OET tests your ability to use clinical English accurately and to translate medical terminology into patient-friendly language. In the Writing sub-test, you need precise clinical vocabulary in your referral letters. In Speaking, you need to explain conditions and procedures in words a patient can understand. This vocabulary list covers the 50 most frequently tested medical terms, grouped by body system, with the patient-friendly equivalent you should use in speaking role-plays.
Cardiovascular
- Hypertension — high blood pressure
- Hypotension — low blood pressure
- Myocardial infarction — heart attack
- Angina — chest pain caused by reduced blood flow to the heart
- Tachycardia — fast heart rate
- Bradycardia — slow heart rate
- Dyslipidaemia — abnormal cholesterol levels
Respiratory
- Dyspnoea — shortness of breath, difficulty breathing
- Pneumonia — lung infection
- COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) — a long-term lung condition that makes breathing difficult
- Bronchospasm — tightening of the airways
- Cyanosis — bluish discolouration of the skin due to lack of oxygen
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- Pleural effusion — fluid around the lungs
Gastrointestinal
- Dysphagia — difficulty swallowing
- Nausea — feeling sick
- Emesis / vomiting — being sick
- Constipation — difficulty passing stools
- Diarrhoea — loose or watery stools
- Hepatomegaly — enlarged liver
- Cholecystitis — inflammation of the gallbladder
Neurological
- Cerebrovascular accident (CVA) — stroke
- Syncope — fainting
- Vertigo — dizziness, sensation of spinning
- Paraesthesia — tingling or numbness
- Seizure — a fit, uncontrolled electrical activity in the brain
Musculoskeletal
- Fracture — broken bone
- Arthritis — joint inflammation
- Osteoporosis — weakening of the bones
- Oedema — swelling
- Atrophy — wasting or shrinking of muscle tissue
Endocrine and Metabolic
- Hyperglycaemia — high blood sugar
- Hypoglycaemia — low blood sugar
- Hypothyroidism — underactive thyroid
- Hyperthyroidism — overactive thyroid
Renal and Urinary
- Oliguria — reduced urine output
- Anuria — no urine output
- Haematuria — blood in the urine
- Urinary tract infection (UTI) — infection in the bladder or urine system
- Renal failure — kidney failure
General Clinical Terms
- Pyrexia — fever, high temperature
- Malaise — general feeling of being unwell
- Lethargy — tiredness, lack of energy
- Pruritus — itching
- Alopecia — hair loss
- Pallor — paleness
- Diaphoresis — excessive sweating
- Prophylaxis — preventive treatment
- Idiopathic — of unknown cause
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- Bilateral — on both sides
- Unilateral — on one side
How to Use This Vocabulary in OET
In Writing
Use the clinical term in your referral letter. Write 'The patient presented with dyspnoea on exertion' — not 'The patient had difficulty breathing when exercising.' Your reader is a healthcare professional who expects precise medical language.
In Speaking
Use the patient-friendly version. Say 'You have high blood pressure' — not 'You have hypertension.' If you need to introduce the clinical term, frame it: 'You have a condition called hypertension, which means your blood pressure is higher than normal.'
Practise both directions: reading a clinical term and immediately saying the patient-friendly version, and hearing a patient describe symptoms and identifying the correct clinical term. This dual fluency is exactly what OET tests.