Derivation of the term

• Pila -ball, Latin
• Haemorrhoid comes from the association with bleeding.
• Haema -blood, Greek
• Rhoos -flowing, Greek

The spelling of haemorrhoid varies, the main alternatives are;

Haemorrhoid(ectomy) - British spelling

Hemorrhoid(ectomy) - American spelling

Common mis-spellings; Haemorroid(ectomy), Hemorroid(ectomy)

There main variability is in the use of hem- and haem- which correspond to the American and British spellings for hemoglobin [American] and haemoglobin [British]. It is not uncommon to see haemorrhoid spelt without the second `h'.