Medical English vocabulary: 12 words for doctors and patients

B1–B212 palabras

Medical appointments are high-stakes conversations where a single misunderstood word matters. This list covers the vocabulary that comes up between a patient and a doctor in English-speaking healthcare, from booking to prescription.

Dónde la usarás: Doctor's appointments, hospitals and pharmacies.

Medical EnglishLa lista de palabras

PalabraSignificado
symptomA sign that you may be ill.A cough is the most common symptom.
prescriptionA doctor's written order for medicine.Take this prescription to the pharmacy.
referralBeing sent to a specialist.My GP gave me a referral to a cardiologist.
GPA general practitioner, your family doctor.Book an appointment with your GP first.
dosageHow much medicine to take and how often.Follow the dosage on the label.
side effectAn unwanted effect of a medicine.Drowsiness is a common side effect.
swellingAn area that has become larger because of injury.There's some swelling around the ankle.
allergic toHaving a bad reaction to something.I'm allergic to penicillin.
diagnosisIdentifying what illness someone has.The diagnosis took two visits.
check-upA routine medical examination.I go for a check-up every year.
insurance coverWhat your health policy pays for.Does my insurance cover physiotherapy?
recoverTo become healthy again.She recovered fully after a month.

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Studying medical english pairs well with our travel English vocabulary, B2 English vocabulary and English small talk phrases, or browse all free English word lists.

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