Which root means 'mind'?

• A. tens/o
• B. ment/o
• C. spir/o
• D. trache/o

Answer: (B)

When you’re breaking down medical terms, you can tell what a root means by its common usage in words. The root that means mind is ment/o. It shows up in terms like mental, mentality, and dementia, all tied to thought, cognition, or mental processes. The other roots point to different ideas: tens/o is about tension or stretch, as in tension; spir/o relates to breath or spirit in many terms like respiration or inspiration; and trache/o refers to the trachea, the windpipe. So ment/o is the one that directly conveys the concept of the mind.