Which combining form is used to indicate hearing in medical terms?

• A. Acou/o
• B. Audi/o
• C. Coron/o
• D. Therm/o

Answer: (B)

The key idea here is identifying the combining form that denotes the sense of hearing. Audi/o is the form used to indicate hearing in medical terms, deriving from Latin audire to hear. It appears in terms like audiology (the study of hearing), audiometer (a device that tests hearing), and auditory (relating to hearing).

Acou/o is related to sound itself and the production or transmission of sound (as in acoustics), not the act of perceiving it. Coron/o pertains to the heart or crown, and therm/o relates to heat. Thus, audi/o best conveys the concept of hearing in medical terminology.