = bacteremia

Spelling: American English = -emia (anemia, leukemia). British English = -aemia (anaemia, leukaemia). Both correct. In international scientific contexts, the American spelling is increasingly dominant.

How it is pronounced

-emia / -aemia/iːmiə/ · sounds like 'EE-mee-uh'

Tap the button to hear how the ending sounds. Each word in the table has its own audio.

Examples

Base word
With -emia / -aemia
In a phrase
  • an (without) + haimaanemiaThe doctor told her that fatigue and dizziness were signs of anemia.
  • leuko (white)leukemiaChildren diagnosed with leukemia today have much higher survival rates than before.
  • hyper + glychyperglycemiaEating too many sweets in one sitting can trigger a bout of hyperglycemia.
  • hypo + glychypoglycemiaShe always keeps a snack nearby because hypoglycemia can strike without warning.
  • septicsepticemiaAn untreated wound that becomes infected can sometimes develop into septicemia.
  • bacterbacteremiaEven routine dental work can cause a brief episode of bacteremia in some patients.
  • hyper + liphyperlipidemiaHis doctor recommended a low-fat diet and medication to manage his hyperlipidemia.
  • ureauremiaPatients with advanced kidney disease are at serious risk of developing uremia.
  • poly + cytepolycythemiaPolycythemia was discovered during a routine blood test that showed an abnormally high red cell count.
  • toxintoxemiaRegular prenatal checkups help doctors catch early warning signs of toxemia in pregnant women.

Common mistakes

confusing "anemia" and "leukemia"
anemia = too few red cells; leukemia = too many abnormal white cells (cancer)

"anemia" = lack of haemoglobin/red blood cells (fatigue, pallor). "leukemia" = blood cancer with uncontrolled abnormal white blood cell production. Completely different conditions.

always spelling it "anaemia"
anemia (US) / anaemia (UK)

"anemia" is American spelling; "anaemia" is British. Both correct. International scientific texts increasingly use the American form.

hypoglycemia = too much sugar
hypoglycemia = too little sugar (hypo = below)

hyper- = excess → hyperglycemia = too much blood sugar (uncontrolled diabetes). hypo- = deficiency → hypoglycemia = too little blood sugar (dizziness, cold sweat). Many people mix up hyper/hypo.

A trick to remember it

-emia = blood condition. Key ones: anemia (low iron/haemoglobin), leukemia (blood cancer), hyperglycemia (too much sugar = diabetes), hypoglycemia (too little sugar = dizziness). Remember: hyper = excess, hypo = deficiency.

Practise what you learned

Exercise 1 · Form the word

Excess sugar in the blood: hyper + glyc + ___

Hint: hyper + glyc + emia = ?

Exercise 2 · Pick the right one

"Leukemia" literally means...

Exercise 3 · Pick the right one

Difference between "hyperglycemia" and "hypoglycemia":

Frequently asked questions

What does the suffix -emia / -aemia mean in English?

The suffix -emia / -aemia from Greek "haima" (blood): indicates a blood condition or the presence of a substance in the blood. Anemia, leukemia, hyperglycemia. In Spanish it usually maps to -emia.

How do you pronounce -emia / -aemia?

The ending -emia / -aemia is pronounced /iːmiə/ · sounds like 'EE-mee-uh'. For example, "anemia".

Can you give an example of a word with -emia / -aemia?

"an (without) + haima" becomes "anemia". It is a typical example of the -emia / -aemia suffix.

Other useful suffixes

  • -itis

    Indicates inflammation of an organ or body part: arthr + itis = arthritis.

  • -osis

    From Greek "-osis" (process, condition): indicates a disease, pathological state or biological process. Fibrosis, psychosis, metamorphosis.

  • -pathy

    From Greek "pathos" (feeling, suffering): indicates a deep emotion or a disease. Empathy, neuropathy.

Learn every English suffix

-tion, -ness, -ful, -ly, -able... every ending you need to understand thousands of words at once.

View all suffixes
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