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Oto- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “ear.” It is often used in medical terms, especially in anatomy and pathology.

Oto- comes from the Greek ��û��, meaning “ear.” Related to the Greek ��û�� is English’s own word ear; so is the Latin word for ear, auris, which is the ultimate source of such words as aural. Learn more about ��û�� at our entry for otic, an adjective used in anatomy meaning “of or relating to the ear.”

What are variants of oto-?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, oto- becomes ot-, as in otitis.

One example of a medical term that features oto– is otopathy, “a disease of the ear.”

If you’ve been listening, you know that oto- means “ear.” The combining form -pathy is ultimately from the Greek pathos, meaning “suffering, sensation.” It can be used in compound words to indicate “disease.” So, otopathy literally means “ear disease.”

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

• otocyst
• otocephaly
• otodynia
• otoganglion
• otology
• otomycosis
• otoplasty
• otorrhea

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

• octo-
• omo-
• auto-

Rhinoplasty is plastic surgery of the nose. Blepharoplasty is plastic surgery of the eyelid. What is the medical term for plastic surgery of the ear?