StarSpell 2.3 words with sentences

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Important ‘sight’words

Essential words 1st

being and doing words

got: We went in the rain and got wet

had: I did my work then had a rest

is: A cat is an animal

was: There once was an ugly duckling

went: Jack and Jill went up the hill

other useful words

it: He got his milk and drank it

of: I ate a bag of crisps

the: This is the house that Jack built

when: A hen clucks when it lays an egg

people words

he: As Jack fell down he broke his crown

she: Jill hurt her hand when she fell

we: Shall we go in for our tea?

you: Shut your eyes if you want a surprise

whereabouts words

in: The cat is in her basket

on: She sat on the donkey

there: We're standing here but the bus stops over there

to: I went to the fair

up: Jack and Jill went up the hill

with: My cat plays with string

words for joining

and: I like cats and dogs

but: Birds can fly but cats can't

so: The car won't start so we must push it

then: First bake the cake then eat it

being and doing words

came: My aunt came to see us last week

go: Rain, rain, go away

have: Let's stop and have a rest

like: I like jam better than butter

said: Ben came in and said hello

were: Once upon a time there were three pigs

Essential words 2nd

people words

him: I prod my brother to annoy him

his: He held out his hand

me: My name belongs to me

my: I eat the chips and lick my lips

they: Shoes hurt when they pinch

useful words 1

all: The dog ate up all my dinner

for: A pen is for writing

some: Most birds can fly and some can swim

that: Let's go this way, not that way

this: My pen is this pen here

useful words 2

big: She saw the giant's big foot

little: This little pig went to market

not: I do not like being lost

very: An elephant is a very big animal

whereabouts words

at: I live at home

back: My dog brings back his ball

down: The skittles all fell down

out: I fell out of bed and woke up

Essential words 3rd

being and doing words

are: Cats and dogs are animals

be: I want to be your friend

could: He said he could do magic

do: There are lots of things I like to do

will: I will go even if it rains

would: I would rather fly than walk

more doing words

called: My dog is called Superdog

going: We are going to the fair

made: At last the pills made him better

put: She put the key into the lock

saw: He looked up and saw the moon

people words

our: We are five in our family

their: The kittens lost their mittens

them: I got some eggs and boiled them

us: Please give us our ball back

your: Clap your hands if you like the show

time (when) words

after: C comes after B in the ABC

again: It's nice to be back home again

as: She went to the party dressed as a witch

now: Right now is the time to do it

whereabouts words

about: This story is about myself

from: Milk comes from cows

into: It was very late when I got into bed

off: Humpty Dumpty fell off the wall

over: The cow jumped over the moon

Essential words 4th

doing words

come: Will you come to my party?

found: I looked around and found a pound

lived: Cavemen lived in caves

made: At last the pills made him better

play: Come and play ball with us

took: She took a look at her book

want: I want a drink when I'm thirsty

question words

how: Show me how a brown owl hoots

what: A hat is what you put on your head

when: A hen clucks when it lays an egg

where: Just here is where I sit

which: Tell me which cup is mine

who: I wonder who is knocking at my door

why: Tell me why she is not here

useful words

away: I forgot to put my things away

by: Please may I sit by the door?

no: Shake your head for no

other: Would you like this book or the other one?

too: My two cats are too lazy to go out

yes: Nod your head for yes

words for joining

if: It would be magic if I could fly

next: If it's Sunday, Monday's next

once: There once was an ugly duckling

or: We could go home or stay here

Numbers days months colours

colour words

black: The night was black and all was dark

blue: When the sky is blue the sun shines too

brown: Grill any food and it turns brown

green: Grass is green

purple: The colour purple is like a mixture of blue and red

red: This box is red all over

white: Fresh snow looks white

yellow: Buttercups are yellow

days of the week

Friday: Friday is named after the goddess Frigga

Monday: Monday is named after the moon

Saturday: Saturday is called after the god Saturn

Sunday: Sunday is named after the sun

Thursday: Thursday is named after the god Thor

Tuesday: Tuesday is called after the god Tiw

Wednesday: Wednesday is named after the god Woden

months

April: April is the fourth month of the year

August: August is a holiday month in Europe

December: December is the twelfth month of the year

February: February is the second month of the year

January: The year starts on the first of January

July: The month of July is named after Julius Caesar

June: Summer begins in June

March: The month of March is named from Mars, god of war

May: May in Europe is a month of spring

November: November is the eleventh month of the year

October: October the tenth month was the eighth Roman month

September: September is the last month of summer in Europe

numbers 1 to 10

eight: A spider has eight legs

five: People have five toes on each foot

four: Chairs need four firm legs

nine: A cat is said to have nine lives

one: We have two eyes and one nose

seven: There are seven days in a week

six: An ant has six legs

ten: My toes add up to ten

three: A triangle has three sides

two: We have one nose but two eyes

numbers 11 to 20

eighteen: Eight and ten make eighteen

eleven: There are eleven players in a football team

fifteen: Five and ten make fifteen

fourteen: Ten plus four makes fourteen

nineteen: Nine and ten make nineteen

seventeen: Seven and ten make seventeen

sixteen: Six and ten make sixteen

thirteen: Three and ten make thirteen

twelve: A dozen is twelve of anything

twenty: Two men have twenty toes

Other important words

being and doing words

been: I've been to London to see the Queen

does: She does judo on Monday after school

don't: Dinosaurs don't live here any more

done: My work is all done and finished

gave: I gave my dinner to the cat

give: Let me give you a present

goes: He goes to bed when he's tired

make: I like to make a fuss of my dog

may: He may be poor but he is kind

must: We must eat to stay alive

shall: What shall we have for tea?

want: I want a drink when I'm thirsty

other useful words

around: The pony trots around the ring

because: We went indoors because of the rain

here: This spot right here is good for our picnic

just: She grabbed the glass just as it fell

myself: When I look in a mirror I see myself

only: I have only one sweet left

own: I wish I had a pet of my very own

please: A dish of milk will please my cat

together: Bread and jam go well together

under: The river runs under the bridge

upon: Once upon a time there were three little pigs

qualifiers

an: I had a pear and an apple

any: Choose any number between one and ten

both: Bananas and pears are both fruit

every: I have every record the group ever made

good: A good dog sits when it's told

many: There are many fish in the sea

much: A lion is much bigger than a mouse

old: This tree is a hundred years old

small: A small button fits a tiny hole

these: You like those shoes but I like these

those: These apples are sweet but those are sour

time words

afternoon: The afternoon is between the morning and the evening

awake: Unable to sleep, he lay awake all night

before: Unwrap a sweet before you eat

morning: The sun comes up in the morning

never: We never sleep standing up

soon: Bedtime comes too soon

today: The day before tomorrow is today

tomorrow: The day after today is tomorrow

yesterday: The day before today was yesterday

Words by theme

fairy stories

castle: A big strong castle stood on a hill

dragon: The dragon gave a fiery hiccup

fairy: There's a fairy on top of the Christmas tree

forest: The woodcutter lived deep in the forest

giant: Next to the giant she looks so small

magic: By magic her rags became a fine gown

prince: A prince is the son of a king

princess: So the prince and princess lived happily ever after

spell: A spell turns the pumpkin into a coach

wicked: Are all witches wicked?

wishes: Cinderella's wishes all came true

witch: In flew the witch on her big black broom

familiar places

bathroom: I wash myself in the bathroom

bedroom: There are bunk beds in my bedroom

garden: My garden has both weeds and flowers

home: We live at home

kitchen: Dad was in the kitchen cooking dinner

lounge: The most comfortable chairs are in the lounge

shop: Her shop sells toys

supermarket: We filled our trolley with food at the supermarket

town: A town is bigger than a village

family and friends

aunt: My aunt is married to my uncle

baby: My aunt's baby is only four weeks old

boy: Every man was once a boy

brother: Sister and brother went home together

child: The child skipped along with a toy

children: The child ran to join the other children outside

father: A father is somebody's dad

friend: A friend is there in good times and bad

girl: His sister was a happy girl

mother: A mum is a mother

sister: My sister has her own room

uncle: An uncle is a brother of my mum or dad

outings

bus: The big red bus goes to town

car: Mum drives us to school by car

coach: We went to London by coach instead of by train

minibus: Only ten of us can fit in the school minibus

picnic: We spread a cloth on the grass for a picnic

play: Come and play ball with us

seat: I gave up my seat to the old man

ticket: We had to buy a ticket to get into the zoo

train: Our train leaves the station at ten.

zoo: A zoo was once called a zoological garden

parties

balloons: Blowing up balloons takes a lot of puff

birthday: Your birthday marks the day you were born

cake: I love cake with jam in it

cards: The postman came with a pile of birthday cards

crisps: Everyone had a bag of crunchy crisps

game: Can we play a game?

presents: I love unwrapping birthday presents

sandwich: Try this jam and peanut butter sandwich

sweets: Mints, toffees and jelly babies are all sweets

parts of the body

arms: Your arms are for hugging

ears: Your ears are for hearing

eyes: Your eyes are for seeing

face: I'll laugh if you pull that funny face

feet: She had no shoes on her feet

fingers: We have eight fingers and two thumbs

foot: Each foot has five toes

hair: His hair was cut very short

hands: Clap your hands

head: Please turn your head and look at me

legs: Long legs are good for running

mouth: His mouth was open to speak

nose: Your nose runs if you have a cold

toes: We have five toes on each foot

pets

cat: My cat laps up milk

dog: Our dog barks at cats

gerbil: A small gerbil ran inside its wheel

goldfish: The orange goldfish swam around its bowl

hamster: A hamster has big cheek pouches to store food

horse: The sad horse waited for his rider.

kitten: My kitten is fluffy and playful

mouse: My pet white mouse nibbles cheese

pony: A pony is a small type of horse

puppy: A dog is a puppy until it is grown

rabbit: Our pet rabbit ate Mum's prize carrots

school

book: She sat reading her book

classroom: Our classroom is next to the music room

paper: Someone had scribbled on every sheet of paper

pen: She writes with a red pen

pencil: I write in pencil if I need to rub out

read: This book is good to read

school: Children learn and play at school

teacher: Our teacher needs lots of patience

workbook: This workbook has spaces for me to write answers

write: I want to write him a letter

One letter for one sound

Short vowels

'a' as in cat

bad: A bad egg smells horrid

bag: Her bag holds a lot

can: Birds can fly

cat: My cat laps up milk

had: I did my work then had a rest

hat: He wore a woolly hat

jam: I like jam on bread

man: Every man was once a boy

ran: She ran quickly to catch the bus

'e' as in bed

bed: I sleep in a big bed

get: We will get wet in the rain

hen: My hen lays brown eggs

leg: I can stand on one leg

net: We need a net to dip in the pond

pen: She writes with a red pen

pet: I have a spider for a pet

red: This box is red all over

set: I have a new set of felt pens

yes: Nod your head for yes

'i' as in big

big: She saw the giant's big foot

bit: This bit fits here

hid: The squirrel hid its nuts

him: I prod my brother to annoy him

his: He held out his hand

lid: I put the lid back on the box

lip: I bit my lip

pig: The pig gave a grunt

six: An ant has six legs

win: Only one of you can win the prize

'o' as in dog

box: In this box there is a present

dog: Our dog barks at cats

fox: A fox hunts to eat

hot: Fire is hot

job: His job is washing up

lot: Her party was a lot of fun

not: I do not like being lost

pop: The balloon went pop!

top: The top of the jar got stuck

'u' as in sun

bus: The big red bus goes to town

but: Birds can fly but cats can't

cup: Gran has a cup of tea with me

cut: She cut the bread

fun: Her party was a lot of fun

mug: I sip my mug of hot milk

mum: A mum is a mother

sum: This sum gets a tick

sun: Summer sun is hot

short vowels, plurals

beds: Our family needs four beds

cubs: The fox cubs play by their mother

dots: Try to make a pattern of dots

jugs: The four jugs were full of milk

legs: Long legs are good for running

nets: By the boat were four nets

pans: Now I must wash the pans

pins: Her dress was held up with pins

rats: There were rats in the old house

'y' as a vowel

'y' as in fly

by: Please may I sit by the door?

cry: Sad news made her cry

dry: Boots keep my feet dry

fly: The fly fell in the jam

fry: She began to fry the eggs

sky: Birds fly up in the sky

try: I can be good if I try hard

'y' as in happy

family: The family had a good day out

happy: She is happy on her birthday

hobby: Collecting stamps is my hobby

holly: The holly has a deep red berry

lucky: I was lucky to win

puppy: A dog is a puppy until it is grown

silly: He does look silly in that hat

stuffy: A hot stuffy room is bad for you

twenty: Two men have twenty toes

Final consonant blends

'..ck' as in back

back: My dog brings back his ball

duck: The duck gave a quack

kick: She ran up to kick the ball

lock: He keeps a lock on his bike

luck: We need luck to win today

pack: It's time to pack for our holiday!

pick: I pick apples from the tree

sack: A big sack will hold a lot

sick: I ate so much I was sick!

tick: A tick means yes

'..ft' as in lift

left: Turn left at the corner

lift: They rode to the top in the lift

loft: Dad put my old toys in the loft

soft: A kitten's fur is soft

tuft: He has only got one tuft of hair

'..lk' as in sulk

bulk: My mum buys food in bulk

hulk: The divers swam up to a sunken hulk

milk: I put some milk in my tea

silk: A silk scarf is soft

sulk: She will sulk if she has no work

'..ll' as in hill

bell: The bell rang for playtime

bill: We ate our food, then paid the bill

doll: This doll has long hair

fell: A boy fell off his bike

fill: Please take my cup and fill it up

hill: Up the hill we go!

pill: My magic pill cures everything

sell: They want to sell their car for cash

tell: Let me tell you a story

will: I will go even if it rains

'..lt' as in belt

belt: A belt holds up my jeans

felt: She felt cold all winter

kilt: The Scotsman had a tartan kilt

melt: Snowmen melt in the sun

pelt: Children pelt each other with snowballs

'..mp' as in bump

bump: I got a bump on the head when I fell

camp: Our camp had four big tents

damp: Her wet shoes made the carpet damp

imp: This little imp is up to no good

jump: A frog can jump over a log

lamp: The lamp gave a soft glow

limp: His bad leg made him limp

lump: I had a lump on my head from a fall

mumps: A painful neck may be mumps

pump: You fill up the car at the pump

'..nd' as in bend

and: I like cats and dogs

bend: Drive carefully round a bend

end: At the end of the day I'm sleepy

hand: My hand is to hold things

land: After weeks at sea he saw land

lend: Please lend me some money

pond: Why has this pond got no ducks?

sand: There's so much sand at the seaside

send: I'd like to send her a birthday card

'..ng' as in bang

bang: Bangers go bang

hang: The little monkey has to hang on

king: The king sat on his throne

long: Giraffes need long scarves

lungs: I fill my lungs with fresh air

ring: She has a ring on her finger

sing: Let 's sing a song together

song: The singer sang a sad song

wing: This bird has hurt its wing

'..nk' as in bunk

bank: Money is kept in a bank

bunk: Tom slept in the top bunk

honk: Car horns go honk

pink: Roses are often pink

sink: His sink was full of washing-up

sunk: The ship had sunk to the seabed

tank: Fish swam in the tank

wink: A wink is a one-eyed blink

'..nt' as in ant

ant: An ant has six legs

bent: The shelf was bent

dent: The crash made a dent in my car

hunt: I had to hunt all over to find my socks

pant: A dog will pant when it is hot

sent: I sent her present in the post

tent: I'm going to sleep out in my tent

went: Jack and Jill went up the hill

'..sk' as in desk

desk: I work best at my desk

dusk: Just before dark it is dusk

husk: The husk protects the nut

risk: You risk a fall sitting on that wall

rusk: Our baby likes to chew a rusk

tusk: An elephant tusk is long and white

'..ss' as in kiss

boss: Mum is the boss at home

fuss: He makes a fuss about his food

hiss: The balloon went down with a hiss

kiss: She gave him a big kiss

less: One is less than two

loss: The loss of her pet made her cry

mess: Her hair was such a mess

miss: I don't often miss the target

'..st' as in best

best: I can tell my best friend anything

cost: A big meal out can cost a lot

just: She grabbed the glass just as it fell

list: I made a list of my friends

must: We must eat to stay alive

nest: Four eggs rest in a nest

rest: He had to rest after running so far

test: My sister had her driving test

west: A west wind is a wet wind

'.ing' as in resting

bending: She is bending down to touch her toes

costing: My holiday is costing me a lot

jumping: I like jumping over puddles

resting: He is resting after keep-fit

singing: The birds are singing in the sun

sinking: The ship is sinking fast

sulking: She has to work so she is sulking

Initial consonant blends

'bl..' as in blot

black: The night was black and all was dark

blank: The screen went blank

blend: You blend the eggs with flour and milk

blink: Eyes blink all the time

blob: A blob of jam fell on the cloth

block: A block of wood held back the door

blot: Drip some paint and make a blot

blunt: A blunt knife never cuts well

'br..' as in brick

brag: Winners sometimes show off and brag

bran: When flour is made, bran is left

brand: Which brand of beans is best?

brick: Here's a brick to start a wall

brim: My glass is full up to the brim

bring: Postmen bring the post

brisk: A brisk walk will keep you fit

'cl..' as in clap

clamp: He held the wood in a clamp

clang: The bell went clang

click: The switch goes on with a click.

cliff: Do not go to the edge of the cliff.

cling: A baby will cling to its mother.

clock: The clock strikes three

clog: A wooden shoe is called a clog.

club: The giant had a big club

clump: A clump of reeds grows by the pond.

'cr..' as in crisp

crab: A crab hid in a rocky pool

crack: The egg began to crack open

cramp: The swimmer left the pool with cramp

cress: You can grow cress on wet paper

cricket: You need a bat and ball for cricket

crisp: You can have the last crisp in the packet

crop: Sun makes a crop of corn grow tall

cross: Just one sum had a cross and was wrong

crust: Who wants the crust off this new loaf?

'dr..' as in drum

drag: He had to drag the boat out of the water

dragon: The dragon gave a fiery hiccup

dress: She wore her new dress to the party

drift: Let the boat drift down the river

drill: His drill made a hole in the wall

drink: A fizzy drink tickles your nose

drip: Don't let water drip on the carpet

drop: A drop of rain fell on my hat

drum: We dance as he bangs his drum

'fl..' as in flat

flag: The flag flaps in the wind.

flan: Fill a flan with fruit and jelly

flap: This flap is for the cat

flat: She fell flat on her back

fling: Just fling your coat on the floor

flop: Her first song was a flop.

fluff: There is fluff in the dusty corner

'fr..' as in frog

fret: I did fret when my cat was lost

frill: Her dress was edged with a frill

frock: Gran says frock instead of dress

frog: A frog sits by a pond

from: Milk comes from cows

frond: A frond of weed hid the crab

frost: There is frost on the window

'gl..' as in glad

glad: I'm glad you can come to my party

glen: A glen is a Scottish valley

glint: They saw the glint of gold in the rocks

gloss: Polish gives a gloss to wood

glum: The bad news made her glum

'gr..' as in grin

grand: The king was very grand

grill: You grill food on barbecues

grin: She gave a happy grin

grip: You need a good grip on your bat

grit: A frosty path needs grit

grub: A grub in your apple is bad news

gruff: The man had a gruff voice

grunt: The pig gave a grunt

'pl..' as in plug

plan: This is the plan of the house

planet: Was there once life on the planet Mars?

plank: A plank of wood can make a shelf

plastic: A plastic flower has no smell

plug: A plug keeps water in a sink

plum: I hope this plum is sweet

plump: The rabbit was plump and round

plus: Two plus two makes four

'pr..' as in pram

pram: We took our baby out in the pram

prank: A prank is a silly trick

present: I want to open my present now

press: A bell will ring if you press this button

print: My work is neat when I print it

prison: All prison gates have locks

prod: Mum woke me with a prod in the ribs

prong: One prong of my fork is bent

prop: A prop holds up this washing-line

'qu..' as in quack

quack: The duck gave a quiet quack

quest: His quest was to find the missing ring

quick: You must be quick to win a race

quill: A quill is a feather pen

quilt: My quilt keeps me snug in bed

quit: They had to quit their work and go

quiz: A quiz will test how much you know

'sc..' as in scan

scab: His fall has left a scab on his knee

scalp: Not one hair grew on his scalp

scan: An X-ray scan can see inside us

scoff: Jim would scoff his chips in no time.

scum: Green scum lies on top of the pond

'scr..' as in scrub

scrap: Old tin cans end up as scrap

scrimp: The poor man had to scrimp on food

script: She wrote the script for the puppet play

scrub: Muddy floors need a good scrub

scruff: I look like a scruff when I get up

scrum: The players got into a scrum

'sk..' as in skin

skid: Mud makes cars skid

skill: You need skill to dribble a ball

skim: Let's skim stones across the pond

skin: You need skin to keep your body in

skip: She likes to skip with her new rope

skull: Your skull protects your brain

'sl..' as in slug

slack: Loosen your belt to make it slack

slam: The wind made the door slam

slap: A slap on the hand hurts

slept: Baby slept in a cot

sling: His arm was in a sling

slip: A banana skin made him slip

slit: She cut a slit in the cloth

slot: Put your coin in the slot

slug: A slimy slug slid slowly past

'sm..' as in smug

smack: A smack on the hand hurts

smell: Come and smell this flower

smock: I put on a smock when I paint

smug: She looked so smug when she won

smut: He cleaned a smut of dirt off the window

'sn..' as in snap

snack: I have a snack if I'm hungry

snag: His clever plan went without a snag

snap: My pencil broke with a snap

sniff: Take a sniff and smell this flower

snip: I will just snip the paper in two

snob: A snob thinks he is better than us

snub: It feels like a snub to be left out

snug: The cat is snug beside the fire

'sp..' as in spit

span: We made a bridge to span the stream

speck: A speck of dust went in my eye

spell: A spell turns the pumpkin into a coach

spend: I spend too much on sweets

spill: Be careful not to spill the ink

spin: When I spin round I get dizzy

spit: An angry cat will spit

spots: She had spots when she was ill

'spl..' sa in split

splat: The paint fell with a splat

splendid: You have done some splendid work

splint: They put a splint on his broken leg

split: The plank was split in two

'spr..' as in spring

sprang: I opened the box and out sprang Jack

sprat: A little sprat swam out at sea

sprig: He drew a sprig of holly on his card

spring: A Jack-in-a-box needs a spring

sprint: He won the hundred-metre sprint

'st..' as in step

stamp: Every letter needs a stamp

stand: We saw the match from the stand

step: She fell from the top step of the stairs

stick: This stick is for the campfire

stiff: A stiff knee is hard to bend

still: Keep still while I cut your hair!

sting: A wasp will sting if it is angry

stop: Cars must stop at red lights

stuck: Jam was stuck all over his face

stunt: His best stunt was jumping over two cars

'str..' as in string

strand: A strand of hair was all he had

strap: My case was held shut with a strap

string: My kitten loves a ball of string

strong: This man is so strong he can lift a tonne

struck: The clock struck twelve

'sw..' as in swim

swam: Today I swam in the sea

swank: He likes to swank about his cars

swell: Hot air made the balloon swell out

swift: You must be swift to win a race

swig: He took a swig from the bottle

swill: Water will swill the mess away

swim: I can swim across the pool

swing: Push me high on my swing

'tr..' as in trip

track: A train runs on a track

traffic: Too much traffic blocks the roads

tramp: A tramp has no home

trick: It was a silly trick to hide his pen

trim: His hair needs a trim

trip: Our trip to the zoo was fun

trot: The horse set off at a trot

truck: The truck carried a load of bricks

trunk: A trunk is a very long nose

Letters combined for one sound

'ch', 'sh' and 'th'

'..nch' as in pinch

bench: I often sit on this bench in the sun

bunch: Grapes are picked by the bunch

finch: A finch just loves to eat seeds

hunch: I had a hunch our numbers would win

lunch: I eat my lunch at one o'clock

munch: My pony had an apple to munch

pinch: He put a pinch of salt on his egg

punch: He gave the ball a mighty punch

'..tch' as in catch

catch: He ran to catch the ball

hutch: They made a hutch for their baby rabbit

kitchen: Dad was in the kitchen cooking dinner

match: She lit the candle with a match

pitch: The team ran onto the pitch

scratch: The pin made a scratch on her hand

stretch: As I wake up I stretch my arms

switch: We switch on the light at night

witch: In flew the witch on her big black broom

'ch' as in chat

chat: My mum likes to chat with her friends

check: This pattern is a check

chicken: I like my chicken alive and clucking

chimp: The chimp was unhappy in the zoo

chin: Every day he shaves his chin

chips: Fish and chips taste very good

much: A lion is much bigger than a mouse

rich: A rich man has lots of money

such: Your party was such good fun

'sh' as in shell

brush: A new brush sweeps well

cash: She took the cash to the bank

crash: Their car hit the wall with a crash

fish: One little fish swam in the pond

shell: A snail has a shell on its back

ship: The ship sails out to sea

shop: Her shop sells toys

wish: Most of us wish to be happy

'th' as in think

tenth: Her birthday is the tenth of March

thank: She went to thank them for their help

theft: Stealing things is theft

thick: A big brush paints a thick line

thin: A thin dog needs his food

thing: A cup is a thing for holding drinks

think: I must think before I speak

thud: The spaceship landed with a thud

thump: He gave the ball a great big thump

'th' as in this

that: Let's go this way, not that way

them: I got some eggs and boiled them

then: First bake the cake then eat it

this: My pen is this pen here

with: My cat plays with string

Doubled vowels

'ee' as in feet

feel: I feel cold in the snow

feet: She had no shoes on her feet

green: Grass is green

need: We all need food

screen: I like a TV with a big screen

sleep: After his walk my dog goes to sleep

speed: He ran for help at top speed

street: The bus to town stops down the street

sweet: I wish I had a sweet to suck

tree: A tree needs deep roots

'oo' as in good

book: She sat reading her book

cook: A clever cook bakes better buns

foot: Each foot has five toes

good: A good dog sits when it's told

hood: A snug red hood will keep her warm

hook: I am going to fix a hook for our coats

look: They all ran out to look at the snow

took: She took a look at her book

wooden: Cooks often use a wooden spoon

'oo' as in moon

boot: He left his boot stuck in the mud

cool: A fan will help you to keep cool

food: The boy soon ate up all his food

moon: A silver moon lit up the sky

pool: Come and swim in my pool

proof: The photo was proof he was there

smooth: Her velvet dress was smooth and soft

soon: Bedtime comes too soon

spoon: You need a spoon to eat soup from a bowl

tooth: I bit too hard and hurt my tooth

Paired vowels

'ai' as in train

aim: You need a good aim to play darts

brain: I use my brain to think things out

nail: One more nail should fix this shelf

paint: She took her brush and began to paint

rain: They all got wet in the rain

snail: The snail left a silver trail

train: Our train leaves the station at ten.

wait: We did not wait long for the bus

'au' as in haunt

gaunt: He grew gaunt and thin with illness

haunt: Ghosts are said to haunt that house

launch: He pressed the button to launch the rocket

laundry: Hang your laundry out to dry

taunt: The bully called me names to taunt me

taut: The rope goes taut when both teams pull

'ea' as in bread

bread: Fresh bread makes the best toast

breath: He ran until he was out of breath

dead: With a click the phone went dead

deaf: The deaf man did not hear the bell

head: Please turn your head and look at me

health: An apple a day is good for your health

instead: She wants a pony instead of a bike

sweat: Hard work makes you sweat

wealth: The lottery winner gave away all his wealth

'ea' as in seat

beach: Blue seas lap this sandy beach

beak: A bird pecks with its beak

heat: Fire gives off heat

meal: Beans on toast is a simple meal

seat: I gave up my seat to the old man

steam: Water gives off steam as it boils

stream: A river starts as a stream

team: She plays football in our team

'ie' as in field

brief: A nap is a brief sleep

chief: Sitting Bull was a brave chief

field: She keeps her pony in this field

grief: She wept in grief

shield: His shield should protect him from arrows

shriek: His joke spider made Mum shriek

thief: A thief took all my cash

'oa' as in boat

boat: Our boat sailed on the stormy sea

coach: We went to London by coach instead of by train

coal: A hot coal fell from the open fire

coast: Sandy shores run along this coast

coat: Her coat was warm and made of wool

float: He put a float on his fishing-line

foam: Too much soap makes too much foam

loaf: I like a crusty loaf of bread

road: The long road led to the hills

soap: A bar of soap is for washing

'oi' as in boil

boil: The kettle came to the boil

coin: Let's toss a coin for who goes first

joint: Your elbow makes a joint in your arm

moist: Her hair was moist from the rain

noisy: Their stereo is too noisy

oil: An engine runs well with oil

point: It's rude to point a finger

poison: Never drink poison

soil: Seeds need good soil

toilet: Wooden toilet seats are warmer

'ou' as in cloud

cloud: A small cloud hid the sun

count: I count to ten before I speak

ground: The ground felt firm beneath my feet

loud: Some of us like loud music

mouth: His mouth was open to speak

out: I fell out of bed and woke up

round: All wheels are round

sound: No sound came from the silent house

south: Go south for sunshine

'ou' as in couple

country: He left his own country to go abroad

couple: Two of anything make a couple

courage: It took courage to fight that blazing fire

cousin: My cousin is my uncle's son

nourish: Water and soil both nourish a seed

trouble: In times of trouble we all need help

young: A kitten is a young cat

Vowels with 'gh'

'augh' as in caught

caught: He put out a hand and caught the ball

daughter: He has one daughter and no sons

fraught: A frantic day can leave you fraught

naughty: That naughty kitten has licked the cream

taught: He taught his dog to do some tricks

'eigh' as in weigh

eight: A spider has eight legs

eighty: Four twenties make eighty

neigh: She heard her horse neigh from far away

sleigh: Over the snow she rode in her sleigh

weigh: I had to weigh some flour for a cake-mix

weight: You must be strong to lift such a weight

'igh' as in high

high: From high on the hill they saw for miles

night: All that night the moon shone bright

right: Ticks mean all your sums are right

sigh: With a sad sigh she said goodbye

thigh: Your thigh is your leg from hip to knee

tight: These tight shoes pinch my toes

Vowels with 'r'

'air' as in fair

chair: Pull up a chair and sit down

dairy: Butter and cheese are made in a dairy

fair: I love the fair with all its rides

fairy: There's a fairy on top of the Christmas tree

hair: His hair was cut very short

pair: He always wore a pair of trainers

stairs: Steep wooden stairs led up to the top

unfair: It's unfair to give her a bigger cake

'ar' as in car

dark: The sky was dark that night

farm: Ben grew corn on his farm

garden: My garden has both weeds and flowers

hard: A snail finds it hard to jump

march: The men had to march in time

market: Things are cheap in the market

park: He jogs in the park each day

spark: One stray spark started the forest fire

star: The sheriff has a star as his badge

start: She turned the key to start the car

'are' as in scare

beware: The princess knew to beware of dragons

care: She took care of her teddy bear

dare: I dare you to do a bungee jump

rare: He searches the jungle for rare plants

scare: My sudden yell gave her quite a scare

share: I will let you share my chocolate

spare: Come and play if you have the spare time

square: You never see a square tomato

'ear' as in bear

bear: Deep in the woods a grizzly bear growled

pear: I could not bear to leave that pear unpicked

swear: In court we swear to tell the truth

tear: She had to mend a tear in the cloth

wear: People wear shorts in the summer

'ear' as in beard

appear: As dusk fell I saw the moon appear

beard: His big bushy beard covered his tie

clear: The stream was so clear you could see the fish

ear: She whispered in his ear

fear: A brave man hides his fear

gear: The car was stuck in second gear

hear: Rabbits have long ears to hear danger

rear: Pedals drive a bike's rear wheel

spear: He hurled his spear at the springing lion

'ear' as in pearl

early: He got out of bed early that day

earn: She went to work to earn some money

earth: From space the earth looks beautiful

heard: I heard a great new song today

learn: I try to learn ten spellings a week

learning: I am learning how to swim

pearl: He dived for a pearl to give to his girl

search: A detective needs to search for clues

'eer' as in cheer

beer: The glass of beer had foam on top

cheer: We gave a cheer when our team won

jeer: Unkind people jeer at losers

peer: She had to peer hard to see through the fog

steer: I helped the captain steer his ship into port

'er' as in her

fern: A fern is an evergreen plant

her: She has a ring on her finger

herb: Mint is a herb with a fresh tingly taste

kerb: You wait at the kerb to cross the road

perfect: I may be good but I'm not perfect

person: A person may be a man or a woman

stern: When Mum looks stern we all behave

term: At the end of term our holiday starts

'ir' as in bird

bird: A small bird sang from the treetop

birth: Our cat gave birth to six kittens

dirty: You play in dirt - you get dirty

first: The first to get home is the winner

girl: His sister was a happy girl

shirt: The team's new shirt is blue and white

skirt: Her long blue skirt reached the floor

third: She ate two cakes and then a third

'ire' as in fire

admire: I admire your neat handwriting

bonfire: Cheerful red sparks rose from the bonfire

fire: He lit the fire to get himself warm

fireman: The fireman bravely fought the fire

hire: Dad chose to hire a car in France

retire: He hopes to retire before he is old

wire: He knows how to wire a plug

'oar' as in roar

boar: Wild boar live in the Black Forest

board: The teacher wrote on the board

hoard: The pirates hid their hoard of gold

oar: They each took an oar to row the boat

roar: The angry lion gave a roar

soar: I saw my kite soar high in the sky

'or' as in sport

corn: Butter is good with corn on the cob

fork: He stuck his fork into a pea

morning: The sun comes up in the morning

north: Go north for cold and ice

short: The ladder was too short to reach the top

sort: A bun is a sort of cake

sport: Keep fit with sport

'ore' as in more

before: Unwrap a sweet before you eat

more: She ate lots but wanted more

score: Put the ball in the net to score

shore: Blue sea laps the sandy shore

snore: People who snore keep others awake

sore: Her throat was so sore she could hardly speak

store: Children adore buying sweets from a store

swore: The witness swore to tell the truth

wore: He wore a turban on his head

'our' as in flour

flour: Here is some flour to bake a cake

hour: Sixty minutes make an hour

our: We are five in our family

scour: I'll scrub and scour that dirty old pan

sour: Lemons are so very sour

'our' as in four

court: We played tennis on a grass court

four: Chairs need four firm legs

fourteen: Ten plus four makes fourteen

pour: Use a funnel to help you pour

your: Clap your hands if you like the show

'ur' as in fur

burn: Dry logs burn well

burst: Balloons go bang when they burst

church: Christians go to church to pray

curly: A pig has a curly tail

fur: My cat's fur is soft and fluffy

hurt: When she fell she hurt her hand

turn: I always take my turn to wash up

turnip: A turnip is a root that's good to eat

Vowels with 'w'

'aw' as in claw

claws: The eagle snatched a snake in its claws

crawl: Babies crawl before they walk

draw: The final result was a draw

jaw: You move your jaw when you chew

law: He broke the law when he shot the sheriff

lawn: My lawn grows green and grassy

paw: Our cat dips its paw in its milk

raw: Food is raw until you cook it

straw: She likes to sip her drink through a straw

thaw: The thaw came at last and melted the snow

'ew' as in flew

chew: My dog likes to chew bones

crew: Four fine men were the crew of the ship

drew: He drew a picture of a flower

flew: A bee flew past his nose

grew: He grew prize-winning pumpkins

screw: You turn a screw to tighten it

threw: She threw the ball for me to catch

'ew' as in newt

dew: The leaves that morning shone with drops of dew

few: Just a few pence was all she had left

new: I would like a new bike for my birthday

newt: A newt slid into the pond to swim

stew: A spicy smell rose from the stew

'ow' as in cow

brown: Grill any food and it turns brown

clown: The clown acted the fool

cow: Daisy was a cow who mooed all day

crowd: The crowd packed the stands for the match

growl: The dog gave a growl to warn us off

now: Right now is the time to do it

prowl: My cat goes out to prowl the streets

rowdy: Those rowdy children make too much noise

vow: He made a vow to kill the dragon

'ow' as in show

flow: They watched the river flow smoothly by

grow: Eating your greens will help you grow

show: Let me show you my scar

slow: Slugs and snails are very slow

throw: How far can you throw a ball?

window: She gazed through the green glass window

yellow: Buttercups are yellow

Vowels with 'y'

'ay' as in play

away: I forgot to put my things away

crayon: He drew a tree with his crayon

day: I play all day on holiday

play: Come and play ball with us

say: A chatterbox has lots to say

spray: This spray kills fleas

stay: He had to stay in when he was ill

tray: She took the cups away on a tray

way: Can you tell me the way to town?

'oy' as in toy

annoy: It does annoy me when I miss the bus

boy: Every man was once a boy

convoy: The line of ships was sailing in convoy

destroy: You can destroy weeds by pulling them up

employ: A busy firm must employ more workers

enjoy: We all enjoy a tasty meal

loyal: His loyal dog was a friend for life

royal: The royal coach is for the queen

toy: The child sat playing with a toy

wh', 'ph', 'thr', and 'shr'

'ph' as in photo

alphabet: I know every letter of the alphabet

dolphin: A dolphin hunts fish but is gentle with people

elephant: An elephant came stomping by

graph: A graph makes a picture from numbers

nephew: My sister's son is my nephew

orphan: His parents died and so he was an orphan

phantom: The phantom floated through the wall

photo: She kept his photo in a silver frame

'shr' as in shred

shred: She tore a shred of paper from her notebook

shrill: The whistle blew a shrill note

shrimp: The shrimp was alone in a seaside pool

shrink: Some jumpers shrink in the wash

shrub: I will plant the shrub by the other bushes

shrug: A shrug of his shoulders said he didn't care

'thr' as in thrill

thread: The thread slips through the needle's eye

threat: I see a threat of rain in those dark clouds

three: A triangle has three sides

thrill: Winning gave her such a thrill

throat: He shouted till his throat grew sore

throb: Loud music makes my head throb

throng: A throng packed the ground for the match

thrush: A thrush sang outside my window

'wh' as in wheel

whack: With a whack she hit her head on the shelf

wheat: Farmers grow wheat so we can have bread

wheel: The front wheel of her bike hit the kerb

whip: You have to whip cream to make it thick

whirl: The rides at the fair whirl round and round

whiskers: A cat laps up milk then licks its whiskers

whisper: Softly and in a whisper she told her secret

'wh', question words

what: A hat is what you put on your head

when: A hen clucks when it lays an egg

where: Just here is where I sit

whether: Tell me whether you want this or that

which: Tell me which cup is mine

why: Tell me why she is not here

One letter alters another

'e' alters 'c' and 'g'

'ce' as in cell

audience: The audience clapped as the play ended

cell: Deep in the castle was a dark prison cell

dance: Do try to dance in time to the music

force: The force of the gale made cars overturn

mice: The mouse had a family of baby mice

race: The fastest runner wins the race

service: Buses provide a useful service

space: Travel in space can go far beyond Earth

surface: The pond had ice on its surface

twice: Sing Happy Birthday twice for twins

'cei' as in ceiling

ceiling: A single light hung down from the ceiling

conceited: You're conceited if you think you're better than us

deceit: The old cheat lived a life of deceit

deceive: Camouflage is to deceive the enemy

perceive: Bats perceive sounds we cannot hear

receive: Every winner will receive a prize

received: Noddy received a birthday gift

'dge' as in edge

badge: A soldier has a badge on his cap

badger: A badger lives below ground in a sett

bridge: You can cross the river at the bridge

edge: The land falls steeply at the edge of a cliff

fidget: An itchy jumper makes you fidget

fudge: A piece of fudge is sweet and chewy

hedgehog: A hedgehog has spikes for self-defence

judge: The judge asked the witness to speak up

midget: What a midget he seemed beside the giant!

sledge: Our sledge will go on crisp white snow

'ge' as in cage

angel: An angel is a heavenly messenger

cage: A songbird longs to fly from its cage

garage: Our car goes in the garage overnight

general: The general commands his army

hinge: The old door was hanging by a single hinge

huge: A shoe looks huge to an ant

orange: Cut an orange and juice spurts out

stage: The curtains parted to reveal the stage

strange: The message was strange and puzzling

'e' alters vowels (magic e)

'a-e' as in name

cake: I love cake with jam in it

flame: A flame shot up from the fire

game: Can we play a game?

late: The bus was late today

made: At last the pills made him better

same: These two dogs are the same size

scales: Let's weigh these apples on the scales

scrape: I'll scrape the mud off my shoes

'e' as in hoe, blue

blue: When the sky is blue the sun shines too

clue: There was no clue to the theft

die: Plants die with no water

glue: My brush got stuck in the glue

hoe: You use a hoe to chop out weeds

pie: Would you like a piece of pie?

tie: His tie has blue stripes

toe: It hurts to stub your toe

true: A lie can never be true

'i-e' as in bite

bike: She rides her bike downhill

crime: His last crime was to take a tiger

kite: Fly your kite on a windy day

line: This work has a line through it

mile: From here to home is just a mile.

prize: The winner gets a brilliant prize

size: The twins are the same size

slide: The boy slid down the yellow slide

wide: The river was too wide to jump

'o-e' as in pole

hole: The pirate dug a hole to hide his gold

home: We live at home

hope: I hope to be rich one day and happy

note: Each note she sang was soft

pole: He used a long pole to push out the boat

rose: She picked a rose and pricked her finger

stone: You could trip over that stone

stroke: It is quite safe to stroke my dog

woke: Dad woke Mum with a cup of tea

'u-e' as in cube

compute: The supermarket till will compute your bill.

cube: All the sides of a cube are squares

fuse: She put a new fuse in the plug

tube: Some sweets are sold in a tube

tune: Can you whistle that tune?

use: You cannot use a fork to eat custard

brute: The brute had fangs and claws

crude: A saucepan makes a crude drum

flute: You blow across a flute to play it

June: Summer begins in June

plume: Her hat had a plume of feathers

rude: It is rude to stare

rule: Just rule a line across the page

'i' alters 'c' and 'g'

'ci' as in city

acid: Vinegar has a sharp acid taste

cigarette: A cigarette is smaller than a cigar

cinder: A red-hot cinder scorched the rug

cinema: Our new cinema has ten screens

circus: The circus was held in a huge tent

citrus: Lemons, limes and oranges are citrus fruits

city: Tall buildings line the streets of a city

civil: Polite people give civil replies

civilian: The civilian wore jeans, the soldier a uniform

'gi' as in giant

giant: Next to the giant she looks so small

gin: He asked the barman for a gin

ginger: Bits of ginger make a cake hot

magic: By magic her rags became a fine gown

origin: I know the origin of the rumour because I made it up

original: An original painting isn't a copy

rigid: Something is rigid if it is not flexible

'w', 'qu' alter 'a', 'ar' and 'or'

'qua' as in quality

quality: All her clothes were of the finest quality

quantity: A pinch of salt is not a big quantity

quarrel: They disagreed and started to quarrel

squander: It is silly to squander your savings

squash: If you sit on your lunch you will squash it

squat: I saw a toad squat under a stone

'wa' as in want

swallow: A big pill is hard to swallow

swamp: Our feet got stuck in the muddy swamp

swan: A snow-white swan swam all alone

wad: He stuffs the wad of notes in his pocket

wander: Without fences sheep wander away

want: I want a drink when I'm thirsty

was: There once was an ugly duckling

wash: I went to wash my grubby hands

watch: I like to watch the news on TV

'war' as in warm

warden: The warden told me where to park

warm: The sun made the cat feel warm

warmth: A lamb snuggles up to its mum for warmth

warn: A sign should warn drivers about that bend

warning: The lightning struck without warning

warp: Wooden planks can bend and warp

wart: The wart on his finger became quite sore

'wor' as in worm

fireworks: Dazzling fireworks lit up the night

word: Now here is a word I can spell

work: Nurses work in hospitals

world: The world is the planet on which we live

worm: A wiggly worm lived in the soil

worse: A cold is bad but flu is worse

worship: To worship is to pay deep respect

worth: This gold ring is worth a lot of money

'y' alters 'c' and 'g'

'..cy' as in spicy

emergency: Ring 999 in an emergency

fancy: His flashy tie had a fancy pattern

fleecy: My coat has a fleecy lining

juicy: Peeling juicy fruit makes sticky fingers

mercy: In their mercy they set the captives free

spicy: Curry has a spicy taste

'gy' as in gym

energy: Gas and electricity are forms of energy

gym: I'm off to the gym to exercise

stingy: He was too stingy to buy a single present

Final 'll' 'ld' 'nd' alter vowels

'a' as in tall

all: The dog ate up all my dinner

ball: She kicked the ball into the net

call: Did you hear me call your name?

fall: Humpty-Dumpty had a great fall

hall: Go through the front door and into the hall

small: A small button fits a tiny hole

snowball: We made a big snowball to roll downhill

stall: Let's get an ice cream from that stall

tall: One tree stood tall above the rest

wall: We played with a ball against the wall

'i' as in kind

blind: Guide dogs help the blind get around

find: I must find my lost purse

grind: Mills grind corn to flour

kind: You were kind to help me out

mind: In my own mind I think I'm right

rind: Orange rind goes into marmalade

child: The child skipped along with a toy

mild: It was mild and sunny that spring

wild: Flowers grew wild in the meadow

'o' as in bold

bold: The brave man took another bold step

cold: The snowman stood frozen out in the cold

fold: Your card will stand up if you fold it

gold: Wedding rings are made from gold

hold: The vet let me hold the dog in my arms

old: This tree is a hundred years old

sold: Her little corner shop sold everything

told: Gulliver told the tale of his travels

Words with silent letters

Silent consonants

'..mb' as in lamb

climb: He aims to climb to the top

comb: Do take this comb and tidy your hair

crumb: A crumb fell as she broke the biscuit.

lamb: A lamb soon becomes a sheep

limb: His left leg was the limb he broke

numb: My fingers are quite numb with cold

thumb: You hold your pen between finger and thumb

tomb: A moss-clad tomb stood outside the church

'gn' as in gnat

design: You need a design before you build

gnarl: Old age makes trees twist and gnarl

gnash: A dog will gnash his teeth in anger

gnat: The gnat will buzz and bite at night

gnome: I put a gnome by my garden pond.

reign: Queen Victoria's reign lasted sixty-five years

sign: A sign beside the road shows the way

'kn..' as in knee

knee: I fell and grazed my knee

kneel: People often kneel when praying

knew: After just one lesson I knew how to skate

knife: A good cook needs a sharp knife

knight: The brave knight rode a black horse

knit: Gran will knit me a jumper

knob: The knob turned and the door opened

knock: There came a loud knock at the door.

knot: I tied the rope with a firm knot.

'rh' as in rhyme

rhea: A rhea is like an ostrich, but from South America

rhetorical: A rhetorical question needs no answer

rhino: Four of the five species of rhino are endangered

rhombus: A rhombus has four equal sides

rhubarb: A rhubarb crumble needs sugar to make it sweet

rhyme: Words rhyme when their endings sound the same

rhythm: A strong pattern of sound is rhythm

'wr..' as in write

wrap: I must wrap his present neatly

wreck: The wreck was sunk in a storm.

wren: The little wren sings very loudly

wrench: A wrench is a kind of spanner

wring: My wrists were too weak to wring out the cloth

wrist: Hands twist from the wrist

write: I want to write him a letter

wrong: Stealing things is wrong

silent 'c' as in science

muscle: A muscle is an organ for moving a part of the body

scene: The stage was set for the opening scene

scent: Just smell the scent of this flower

science: Biology is the science of life

scientist: The scientist planned a careful experiment.

scissors: Use sharp scissors to cut paper and cloth

silent 'h' as in hour

heir: The crown prince was heir to the throne

honest: An honest person never lies

honour: It's an honour to have gained this award

hour: Sixty minutes make an hour

silent 'l' as in talk

calf: The cow licked her newborn calf

chalk: White chalk writes well on black

could: He said he could do magic

half: One is half of two

palm: I held the mouse in the palm of my hand

should: I should have trained then I would have won

stalk: The stalk supports the flower

talk: I like to talk to my friend

walk: He went for a long walk

would: I would rather fly than walk

yolk: An egg has a yellow yolk

silent 't' as in castle

castle: A big strong castle stood on a hill

glisten: Raindrops glisten in the sun

listen: I am trying to listen to the music

listening: Keep listening for the doorbell

rustle: I hear trees rustle in the breeze

thistle: A thistle is a prickly flower

whistle: The match ends when the whistle blows

wrestle: They wrestle in the ring for money

Silent vowels

'..gue' as in tongue

catalogue: We order goods from a catalogue

intrigue: This puzzle will intrigue you

league: Our netball team is set to win its league.

plague: A plague kills many far and wide

rogue: A rogue is not to be trusted

tongue: I licked the lolly with my tongue

vague: The trees were vague shapes in the fog

silent 'u' as in guess

biscuit: The dog sat up and begged for a biscuit

build: It takes many bricks to build a wall

disguise: He wore a beard to disguise himself

guarantee: My watch has a ten-year guarantee

guard: The guard stands by his sentry box

guess: Try to guess my age!

guest: The chat-show host welcomed the next guest

guide: Their mountain guide showed them the way

guilty: The jury found her guilty of theft

guitar: The electric guitar leads many bands

silent final 'e' as in have

because: We went indoors because of the rain

cheese: The mouse nibbled the cheese

give: Let me give you a present

have: Let's stop and have a rest

horse: The sad horse waited for his rider.

house: Their house has a blue door

love: The princess fell in love with the frog

pause: She worked all day without a pause

please: A dish of milk will please my cat

purse: All her cash was in her purse

Prefixes, suffixes, roots

"bigger, biggest"

easy > easier >easiest

easier: It is an easy walk but an easier ride by bus

easiest: The simplest work is often the easiest

funnier: Your jokes may be funny but mine are funnier

funniest: He was the funniest comedian in the show

happier: I am happier in jeans than in a suit

happiest: The happiest cat was the one who got the cream

healthier: Walking is healthier than driving

healthiest: Well-balanced meals are the healthiest

late > later > latest

fiercer: A cat is fiercer than a mouse

fiercest: A tiger is fiercest when defending her cubs

larger: As you grow up you need larger clothes

largest: Which animal has the largest feet?

simpler: A hut is simpler than a palace

simplest: The simplest ideas are often the best

whiter: Which detergent washes whiter than white?

whitest: The whitest shirt had no marks at all

old > older

deeper: If the North Sea is deep, the Atlantic is deeper

higher: Snowdon is high but Everest is higher

longer: His arms are long, but his legs are longer

older: That huge old oak is older than any of us

smaller: A mosquito is small but a midge is smaller

taller: Are you taller than your parents?

younger: A grandson is always much younger than his grandfather

old > oldest

deepest: How deep is the deepest ocean?

fastest: Who is the fastest runner of all?

highest: Which is the highest mountain?

longest: How long is the longest river?

oldest: How old is the oldest pyramid?

smallest: How small is the smallest house?

tallest: How tall is the tallest building?

youngest: How young was the youngest England footballer ever?

red > redder > reddest

bigger: An elephant is bigger than a mouse

biggest: How big is the biggest turkey ever?

hotter: The fire is hot and it is getting hotter

hottest: How hot was the hottest day ever?

redder: As they ran their red faces turned redder

reddest: Poppies are the reddest flowers of all

Common suffixes (Latin)

'..able'

acceptable: Any shelter was acceptable in that storm

bookable: Seats are bookable in advance

breakable: Glass windows are usually breakable

drinkable: Water from streams is not usually drinkable

enjoyable: Treats are enjoyable

reasonable: No reasonable request will be refused

'..ance'

allowance: I would like an allowance for buying clothes

appearance: Twins are often alike in appearance

attendance: School attendance is compulsory

clearance: The shop had a clearance sale before it closed down

disturbance: The low-flying aircraft caused a disturbance

performance: The play's first performance is tonight

'..ant'

hesitant: A baby's first steps are hesitant

ignorant: She was ignorant of the rules and committed a foul

important: It is important to look before crossing the road

significant: A fingerprint is a significant clue

triumphant: The winners came home triumphant

'..ence'

difference: There is a difference between apples and pears

evidence: The burglar left little evidence behind him

presence: She never swore in her mother's presence

reference: Look up more details in a reference book

silence: The absence of sound is silence

'..ent'

absorbent: You mop up spills with an absorbent cloth

different: Apples are different from oranges

excellent: Ten out of ten is an excellent result

independent: An independent person is self-reliant

persistent: Her persistent coughing never stopped

urgent: I have an urgent message to go home at once

'..ible'

accessible: Secret files are not accessible to the public

collapsible: Inflatable dinghies are also collapsible!

digestible: Humans don't find grass a digestible food

incredible: No one believed Gulliver's incredible story

responsible: The manager is responsible for choosing the team

reversible: She wore her reversible jacket furry side out

sensible: I trust you to make a sensible decision

visible: Saturn is visible to the naked eye

'..ious'

anxious: She was anxious to know if we were safe

furious: He's not just annoyed, he's furious

obvious: Something obvious needs no explanation

previous: He bought the car from its previous owner

serious: I tried not to laugh because he was serious

various: There are various ways of cooking potatoes

'..ive'

active: An active dog needs lots of walks

attractive: Only warthogs find other warthogs attractive

defective: A defective machine does not work

defensive: A defensive moat guarded the castle walls

effective: Hedgehog's spines make an effective defence

expensive: A diamond necklace is an expensive gift

impressive: The huge dinosaur left an impressive footprint

'..ment'

advertisement: An advertisement tries to attract your attention

development: Space travel is a recent development

measurement: A measurement finds the size of something

movement: Lots of movement will keep you fit

payment: One more payment and the guitar is mine

treatment: Rest is a treatment for flu

'..ous'

bulbous: Frogs have bulbous eyes

dangerous: It's dangerous to walk on thin ice

murderous: The monster attacked with murderous intent

poisonous: The death-cap is a poisonous toadstool

thunderous: Waves crashed ashore with a thunderous roar

'..sion' confuse > confusion

confusion: Mixed messages cause confusion

fusion: Their music is a fusion of jazz and rock

precision: He exactly positioned each tile with precision

profusion: The stalls spilled over with a profusion of goods

revision: The run-up to the exams is time for serious revision

tension: The nerve-racking wait caused mounting tension

conclusion: A conclusion is an ending

decision: Picking the right chocolate can be a difficult decision

division: Sharing things out is division

explosion: An explosion is a chemical reaction that runs out of control

invasion: An invasion is when an army enters a country with hostile intent

persuasion: Lengthy persuasion changed dad's mind at last

'..ssion' discuss > discussion

compression: We use compression to make things smaller

confession: He admitted everything in his confession

discussion: We exchanged ideas in friendly discussion

expression: Her face bore an expression of utter joy

impression: His polite manner made a good impression

possession: Her teddy bear is her favourite possession

'..tion' elect > election

collection: I would like this stamp for my collection

connection: You plug in the cable to make a connection

election: She was elected MP at the last election

exhibition: Local artists held an exhibition of their work

invention: The wheel was an early invention

suggestion: He made a brilliant suggestion for increasing sales

'..tion' relate > relation

completion: Finally, the house needs a roof for its completion

demonstration: We took the new car for a demonstration drive

illustration: The illustration on this page is by a well known artist

pollution: Car exhausts add to pollution

promotion: We're top of the league and so get promotion

relation: Anyone in my family is a relation

relegation: Our relegation followed last year's promotion

'..tion' solve > solution

evolution: The evolution of something is its development over time

resolution: My New Year's resolution lasted until March

revolution: The revolution swept the dictator from power

solution: The answer to a problem is its solution

'..ure'

adventure: Exploring the forest is quite an adventure

culture: A culture is the customs and traditions of a particular group

departure: The plane's departure was delayed by fog

failure: The pie burned, so dinner was a failure

moisture: The steamed-up walls glistened with moisture

pressure: Too much air pressure bursts a balloon

sculpture: A marble statue is a piece of sculpture

Common suffixes (OE)

'..en' gold > golden

earthen: Their huts had earthen floors

golden: The giant's goose laid golden eggs

silken: The silken threads are spun by caterpillars

wooden: Cooks often use a wooden spoon

woollen: My woollen jumper began life on a sheep

'..ern' east > eastern

eastern: The sun rose over the eastern hills

northern: The northern side is towards the North

southern: The southern side is towards the south

western: The sun sank behind the western hills

'..ful' truth > truthful

careful: She was careful to keep to the office routine

colourful: A bed of roses in bloom looks colourful

faithful: His faithful dog followed him everywhere

harmful: Poison is extremely harmful

powerful: Elephants are more powerful than ants

truthful: A truthful answer contains no lies

useful: I never throw useful things away

'..fully' careful > carefully

carefully: They carefully lifted the fragile pane of glass

cheerfully: The singing soldiers marched cheerfully on

faithfully: A letter starting 'Dear Sir' ends with 'Yours faithfully'

gracefully: The dancer moved gracefully across the floor

hopefully: My dog looks up hopefully for a treat

painfully: She ran on painfully with blistered feet

truthfully: He answered truthfully and told them no lies

'..iful' fancy > fanciful

beautiful: The snow-covered mountain looked beautiful

fanciful: His busy imagination produced fanciful ideas

merciful: The merciful pirate saved the drowning sailors

'..ily' happy > happily

angrily: Temper makes her shout angrily

bodily: Food and drink are vital bodily needs

busily: In spring the birds are busily building nests

easily: Her loose shoe came off easily

happily: The children laughed and played happily

hungrily: He hungrily scoffed two bags of chips

noisily: They left noisily, slamming doors and shouting

'..ish' fool > foolish

babyish: Five-year-olds think four-year-olds are babyish

darkish: My hair's darkish brown, not black

fiendish: The angry demon gave a fiendish howl

foolish: Don't I look foolish with this silly clown's nose?

greenish: The sea was more greenish than blueish

outlandish: The band were notorious for their outlandish clothes

smallish: I'll just have a smallish piece of cake

'..less' air > airless

aimless: They were wandering in an aimless way

airless: With no windows the tiny room felt airless

breathless: The climb left her breathless and panting

careless: It was careless to drop your banana skin

countless: There are countless stars in the sky

effortless: Experts make skills seem effortless

pointless: It is pointless trying to empty the sea with a bucket

'..like' life > lifelike

businesslike: Let's be businesslike and plan ahead

childlike: Although grown-up he kept a childlike love of making sandcastles

ghostlike: The spooky white shape gave a ghostlike moan

lifelike: The wax figure was uncannily lifelike

sportsmanlike: If you are sportsmanlike you are a good loser

warlike: The soldiers raised their spears is warlike manner

'..ly' friend > friendly

beastly: The monster howled a beastly howl

cowardly: The cowardly lion hid from the mouse

friendly: She welcomed us with a friendly smile

motherly: She cradled the child in a motherly way

queenly: She gave a queenly wave from the balcony

'..ly' wrong > wrongly

badly: My front wheel is badly twisted

bravely: Firemen bravely fight fires

quickly: Run quickly or you'll miss the bus

quietly: Tiptoe quietly in without a word

silently: He did not cry out but suffered silently

slowly: A slug slowly slithered across the path

suddenly: The door suddenly burst open

wrongly: My innocent friend was wrongly arrested

'..most' top > topmost

foremost: When I'm weary my foremost need is sleep

innermost: A maze of corridors led to the innermost hall

topmost: A bird perched high on the topmost branch

'..some' fear > fearsome

awesome: The awesome sight filled them with wonder

fearsome: His fearsome scowl scares little children

irksome: Your constant nagging is irksome

quarrelsome: That quarrelsome pair argue night and day

tiresome: I'm bored with tiresome chores

troublesome: My troublesome sister annoys me intensely

'..ward' up > upward

backward: Living in caves would be a backward step

downward: On the sledge we began our downward ride

forward: Many cars have five forward gears

homeward: The cattle wander homeward at milking time

upward: I looked at the sky with an upward glance

'..wise' like > likewise

clockwise: The hands on a watch turn clockwise

likewise: What Simon says, you do likewise

streetwise: A streetwise kid survives in a city

'..y' fun > funny

baggy: His baggy trousers were far too big

foggy: It's so foggy we can't see the way

funny: People laugh at funny things

furry: The mouldy bread had gone furry

muddy: They played in mud and got muddy

spotty: That spotty face could mean chicken-pox

starry: The moon was sailing in the starry sky

tinny: Tin whistles can make tiny tinny sounds

witty: A witty comment is funny but not always polite

'..y' grease > greasy

easy: I like simple and easy work

greasy: Elbow-grease cleans greasy dishes

hasty: The dog sniffed the crab then beat a hasty retreat

noisy: Loud machines make a workshop noisy

shady: It was cool beneath the shady trees

shiny: Sunlight glinted off their shiny armour

slimy: A slimy slug slid slowly across the path

tasty: Food that tastes good is tasty

'..y' greed > greedy

dirty: You play in dirt - you get dirty

greedy: My greedy dog ate all my dinner

messy: Finger-painting can be messy

rubbery: It's hard to chew rubbery food

sulky: He's sullen and sulky when he's told off

weighty: I cannot lift this weighty package

Common suffixes (OE, Fr)

'..craft' witch > witchcraft

handicraft: Carving wooden spoons is a Welsh handicraft

needlecraft: Tapestries are examples of needlecraft

witchcraft: A witch was said to harm others by witchcraft

'..dom' free > freedom

boredom: With nothing to do I'd die of boredom

freedom: An uncaged bird has freedom to fly

kingdom: A king or a queen rules over a kingdom

officialdom: But for officialdom I could do what I like

stardom: Every budding band dreams of stardom

wisdom: Living and learning bring wisdom

'..en' tight > tighten

harden: The concrete took ages to harden

lighten: A bit of white paint will lighten the blue

strengthen: I used weights to strengthen my muscles

sweeten: You can use honey to sweeten drinks

tighten: Turn the screw to tighten it

weaken: Add more hot water to weaken your tea

'..ette' diminutive

cassette: A cassette is a handy way to buy music

cigarette: A cigarette is smaller than a cigar

courgette: A courgette is a baby marrow

maisonette: A maisonette is half house, half flat.

marionette: A marionette is a puppet on strings

serviette: I use my serviette to wipe my mouth

'..ful' cup > cupful

armful: I can't hold the baby and an armful of clothes

bucketful: A bucketful of water is enough to clean the car

cupful: A British cupful measures ten fluid ounces

mouthful: Gargle with a mouthful of salt water

spoonful: A spoonful of sugar sweetens coffee

'..hood'

adulthood: Does adulthood start at eighteen or twenty-one?

childhood: The old man's thoughts turned back to his childhood

falsehood: A falsehood is something which is not true

neighbourhood: He's the paper-boy for our neighbourhood

'..iness' bossy > bossiness

bossiness: I hate his bossiness when he orders me around

business: A business sells a product or service

happiness: Her happiness returned when she found her doll

juiciness: Ripe tomatoes are known for their juiciness

readiness: Cars keep a spare tyre in readiness for a puncture

'..let' diminutive

booklet: The booklet tells you how to work the video

droplet: A droplet of water trickled down the window

leaflet: The salesman put a leaflet through the door

piglet: A piglet is a baby pig

ringlet: She gave him a ringlet of her hair

starlet: She was a starlet who had small parts in films

'..ling' diminutive

gosling: Duckling is to duck as gosling to goose

nestling: The baby cuckoo is the only nestling left

seedling: An acorn becomes a seedling and then an oak

underling: I want the person in charge, not an underling!

yearling: A horse under two years old is a yearling

'..ness'

carelessness: Some bad driving is just carelessness

darkness: Out went the lights and we were in darkness

eagerness: He pushed me aside in his eagerness to win

fitness: Exercise helps maintain fitness

goodness: An apple is full of goodness

kindness: She showed kindness in helping the old man across the road

sadness: I felt sadness when my goldfish died

sickness: Paint fumes can cause sickness

'..ship'

citizenship: Her new country granted her citizenship

companionship: Lonely people crave companionship

friendship: Two pen-pals made a lifelong friendship

hardship: There is hardship when the money runs out

relationship: Ben and his dad have a good relationship

'..th' wide > width

health: An apple a day is good for your health

length: The length measures the horizontal extent of an object

ninth: The ninth time is when something has happened nine times

strength: He had the strength to lift the heavy weight

wealth: The lottery winner gave away all his wealth

width: The width of an object measures how wide it is

Further prefixes (Greek)

'a..'

amoral: An amoral action is done without considering morality

apathy: A lack of interest is known as apathy

apolitical: Someone who has no interest in politics is apolitical

asymmetrical: Something asymmetrical has an irregular form

atom: An atom is the smallest unit an element can be divided into

'ambi..'

ambidextrous: An ambidextrous person uses both hands equally well

ambient: Something which surrounds is ambient

ambiguous: Something ambiguous is unclear

ambition: To have an ambition is to aim to do something special

ambivalent: Something ambivalent is not clear-cut

'amphi..'

amphibian: An amphibian is an animal at home on land and in water

amphibious: To be amphibious is to be at home on land or in water

amphitheatre: An amphitheatre is a space surrounded by tiers of seats

'ana..'

anachronism: An anachronism is something out of date

anagram: An anagram is a word with the letters mixed up

analysis: An analysis gains information from collected data

anatomy: The study of the structure of living things is anatomy

'arch..'

archangel: An archangel is a most important angel

archbishop: The archbishop is the chief bishop

architect: Someone who designs buildings is an architect

'auto..'

autograph: An autograph is a signature

automatic: If something is automatic it works by itself

automobile: An automobile is a word for motor car

autopilot: The autopilot on a plane will fly the plane by itself

'epi..'

epidemic: An epidemic is when a disease is caught by many people

epilogue: An epilogue can follow the end of a book

episode: An episode is a part of a television serial

epitaph: An epitaph tells briefly of a dead person's life

'hypo..'

hypochondriac: A hypochondriac believes he is always ill

hypocritical: It is hypocritical if you say one thing and do another

hypodermic: Anything under the skin is hypodermic

hypothesis: A theory which could be proved or disproved is a hypothesis

'mega..' big

megabyte: A megabyte is roughly one million bytes

megaphone: A megaphone makes your voice much louder

megastar: A megastar is a really famous person

megawatt: A megawatt is one million watts

'meta..'

metabolism: Our metabolism makes energy from food

metamorphosis: A change in state is a metamorphosis

metaphor: A metaphor compares things by saying one is the other

'micro..' little

microphone: A microphone is used to pick up sound

microscope: A microscope magnifies close-up objects

microwave: A microwave oven uses extremely high frequency radio waves

'para..'

parable: A parable is a story designed to give a moral lesson

parabola: A parabola is a curve

paradox: A paradox is unexpected but may be true

paragraph: A paragraph is a short but distinct piece of writing

parallel: Lines are parallel when they never get nearer

paramedic: A paramedic is someone who helps doctors

paranormal: Something paranormal appears to have no explanation

parasite: A parasite is a creature that lives on another

'sym.., syn..'

symmetry: Correspondence of parts either side of a line is symmetry

sympathy: Friends shared her sorrow with sympathy

symphony: A symphony is a big orchestral composition

symptom: A symptom is a sign of disease

syndicate: A syndicate is a group who combine for business purposes

syndrome: A syndrome is a group of recognised symptoms

synonym: A synonym has the same meaning as another word

synopsis: A synopsis is a summary of a book

'tele..' far

telegram: A telegram is a message sent by telegraph

telepathy: Using only your mind to communicate is called telepathy

telephone: You speak over a distance with a telephone

telescope: A telescope magnifies distant objects

television: A television receives pictures from afar

'anti..'

anticlimax: The end of a holiday is such an anticlimax

anticlockwise: The hands of a clock never turn anticlockwise

antidote: A dock leaf is an antidote for nettle stings

antifreeze: Car radiators need antifreeze in winter

antiseptic: Clean cuts with an antiseptic to kill bacteria

'bene..'

benefactor: A benefactor gives money to help others

benefit: A benefit is an advantage

benevolent: A benevolent person wishes well to others

'co..'

coerce: He is strong enough to coerce them to leave

coexist: If only all nations would coexist in peace!

cooperate: Let's cooperate and share the work

'co[ll]..'

collaborate: To work together with someone is to collaborate

collate: To collate is to gather information together

colleague: A colleague is someone from work

collect: To bring together or assemble is to collect

colloquial: A colloquial phrase is used in everyday language

'co[rr]..'

correct: To correct something is to make it right

correspond: We correspond when we write to each other

corroborate: To corroborate is to confirm

corrode: To corrode is to be eaten away

corrugated: Something corrugated is wrinkled in folds

corrupt: To corrupt somebody is to turn them from good

'contra

contradict: To contradict is to go against

contraflow: A contraflow means two-way traffic on one carriageway

contravene: To contravene a law is to break it

'extra..'

extraordinary: Something extraordinary is something quite remarkable

extrasensory: Powers beyond the normal senses are said to be extrasensory

extraterrestrial: Beyond the Earth is extraterrestrial

extravagant: To be extravagant is to spend too much

'i[ll]..'

illegal: Something illegal is against the law

illegible: Writing which is impossible to read is illegible

illicit: If something is illicit it is not allowed

illogical: If something is against reason it is illogical

'i[rr]..'

irrational: To be irrational is to think without reason

irregular: Something which is irregular is not in order

irrelevant: If something is irrelevant it is unrelated to the subject

irreplaceable: There is no substitute for something irreplaceable

irresistible: Something irresistible cannot be stopped

irresponsible: An irresponsible act is a careless act

irreversible: Something irreversible cannot be changed back

'inter..'

interchange: Where one motorway meets another is an interchange

interfere: You interfere when you give an unwanted opinion

intermediate: An intermediate level is between an upper and a lower

international: Something occurring between nations is international

interrogate: To interrogate is to question closely

interrupt: To break in on someone is to interrupt them

interval: An interval is a gap between acts of a play

'intra.., intro..'

intravenous: Something within a vein is intravenous

introduce: To introduce is to bring together

introspection: To reflect on one's own thoughts is introspection

'mal[e]..'

malevolent: A malevolent person wishes ill on others

malfunction: A malfunction is when something does not work properly

malnutrition: Insufficient food leads to malnutrition

maltreat: To maltreat somebody is to treat them badly

'mani.., manu..'

manicure: A manicure is special treatment for the hands and nails

manipulate: To manipulate somebody is to use them to your advantage

manufacture: To manufacture is to make things on an industrial scale

manuscript: A manuscript is a piece of writing

'non..'

nonchalant: To be nonchalant is to be unconcerned

nonconformist: A nonconformist is a person who will not conform

nondescript: Something nondescript is unremarkable

nonentity: Something of no importance is a nonentity

nonplussed: To be nonplussed is to be baffled

'ob..'

object: An object is a material thing

obliged: If you are obliged to do something it is compulsory

obliterate: If you destroy something you obliterate it

observe: To observe is to watch carefully

obsolete: Something obsolete is out of date

obstacle: An obstacle is something which stands in the way

obstruct: To obstruct is to get in the way

obvious: Something obvious needs no explanation

'post..'

postdate: To postdate something is to give it a future date

postgraduate: A postgraduate student is studying after a first degree

postpone: To postpone is to put off

postscript: A postscript follows the end of a play, book or letter

'super..'

superfluous: Something superfluous is unnecessary

superimposed: One thing placed over another is superimposed on it

superlative: A superlative thing is better than all the rest

supernatural: Something supernatural does not obey nature's laws

supersede: To supersede is to replace

supersonic: A speed faster than the speed of sound is supersonic

superstitious: To be superstitious is to believe in omens and rituals

supervisor: A supervisor is a person in charge of others

'sus..'

suspect: A suspect is somebody under suspicion of wrongdoing

suspense: A built up state of waiting is called suspense

suspicious: To be suspicious is to have doubts about something

sustain: To sustain something is to keep it going

'trans..'

transatlantic: Something over the Atlantic Ocean is transatlantic

transfer: To transfer is to move something from one place to another

transform: To transform is to change shape

translate: To put words into another language is to translate

transmit: To transmit a programme is to send it out on radio or TV

transparent: Something which can be seen through is transparent

transport: My bike is both transport and exercise

'ultra..'

ultramarine: The colour ultramarine is deep blue

ultrasonic: Sounds too high to be heard by humans are ultrasonic

ultraviolet: Light waves too short be seen are ultraviolet

Further suffixes (L, Gr)

'..al'

animal: A dog is a domestic animal

annual: An annual event happens once a year

central: The hub is the central part of a wheel

equal: Each glass holds an equal amount

final: I have said my last word and that is final

hospital: A hospital is where people go to be made better

local: Our local school is just down the road

natural: She insisted her hair was its natural colour

personal: It was a personal matter and private to him

several: A family has several members

'..ar'

circular: A wheel is a circular shape

linear: A straight line is linear

lunar: Things relating to the moon are lunar

regular: Daily swimming was his regular routine

'..asm, ..ism'

atheism: The belief that there is no god is called atheism

criticism: Informed opinions make useful criticism

enthusiasm: Great interest is called enthusiasm

journalism: The profession of writing for the media is journalism

mechanism: A clockwork mouse has a complex mechanism

sarcasm: He said with sarcasm he'd love to wash up

'..ial'

aerial: An aerial helps to pick up radio signals

industrial: The industrial revolution was machine-made replacing man-made

material: Her new dress was made from a soft material

memorial: The names of the dead are on the memorial

radial: The spokes on a bicycle wheel are radial

terrestrial: Anything on the earth is terrestrial

'..ic'

alcoholic: An alcoholic drink contains alcohol

artistic: Someone with artistic talent painted this picture

athletic: His athletic build meant he could run fast

demonic: The foul fiend howled with demonic laughter

historic: The first flight to the moon was a historic event

magnetic: A magnetic substance can be attracted by a magnet

metallic: The robot made a metallic sound as he clanked along

'..id'

arid: No grass grew in that arid desert

fluid: The jelly was warm and still fluid

frigid: Without a coat I felt frigid with cold

humid: I feel damp and sticky on such a humid day

tepid: My tepid tea had stood too long

vivid: The fireworks left a vivid memory

'..ient'

convenient: It was more convenient to have the new sofa delivered

gradient: The gradient of the hill was very steep

ingredient: Flour is the main ingredient in pastry

nutrient: A little fat is an essential nutrient

obedient: A well-trained sheepdog is very obedient

'..ify'

beautify: To make something more beautiful is to beautify

classify: To classify is to sort things into groups

fortify: To fortify is to protect against attack

glorify: To glorify is to praise something highly

magnify: To magnify is to make something look bigger

modify: To modify something is to change it

mortify: To mortify is to embarrass deeply

'..ile'

agile: The agile gymnast did the splits

fertile: Crops grow better on fertile soil

fragile: The thin glass vase was very fragile

futile: Trying to empty the sea with a bucket is futile

hostile: A dog that bites is hostile

juvenile: A juvenile is a young person

mobile: You can walk and talk with a mobile phone

'..ine'

alpine: On the mountains alpine flowers grow

canine: Something canine is to do with dogs

crystalline: Common salt is a crystalline substance

divine: Many people believe in a divine being

elephantine: It is elephantine to be like an elephant

feline: To be feline is to act like a cat

saline: A saline solution is salty like the sea

'..ior'

exterior: An exterior paint protects outside walls

inferior: That flaking paint was an inferior brand

interior: An interior decorator repaints rooms

junior: The junior doctor was newly qualified

prior: We cannot ask him as he already has a prior appointment

senior: The senior doctor had many years' experience

superior: In the Army a major is superior to a captain

ulterior: An ulterior motive is a hidden reason for doing something

'..is'

analysis: An analysis gains information from collected data

basis: The basis of something is the foundation

bronchitis: Smoking will make bronchitis worse

diagnosis: The diagnosis of illness is to find its cause

emphasis: You underline a word for emphasis

oasis: An oasis is a green patch in the desert

paralysis: Inability to move is paralysis

synthesis: The synthesis of some materials is very hard

'..ology'

apology: An apology is saying you're sorry

mythology: The study of myths is mythology

technology: Applied science is called technology

theology: The study of religion is theology

'..ose'

comatose: The sleepy dog looked comatose

grandiose: The grandiose palace had many turrets

morose: To be morose is to be gloomy and out of sorts

'..scent'

adolescent: An adolescent is no longer a child and not yet an adult

convalescent: The convalescent was ready to leave hospital

effervescent: Sparkling lemonade is effervescent

fluorescent: She highlighted words with her fluorescent pen

incandescent: An incandescent object is hot enough to give off light

reminiscent: Her perfume was reminiscent of a cottage garden

Further suffixes (Latin)

'..age'

blockage: The leaves in the drain caused the blockage

coverage: The coverage of the news item was very thorough

leakage: The leakage from the gas pipe caused the explosion

passage: The passage to her house was very dark at night

postage: A stamp is there to pay the postage

wastage: There is wastage when some of the fruit is bad

'..ancy'

buoyancy: A buoyancy aid will keep you afloat

discrepancy: There is a discrepancy when two accounts don't match

infancy: A nursemaid looked after him in his infancy

pregnancy: During pregnancy the baby grows within the womb

redundancy: You get redundancy pay when you lose your job

truancy: Skipping school is known as truancy

vacancy: There was a vacancy so she applied for the job

'..ary'

dictionary: A dictionary gives the meaning of words

library: A library houses a collection of books

necessary: If necessary we will send a replacement

ordinary: Do you want ordinary baked beans or curried beans?

temporary: A box made a temporary table

voluntary: It was voluntary work they did for free

'..ate' adjective

accurate: It takes an accurate shot to hit the bull

affectionate: My affectionate puppy licks my hand

immaculate: His crisp white shirt looked immaculate

literate: To be literate means able to read and write.

numerate: To be numerate is to understand sums

obstinate: Donkeys are well known for being obstinate

passionate: She's passionate about football and watches every game

'..ate' verb

activate: Pull this lever to activate the robot

dedicate: She asked the DJ to dedicate a song to her mum

donate: He is going to donate half his money to charity

motivate: Praise will motivate people to work better

operate: The doctors had to operate to save her life

punctuate: A comma can punctuate a sentence

vaccinate: The nurse needed to vaccinate the children against disease

'..cy'

accuracy: It takes accuracy to hit the bull's-eye

bankruptcy: The gambler lost all his money and declared bankruptcy

conspiracy: There was a conspiracy against the new king

delicacy: A delicacy is a treat to eat

diplomacy: A diplomat must be skilled in diplomacy

fallacy: It is a fallacy to say that time can run backwards

piracy: Robbery on the high seas is piracy

'..ice'

avarice: A greedy desire for wealth is avarice

cowardice: Not facing up to a challenge is cowardice

justice: Justice had been done when the murderer went to jail

malice: She did not like him so spoke of him with malice

prejudice: A prejudice is an unreasonable dislike

'..ience'

audience: The audience clapped as the play ended

conscience: Guilty conscience kept the thief awake

convenience: I buy ready-cooked food for convenience

obedience: I took my puppy for obedience training

patience: You need plenty of patience to train a puppy

'..iety'

anxiety: Before doing the bungee jump she was filled with anxiety

notoriety: Captain Kidd gained notoriety by being an infamous pirate

piety: Monks and nuns live lives of piety

society: A society is a group of people

variety: Sweets of every variety lined the shelves

'..ity'

morality: Doing the right thing is a question of morality

neutrality: The state of not taking sides is neutrality

possibility: Rain is unlikely, but it is a possibility

probability: In all probability it will rain in April

reality: I nodded off and lost touch with reality

'..mony'

acrimony: They spoke sharp words in bitter acrimony

ceremony: The wedding was a happy ceremony

matrimony: Weddings unite couples in matrimony

testimony: I believe the testimony of an honest witness

'..sion' convert > conversion

conversion: To change pounds to kilos you need a conversion table

diversion: There was a diversion due to roadworks

inversion: A reversal in order can be called an inversion

subversion: To plot against authority is subversion

'..ssion' concede > concession

accession: Elizabeth II became Queen at her accession

concession: A bus pass is a concession for cheaper travel

procession: The procession of carnival floats was spectacular

recession: A recession is when the economy slows down

'..tude'

altitude: The plane climbed to its cruising altitude

attitude: A positive frame of mind is a good attitude

fortitude: She bore her pain with fortitude

gratitude: She showed gratitude for his help

latitude: Lines of latitude are called parallels

longitude: Lines of longitude are called meridians

multitude: A multitude gathered to greet the band

solitude: Alone on his island, Crusoe found solitude

'..ule' diminutive

capsule: A capsule of medicine can be hard to swallow

globule: A globule of sweat ran down her forehead

granule: A granule of sugar makes a feast for a fly

minuscule: This tiny book has minuscule print

module: Astronauts used a module to land on the Moon

molecule: The least water you can get is a single molecule

schedule: The plane left late but landed on schedule

'..ure' create > creature

creature: The dodo's a creature that's now extinct

enclosure: We keep rabbits in a grassy enclosure

pleasure: A baby's smile gives everyone pleasure

Living word-formation

'-like'

flower-like: Fireworks exploded flower-like in the sky

frog-like: He squatted frog-like by the pond

jewel-like: A jewel-like drop of water nestled in the leaf

pastry-like: The biscuits were pastry-like in texture

'-wise'

food-wise: A full fridge means you're OK food-wise

fun-wise: My job's poorly paid but fun-wise it's great

money-wise: My job's poor money-wise but I really enjoy it

transport-wise: Country life can be very hard, transport-wise

'anti-'

anti-noise: The drummer's dad was extremely anti-noise

anti-rust: Restore your rusty bike with our anti-rust paint

anti-work: I woke up this morning feeling very anti-work

anti-wrinkle: Keep your skin smooth with this anti-wrinkle cream

'ex-' (as former)

ex-boyfriend: Long after parting she met her ex-boyfriend again

ex-convict: The ex-convict intended to stay out of prison

ex-egg: Is a chicken an ex-egg?

ex-king: Boris, the ex-king, once ruled his country

ex-parrot: A dead parrot is an ex-parrot, says Monty Python

ex-serviceman: The ex-serviceman told tales of Army life

'pre-'

pre-book: We must pre-book our tickets for the concert

pre-punched: The holes are there in pre-punched paper

pre-Roman: This hill-fort goes back to pre-Roman times

'pro-'

pro-British: A Frenchman can be pro-British too

pro-cycling: I am pro-cycling yet seldom ride

pro-fitness: I am pro-fitness but I don't like training

pro-hunting: Some country folk are pro-hunting, some against

compound words

birthday: Your birthday marks the day you were born

dustbin: The dustbin is for household rubbish

handbag: She keeps her purse in her handbag

lipstick: Use lipstick to colour your lips

milkman: A milkman delivers milk

notebook: He jotted some notes in his notebook

sunset: The western sky glows red at sunset

windmill: Wind drives the sails of the windmill

Other common prefixes

'ab..'

abominable: The abominable snowman is a mythical creature

abound: Autumn orchards abound with fruit

abrupt: The busy teacher gave an abrupt answer

absent: She was absent because she was ill

absorbent: You mop up spills with an absorbent cloth

abstain: I find it hard to abstain from eating sweets

absurd: A dog in trainers looks absurd

'ad..'

address: We have moved to our new address

adjacent: A wall divides us from the adjacent room

admire: I admire your neat handwriting

admission: The museum charges for admission

adore: I would adore a choc-ice

adventure: Exploring the forest is quite an adventure

advice: Ask for advice if you are unsure what to do

advise: A lawyer is paid to advise you

'com..'

comfort: I love the comfort of my own armchair

command: The sheepdog obeys his master's command

comment: My comment was just a passing remark

company: Come and keep me company on my walk

compare: You cannot compare dogs and oranges

complete: One more piece makes the puzzle complete

composed: The Beatles composed their own music

'con..'

concern: Her mother felt concern for the tiny child

concert: The school choir gave a concert at the town hall

condemn: Don't condemn me until you hear me out

confront: I'll confront the reporters face to face

connect: You'll need to connect this hose to the tap

conquer: The general set out to conquer the rebels

contain: I counted to ten to contain my anger

continue: Roadworks can continue for ages

'de..' as very

deliver: The postman knocked to deliver a parcel

demand: The gas company sent a final demand for payment

deserve: After all this work I deserve a rest

devastate: A huge flood can devastate wide areas

'de..' down, from, away

defence: Castle walls made a strong defence

defer: Let's defer the meeting until John can be here

deflate: That pin could deflate my ball

descend: We watched the balloon descend to the ground

describe: Let me describe the view for you

destroy: You can destroy weeds by pulling them up

detergent: This detergent is said to wash off grease

'dis..'

disappointed: She was so disappointed to lose

discovery: A little hidden beach was our great discovery

disgusting: That greasy sink looks disgusting

dismay: With utter dismay they saw the boat sink

disposable: We throw our baby's disposable nappies away

'ex..' out of

excavate: The bulldozers rolled in to excavate the site

except: February has 28 days except in leap years

excluding: The price is two pounds excluding postage

excursion: Let's go on the excursion to the theme park

exit: You leave the building by the nearest exit

export: We export cars to many countries

extract: The dentist pulled hard to extract the tooth

'im..'

imbalance: An imbalance exists between rich and poor nations

immaculate: His crisp white shirt looked immaculate

immediate: A drowning man needs immediate help

immense: The extent of the sea is immense

immune: The immune system protects the body from infection

impede: Thick weed in the canal would impede our boat

'im..' as into

imbibe: Let us imbibe some fine ale, my good man

immerse: I just immerse myself in a bath to relax

immigrant: The immigrant settled well into his new country

implode: Pressure from outside made the flask implode

imply: Yawns imply that you are tired

import: We import bananas because they don't grow here

improve: I hope my spelling will improve with practice

'in..' as into

include: I'll include a card with my gift

infect: Bacteria can infect an open wound

infer: What can you infer from these results?

inflate: You'll need a pump to inflate an airbed

inhabited: A light in the window showed the house was inhabited

inspire: He needs music to inspire him to write

instruct: An instructor is there to instruct his pupils

intend: I intend to swim a mile

'in..' as negative

individual: Airlines serve meals on individual trays

inevitable: It is as inevitable as day follows night

infant: A very young infant can't yet talk

injury: Her scar came from a football injury

innocent: As he had done no wrong he was innocent

'per..'

percolate: Rain will percolate through sandy soil

perforation: A stamp tears off at the perforation

perfume: This perfume smells of roses

permanent: The ink made a permanent mark on her shirt

permit: This permit will let me fish here

perspire: Posh people perspire but never sweat

pervade: Does the smell of cooking pervade the house?

‘pre..’

predict: Meteorologists aim to predict the weather

prefer: I much prefer bananas to apples

preserve: Pickling onions will preserve them

preside: The chairperson will preside at all meetings

presume: I presume it's windy because the trees are swaying

pretend: If I don't know the answers I just pretend I do

prevent: Brushing teeth helps prevent tooth decay

'pro..' before

proceed: I'll proceed with the plans today, OK?

process: Weaving a carpet is a lengthy process

progress: They made steady progress up the hill

promise: I made a promise to be on time

propose: I would like to propose some changes

prospect: A picnic tomorrow is a pleasant prospect

protect: A helmet should protect a rider's head

protest: A letter of protest set out their complaints

're..'

rearrange: I'm busy, so can I rearrange our meeting?

recollect: She closed her eyes to recollect the song

record: Will you record tonight's match for me, please?

referee: The referee blew his whistle for full-time.

rehearse: Will you hear me rehearse my song?

relief: It was a relief when the rescuers found them

remove: Please remove your shoes inside the tent

request: She rang the radio station to request her song

'sub..'

subdue: It's hard to subdue a crowd of noisy kids

subject: English is my favourite subject

submarine: A submarine travels below the waves

submerged: The submarine submerged below the waves

subside: They waited for the floods to subside

subtract: If you subtract three from five you get two

suburbs: She lives in the suburbs to the north of the city

People/place suffixes

'..ant'

assistant: The conjuror pretended to saw his assistant in two

attendant: An attendant cleans the toilets every hour

descendant: Prince Charles is a descendant of Queen Victoria

immigrant: The immigrant settled well into his new country

informant: An informant led the police to the stolen goods

inhabitant: The kangaroo is an inhabitant of Australia

servant: A soldier is the servant of his country

'..ar'

beggar: The beggar asked passers-by for money

burglar: A burglar ransacked their home

liar: You can't trust a liar to tell the truth

scholar: A scholar is an old name for a pupil

vicar: A vicar is in charge of an Anglican parish

'..ary'

adversary: Her opponent made a worthy adversary

dignitary: The Lord Mayor is a dignitary of the City

missionary: A missionary is sent to teach a faith

secretary: A good secretary keeps his boss's secrets

'..ary' places

apiary: Bees are kept in an apiary

aviary: Birds are kept in an aviary

dispensary: You collect prepared medicines from a dispensary

granary: A granary is for storing grain

library: A library houses a collection of books

'..cian'

beautician: A beautician advised her on her make-up

electrician: An electrician re-wired the house

magician: The magician took a rabbit from his hat

musician: A musician may play many kinds of music

optician: The optician told me I needed glasses

politician: A politician is a person engaged in politics

'..ee'

absentee: The absentee meant to miss the test

employee: The bus-driver is an employee of the Bus Company

payee: A cheque is made out to the payee

referee: The referee blew his whistle for full-time.

refugee: The refugee fled his land because of famine

trainee: Each trainee learned a different skill

'..eer'

auctioneer: 'Going, going, gone' says the auctioneer

engineer: Our engineer will repair a failed machine

mountaineer: It takes a skilled mountaineer to climb Everest

pioneer: A pioneer is one of the first to develop a new discovery

volunteer: As a volunteer I work for free

'..ent'

agent: The footballer's agent organised his transfer

correspondent: My friend is darts correspondent for the local paper

president: Washington was the first president of the USA

resident: My Gran is a resident at a retirement home

student: While I am learning I am still a student

'..er'

builder: The builder built his own house

cleaner: The classroom would be messy without our cleaner

farmer: The farmer made hay for his animals

painter: A good painter takes care of her brushes

speaker: The speaker at the rally inspired many people

teacher: Our teacher needs lots of patience

worker: An ant is a very hard worker

'..ery' places

bakery: Bread is the main thing baked in a bakery

brewery: Beer is brewed in a brewery

cemetery: People are buried in a cemetery

colliery: Coal is mined in a colliery

monastery: A monastery is a place for monks to pray or meditate

surgery: A local doctor sees patients at a surgery

'..ess'

actress: A young actress plays the part of Juliet

empress: Emperor or empress rule over an empire

mistress: A woman teacher was once called a mistress

princess: So the prince and princess lived happily ever after

stewardess: A stewardess served meals during the flight

tigress: The tigress fiercely defends her cubs

waitress: A smiling waitress brought our tea

'..ist'

balloonist: Up up and away the balloonist soars.

biologist: A biologist studies living things

chemist: A chemist sells tablets for headaches

cyclist: The cyclist pedalled hard to climb the hill.

florist: A florist is very busy on Mother's Day

guitarist: A guitarist plays by strumming his strings

journalist: He's a journalist and writes for the local paper

pianist: The pianist ran his fingers lightly over the keys

'..or'

actor: A good actor can play many parts

decorator: I need a decorator to paper this room

director: Steven Spielberg is a famous director

editor: The editor decides what goes in the paper

narrator: The narrator is the one who tells the tale

sailor: A sailor is seldom sick at sea

sculptor: This stone statue is the work of a sculptor

visitor: I can't show you the way as I'm just a visitor

'..ory' places

dormitory: A dormitory is a large room where many people sleep

factory: A factory is a place for making things

laboratory: Research and experiments are done in a laboratory

lavatory: The word lavatory means a place where you wash

observatory: An observatory is built for observing the heavens

territory: Any area of land can be called a territory

'..ry' places

country: He left his own country to go abroad

dairy: Butter and cheese are made in a dairy

foundry: Metals get melted and shaped in a foundry

quarry: Building stone is dug from this deep quarry

'..ster'

fraudster: It was a fraudster pretending to be me.

pollster: A pollster tries to find out what people think

songster: A blackbird is a tuneful songster

speedster: A speedster can risk his own life and others

trickster: Some trickster put custard in my bed!

youngster: The foal ran really fast for a youngster

Prefixes (Latin) on real words

'de..'

decamp: If the floods rise all campers must decamp

decode: Spies have to decode their messages

deforested: Trees grew here before it was deforested

defrost: Get the bread from the freezer and let it defrost

dethrone: The king's enemies planned to dethrone him

'dis..' as negative

disagree: You can disagree and yet not quarrel

disappear: Soap powder makes dirt disappear

disconnect: Pull out the plug to disconnect the television

disease: Doctors aim to cure disease

dislike: I will not eat things I dislike

distrust: I don't jump from planes as I distrust parachutes

'en..'

enable: This ticket will enable me to see the match

encircle: She planted a border to encircle the lawn

encourage: The crowd was singing to encourage the team

enforce: A policeman's job is to enforce the law

engulf: Waves rose up to engulf the ship

enlarge: When you enlarge a photo you show more detail

enrich: More butter would enrich this pudding

'im..' as negative

immature: The seedlings are too immature to plant outside

immortal: Would you like to be immortal and never die?

impatient: The crowd was impatient for kick-off

imperfect: Garments with a fault are sold as imperfect

impolite: He was far too kind to be impolite

impossible: Life on the sun could well be impossible

'in..' as negative

inactive: The old volcano has long been inactive

incredible: No one believed Gulliver's incredible story

indignity: What an indignity when his trousers fell down

inhuman: A cry rang out, unearthly and inhuman

insincere: An insincere person does not mean what they say

invalid: Unsigned cheques are invalid

'mis..'

mishap: The broken window was just a mishap

mislead: Don't let his flattery mislead you

misprint: This wrong spelling must be a misprint

misspell: If you spell this word right you won't misspell it

mistimed: He scored when the goalie mistimed his save

mistreat: To scribble in a library book is to mistreat it

misunderstood: I misunderstood your directions and got lost

misuse: It's a misuse of a car to stand on its roof

'pre..'

precooked: Make sure your precooked meal is properly heated

prefix: Name a prefix that means 'before'

prehistoric: We have no written records from prehistoric people

prepacked: I bought a prepacked lunch

preschool: My little sister is still at preschool playgroup

're..'

rehouse: I made a new hutch to rehouse my rabbit

renew: I need to renew my library book

replace: I bought this book to replace one I lost

replay: If the teams draw there will be a replay

review: I need to review what I have learned

Prefixes (OE) on real words

'a..'

across: He waved to us from across the river

alike: Many twins look alike

along: A path runs along the riverbank

aloud: She read her story aloud to the class

around: The pony trots around the ring

aside: He stood aside to let her pass

asleep: She fell asleep as her head touched the pillow

awake: Unable to sleep, he lay awake all night

'al..'

almost: One mile to go and our train is almost there

already: You can't have another sweet because you've already had one

also: My bedroom is also my den

although: He didn't cry although his hand hurt

always: The sun always rises in the east

'be..'

because: We went indoors because of the rain

before: Unwrap a sweet before you eat

behind: The cart goes behind the horse

below: Fish swim below the waves

beneath: The grass was soft beneath her feet

beside: Come and sit here beside me

between: The ball must go between the posts to score

beyond: The sea lies beyond those hills

'for..'

forbidden: It is forbidden to play on the grass

forget: I hope I never forget my name

forgive: Please forgive me for interrupting

forsake: Do not forsake a friend in trouble

'fore..'

forecast: Rain is forecast for tomorrow

forecourt: You'll find a phone on the station forecourt

forefinger: You point with your forefinger

foreground: She drew trees in the foreground and hills behind

forehead: His hair flopped over his forehead

foreman: The foreman made sure the job was done

foresee: We cannot foresee the future

forewarn: Dark clouds may forewarn of a storm

'forth..'

forthcoming: I begged for money but none was forthcoming

forthright: A plain speaking man gives a forthright answer

forthwith: One moment, my lord, and I'll be with you forthwith

'un..' as negative

uncertain: She felt uncertain which frog to kiss

unfair: It's unfair to give her a bigger cake

unfriendly: The unfriendly folk next door don't speak

unknown: His hideaway was unknown to the police

unsafe: That rickety chair is unsafe

untidy: Rubbish makes the place untidy

untrue: Her made-up tale was quite untrue

unwell: He felt so unwell he went to bed

'un..' as undoing actions

uncover: He pulled off the cloth to uncover the statue

undo: Do you undo your laces to take off your trainers?

unearth: The dog dug deep to unearth his bone

unload: They had to unload the boxes off the truck

untwist: You untwist the paper to get the toffee

unwrap: I tore the paper to unwrap my present

'with..'

withdraw: He had to withdraw his hasty remark

withhold: People often withhold their best efforts till last

withstand: A strong oak can withstand many gales

Prefixes of quantity

'bi.., bin..' twice

bicycle: Now she can ride her bicycle without stabilisers

binary: The binary system counts in twos

binoculars: You can use binoculars to see things far away

biscuit: The dog sat up and begged for a biscuit

'cent..' hundred

centipede: A centipede has one hundred legs

centurion: A centurion was an officer in charge of one hundred men

century: A century is one hundred years

'du..' two

duel: The knight challenged him to a duel

duet: The two boys together sang a duet

duo: Everyone agreed the two singers made a great duo

duplicate: A photocopier will make a duplicate

'kilo..' thousand

kilohertz: A kilohertz is a thousand cycles per second

kilometre: A kilometre is a thousand metres

kilowatt: A kilowatt is a measure of power

'mill..' thousand

millennium: A millennium is one thousand years

millilitre: One millilitre is one thousandth of a litre

millimetre: One millimetre is one thousandth of a metre

millisecond: One millisecond is one thousandth of a second

'mono..' one

monocle: A monocle is a single eyeglass

monocycle: A monocycle has just one wheel

monogamy: To have just one spouse is monogamy

monopoly: A monopoly means there's only one supplier

'multi..' many

multimedia: Combining different types of media is multimedia

multiplication: With multiplication you increase by a number of times

multipurpose: Something with many uses is multipurpose

multitude: A multitude gathered to greet the band

'omni..' all

omnipotent: An omnipotent person is all-powerful

omniscient: An omniscient being knows everything

omnivorous: If you are omnivorous you will eat anything

'pan.., panto..' all

panacea: A panacea is a cure for everything

panning: I was panning the beach with my video camera

panorama: A panorama is an overall view

pantomime: A pantomime is a Christmas show

'poly..' many

polygon: A polygon is a figure with several sides

polytechnic: A polytechnic is a place to study technology

polythene: Polyethylene or polythene is a plastic

'prim..' first

primary: Your first proper school is a primary school

primate: An ape is a primate

prime: A prime number cannot be divided

primitive: Something primitive is very simple

'quad..' four

quadrant: A quadrant is a quarter of a circle

quadrilateral: A quadrilateral has four sides

quadruplet: A quadruplet is one of four babies born together

'semi..' half

semicircle: A semicircle is one half of a circle

semicolon: A semicolon is more than a comma and less than a full stop

semiconductor: A semiconductor only conducts electricity in special conditions

'tri..' three

tricycle: A tricycle has three wheels

trio: A trio is a group of three players

triple: To triple anything is to multiply it by three

tripod: A tripod is an object with three legs

'uni..' one

unicorn: I've read of the unicorn with its single horn

uniform: Soldiers have to wear uniform

unique: Everyone is different, so we are all unique

unit: The kilogram is the unit of mass

Roots (Latin)

annus year

anniversary: A birthday is an anniversary

annual: An annual event happens once a year

annuity: A payment every year is called an annuity

biennial: A biennial event happens every two years

perennial: A perennial plant flowers for years

aqua water

aqualung: An aqualung lets you breathe underwater

aquamarine: An aquamarine is a blue-green gem

aquarium: An aquarium is a tank for fish

aqueduct: An aqueduct is a bridge carrying water

subaqua: A subaqua club is for diving

cavus hollow

cave: A cave is an underground hollow

cavity: A hole in a tooth is a cavity

concave: A concave mirror curves inwards

excavate: The bulldozers rolled in to excavate the site

ducere, ductum to lead

aqueduct: An aqueduct is a bridge carrying water

conductor: A conductor helps the orchestra to keep time

deduct: To deduct money is to take it away

ductile: A ductile metal is easily drawn out into wire

duke: A duke is a man with a title

education: The process of learning is education

introduce: To introduce is to bring together

product: A product is something that is made

fortis strong

comfort: I love the comfort of my own armchair

effort: To make an effort is to try hard

force: The force of the gale made cars overturn

fortify: To fortify is to protect against attack

fortress: A fortress is a fortified place of defence

reinforce: I reinforce something to make it stronger

mittere, missum send

admission: The museum charges for admission

commission: Players pay their agent a commission

missile: A rocket weapon is called a missile

missionary: A missionary is sent to teach a faith

omission: It was a sad omission, leaving Eric out of the team

permission: To allow something is to give permission

transmission: A radio broadcast is a transmission

mors, mortis death

immortal: Would you like to be immortal and never die?

mortal: A mortal illness ends in death

mortgage: A loan for a house is a mortgage

mortify: To mortify is to embarrass deeply

murderous: The monster attacked with murderous intent

pendere to hang

appendix: An appendix is a dead end in the gut

depend: To depend is to rely on something

independent: An independent person is self-reliant

pendant: A pendant hangs from the neck

pending: Something pending is waiting to be done

pendulum: A pendulum is a swinging weight

suspense: A built up state of waiting is called suspense

portare carry

export: We export cars to many countries

import: We import bananas because they don't grow here

portable: He takes his portable TV to bed

report: A report carries information

support: That shelf won't support your weight

scribere, scriptum write

description: A description tells in detail what something is

inscribe: Will you inscribe our names on the trophy?

nondescript: Something nondescript is unremarkable

postscript: A postscript follows the end of a play, book or letter

scribble: To scribble is to write untidily

scribe: A scribe wrote letters for a living

script: She wrote the script for the puppet play

terra the Earth

extraterrestrial: Beyond the Earth is extraterrestrial

inter: To inter someone is to bury them

subterranean: Below the ground is subterranean

terrace: A terrace is ground that rises in steps

terrain: A terrain is a tract of land

terrier: A terrier is a small dog

videre, visum - to see

advice: Ask for advice if you are unsure what to do

envy: His wealth makes me green with envy

invisible: If a thing is unseen it is invisible

provide: Flowers provide bees with nectar

revision: The run-up to the exams is time for serious revision

survey: To do a survey is to collect information about something

television: A television receives pictures from afar

videos: Video recorders are often called videos

Roots(Greek)

aer air

aerobatics: Stunts in the air are called aerobatics

aerobics: Strenuous rhythmic exercises are called aerobics

aerodrome: An aerodrome is a small airfield

aerodynamic: Air flows easily over an aerodynamic shape

aeroplane: An aeroplane is a machine that flies

aster star

asterisk: An asterisk is a starlike symbol

asteroid: An asteroid is a small body circling the Sun

astronaut: An astronaut is a voyager in Space

astronomy: The study of the heavens is called astronomy

disaster: A disaster is a terrible happening

bios life

amphibious: To be amphibious is to be at home on land or in water

antibiotic: An antibiotic kills bacteria

biography: A biography is a book about someone's life

biology: The study of life is biology

biosphere: The biosphere is the part of Earth supporting life

chronos time

anachronism: An anachronism is something out of date

chronic: A chronic illness is one that keeps on and on

chronicle: A chronicle is a diary of past events

chronology: The setting down of dates is chronology

synchronous: Two events at the same time are synchronous

gramma letter

anagram: An anagram is a word with the letters mixed up

diagram: A diagram is a plan of something on paper

grammar: The study of the rules of a language is its grammar

gramophone: A gramophone plays music from vinyl discs

hologram: A hologram can show a solid-looking picture

programme: A menu of events is called a programme

graphe

autograph: An autograph is a signature

geography: Geography is about more than maps

graph: A graph makes a picture from numbers

graphite: A graphite pencil uses a form of carbon

paragraph: A paragraph is a short but distinct piece of writing

photograph: Without a camera you cannot take a photograph

hydor water

dehydrated: If something is dried up it is dehydrated

hydraulic: A hydraulic motor is worked by fluid

hydrofoil: A hydrofoil is a craft that skims on water

hydrogen: The lightest element is hydrogen

hydrotherapy: Treatment by immersion in water is hydrotherapy

logos word

biology: The study of life is biology

dialogue: A conversation between two people is a dialogue

illogical: If something is against reason it is illogical

prologue: A prologue is spoken at the start of a play

technology: Applied science is called technology

phileein to love

anglophile: An anglophile is a lover of England

philanthropist: A philanthropist gives much of his wealth for charity

philatelist: A philatelist collects stamps

philosopher: A philosopher studies the nature of knowledge

phone sound

cacophony: A cacophony is a hideous noise

gramophone: A gramophone plays music from vinyl discs

microphone: A microphone is used to pick up sound

phonetics: The study of spoken language is called phonetics

symphony: A symphony is a big orchestral composition

telephone: You speak over a distance with a telephone

photos light

photocopier: A photocopier uses light to make copies

photogenic: It is easy to take a good photo of a photogenic person.

photograph: Without a camera you cannot take a photograph

photon: A photon is a particle of light

photosynthesis: Plants use photosynthesis to obtain energy

telephoto: A telephoto lens makes a scene seem closer

polis city

cosmopolitan: A cosmopolitan person knows many parts of the world

metropolis: A metropolis is a great city

politician: A politician is a person engaged in politics

politics: Politics is the art of government

scopeein view

microscope: A microscope magnifies close-up objects

periscope: A periscope lets you look round corners

scope: The scope of something is its range

stethoscope: A stethoscope is to hear sounds from the chest

telescope: A telescope magnifies distant objects

techne art or skill

polytechnic: A polytechnic is a place to study technology

pyrotechnics: The art of fireworks is called pyrotechnics

technical: The concert was late from a technical hitch

technician: A technician looks after the equipment in a laboratory

technology: Applied science is called technology

technophobia: The fear of technology is technophobia

theos a god

atheist: An atheist believes there is no god

enthusiasm: Great interest is called enthusiasm

theology: The study of religion is theology

zoon animal

protozoan: A protozoan is a member of the simplest life forms

zodiac: The zodiac is the collection of 12 star signs

zoo: A zoo was once called a zoological garden

zoology: The study of animals is called zoology

Suffixes for plurals

baby > babies

babies: Two babies yowl louder than one

cities: Our cities suffer from too much traffic

daisies: How many daisies make a daisy chain?

families: Many families go on holiday together

pennies: She saved her pennies until she made a pound

ponies: Lots of ponies entered the pony show

puppies: The smallest puppy joined the other puppies

stories: There are three great stories in this book

dot > dots

apples: She cuts up apples for an apple pie

dots: Try to make a pattern of dots

frills: Her skirt is trimmed with frills

hills: This is a land of hills and valleys

spots: She had spots when she was ill

half > halves

halves: Football is a game of two halves

knives: Bring knives, forks, spoons and a bread knife

loaves: Half a loaf is better than no loaves at all

shelves: It's on the lower shelf of the shelves by the window

thieves: The thief knew where the other thieves went

wives: King Henry had six wives

wolves: One wolf is the leader of a pack of wolves

hero > heroes

cargoes: The ships carried cargoes of tea and spices

dominoes: A set of dominoes has twenty-eight tiles

echoes: Their voices made echoes inside the cavern

heroes: Our winning team came home heroes

potatoes: Chips are sliced and fried potatoes

tomatoes: Are tomatoes fruit or vegetables?

volcanoes: Mounts Etna and Vesuvius are volcanoes

irregular plurals

children: The child ran to join the other children outside

feet: She had no shoes on her feet

geese: This golden goose differs from ordinary geese

lice: Two lice are twice the price of a single louse

men: Two men helped the young man to safety

mice: The mouse had a family of baby mice

salmon: I saw two salmon leap up a waterfall

sheep: I counted sheep yet couldn't sleep

teeth: The tooth fairy didn't come for any of my teeth

women: Mothers are women with children

kilo > kilos

embryos: Unborn animals are known as embryos

kilos: How many kilos do you weigh?

photos: I have put my photos in this album

pianos: Two pianists played on separate pianos

radios: TV's are usually more expensive than radios

solos: The solos were sung by each singer in turn

videos: Video recorders are often called videos

kiss > kisses

boxes: I'll just pile this box on top of these boxes

brushes: She put her clean brush with the other brushes

coaches: Our coach was the first of the six coaches

kisses: Her letter ends with a row of kisses

matches: Lots of matches fit in a matchbox

monkey > monkeys

boys: All men were once boys

guys: The dummies made for bonfires are called guys

keys: Locks are opened with keys

monkeys: Playful monkeys were swinging by their tails

toys: The toyshop was piled high with toys

trays: The twins had breakfast in bed on trays

ways: There are lots of ways to play cards

roof > roofs

beliefs: She shared her parents beliefs in old wives tales

chefs: Some chefs won't share their cooking secrets

chiefs: The chiefs of the tribes all met together

cliffs: Tall cliffs rise out of the sea

roofs: Here the roofs of houses have red tiles

Suffixes for tenses

'..ed' cry > cried

cried: Everyone cried at the weepy old film

dried: I dried the dog with my towel

fried: He fried his egg in the frying pan

hurried: They hurried to get to the match on time

married: The bride and groom have just got married

worried: I worried until my test results arrived

'..ed' date > dated

amused: We were amused by his witty cartoons

dared: No-one dared move for fear of rocking the boat

dated: She dated the letter at the top

droned: The dreary voice droned on and on

hoped: My birthday was as good as I had hoped

moved: New neighbours have moved in next door

'..ed' hop > hopped

grabbed: He threw the rope and she grabbed it

hopped: He hopped as far as he could in one jump

knitted: I'm wearing the jumper Gran knitted for me

nodded: She nodded her head to say yes

slammed: As he marched out he slammed the door

sunned: The cat sunned herself in the warm sun

'..ed' radio > radioed

echoed: Voices echoed through the empty cave

radioed: 'Mayday, Mayday' radioed the stranded ship

vetoed: The boss vetoed any plan he disapproved of

videoed: We videoed last night's film to watch tonight

'..ed' sounding as "d"

growled: The watch dog growled a low warning

poured: He poured the tea into two large mugs

rained: It rained all day and we were soaked

sailed: His ship sailed on the tide

showed: She opened the book and showed them the picture

teamed: The tennis players teamed up into pairs

'..ed' sounding as "ed"

crowded: We crowded into the tiny room

delighted: We were delighted to hear your good news

greeted: She greeted me with a hug

mended: She mended the puncture and rode away

painted: I painted the picture you see on the wall

shouted: He shouted for help at the top of his voice

waited: I waited for ages for him to turn up

wounded: An arrow wounded the stag as he fled

'..ed' sounding as "t"

asked: My mother asked thousands of questions

crashed: The runaway train crashed into the buffers

dressed: He dressed and came downstairs

jumped: He jumped into the lake

puffed: He huffed and he puffed and he blew the house down

reached: At long last they reached their journey's end

'..ing' rub > rubbing

digging: I'll dig where I was digging yesterday

getting: I'm getting too big for my clothes

hopping: If you try to run with one leg you are hopping

rubbing: Aladdin was rubbing the lamp to clean it

swimming: He is swimming under the water

'..ing' care > caring

caring: I was caring for my cousin's cat

coming: Mother is coming to see us tomorrow

hoping: I'm hoping Mum won't be mad

moving: We're moving away next week

writing: The children were writing a letter home

'..ing' grin > grinning

grinning: She was grinning from ear to ear

panicking: She is panicking because she has not done the work

referring: I was referring to your brother, not you

travelling: I was travelling by train

'..ing' visit > visiting

carpeting: I was carpeting the floor when I lost my mouse

happening: Darkness hid what was happening

limiting: I am limiting myself to one sweet a day

targeting: The girls were targeting water-pistols at the boys

visiting: I can't show you the way as I'm just visiting

'..ing' wait > waiting

carrying: I put on the coat I was carrying

dreaming: I'm dreaming of winning the lottery

going: We are going to the fair

standing: Your elephant is standing on my toe

waiting: I'll be waiting all day for the phone to ring

'..ing' with eye ..ie ..o ..oe

echoing: Their voices were echoing through the cavern

eyeing: A hungry boy was eyeing cakes in the window

hoeing: He was hoeing his garden to keep down weeds

lying: She was lying in bed till noon

radioing: The captain is radioing for help

shoeing: The blacksmith was shoeing the horse in the yard

tying: I am tying the parcel with string

vetoing: The boss says he is vetoing the plan

'..s' cry > cries

carries: The waiter carries a tray of drinks

cries: My sister cries at weepy old films

dries: Hot air dries wet hair

hurries: Everyone hurries to get to the match in time

worries: My mum worries about me when I'm late home

Further explorations

Homophones

3-way homophones

their: The kittens lost their mittens

there: We're standing here but the bus stops over there

they're: My parents think they're really cool.

to: I went to the fair

too: My two cats are too lazy to go out

two: We have one nose but two eyes

consonant phonemes

hole: The pirate dug a hole to hide his gold

knew: After just one lesson I knew how to skate

know: I know that tomorrow never comes!

new: I would like a new bike for my birthday

no: Shake your head for no

one: We have two eyes and one nose

right: Ticks mean all your sums are right

wear: People wear shorts in the summer

where: Just here is where I sit

whole: The egg was whole before he sat on it

won: The girl who ran the fastest won the race

write: I want to write him a letter

long phoneme 'ai'

grate: You can grate cheese with a grater

great: The gorilla is one of the great apes

rain: They all got wet in the rain

reign: Queen Victoria's reign lasted sixty-five years

rein: The rider led her horse by a rein

wait: We did not wait long for the bus

way: Can you tell me the way to town?

weigh: I had to weigh some flour for a cake-mix

weight: You must be strong to lift such a weight

long phoneme 'air'

bare: The leaves have fallen and the trees are bare

bear: Deep in the woods a grizzly bear growled

pair: He always wore a pair of trainers

pear: I could not bear to leave that pear unpicked

stair: Each stair creaked as she crept up to bed

stare: People would stare at a flying pig

their: The kittens lost their mittens

there: We're standing here but the bus stops over there

long phoneme 'ee'

flea: A flea is a tiny insect that feeds on blood

flee: The soldiers turned to flee from the enemy

meat: Butchers sell meat

meet: Let's meet up at seven under the clock

peace: The dove is a symbol of peace

piece: Would you like a piece of pie?

read: This book is good to read

reed: The roof was well thatched, each reed in its place

long phoneme 'oa'

loan: These library books are on loan

lone: One lone tree remained after the forest fire

road: The long road led to the hills

rowed: Six oarsmen rowed the boat to shore

sew: I would sew a new button on my coat if could

so: The car won't start so we must push it

long phoneme 'or'

board: The teacher wrote on the board

bored: I'm so bored with nothing to do

for: A pen is for writing

four: Chairs need four firm legs

saw: He looked up and saw the moon

sore: Her throat was so sore she could hardly speak

other homophones

allowed: Children are not allowed to drive trains

aloud: She read her story aloud to the class

dear: This teddy is very dear to me

deer: The oldest deer had the largest antlers

lessen: She took a tablet to lessen the pain

lesson: Our next lesson is History

weather: We can go sailing if the weather is good

whether: Tell me whether you want this or that

phoneme 'n'

knew: After just one lesson I knew how to skate

knight: The brave knight rode a black horse

knot: I tied the rope with a firm knot.

know: I know that tomorrow never comes!

new: I would like a new bike for my birthday

night: All that night the moon shone bright

no: Shake your head for no

not: I do not like being lost

phoneme 'r'

rap: Please rap my door loudly to wake me up

right: Ticks mean all your sums are right

ring: She has a ring on her finger

wrap: I must wrap his present neatly

wring: My wrists were too weak to wring out the cloth

write: I want to write him a letter

phoneme 's'

cereal: Ceres, Roman goddess of growing plants, leads to cereal

licence: A TV licence allows you to watch live programmes

license: The people at Swansea will license your car

practice: The choir needed a long practice before the performance

practise: You could sing like me if you practise hard

serial: A serial is a drama split into several episodes

spellings of '..ole'

bold: The brave man took another bold step

bowled: He bowled a ball and all the skittles fell

hold: The vet let me hold the dog in my arms

hole: The pirate dug a hole to hide his gold

holed: The wrecked ship was badly holed

sole: There's a hole in the sole of her shoe

soul: Your secret is safe; I won't tell a soul

whole: The egg was whole before he sat on it

Interesting derivations

from acronyms

laser: Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation is laser

nylon: Manufacture of nylon began in New York and LONdon

quango: Quasi-Autonomous Non-Governmental Organisation is quango

quasar: QUAsi-StellAr Radio source makes quasar

radar: RAdio Detecting And Ranging makes radar

scuba: Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus is scuba

sonar: SOund Navigation And Ranging makes sonar

yuppie: Young Upwardly-mobile Professional leads to yuppie

from mythical characters

atlas: An atlas is called after a man with the globe on his back

cereal: Ceres, Roman goddess of growing plants, leads to cereal

hygiene: The word hygiene is from Hygieia, Greek goddess of health

martial: A martial art like karate recalls Mars, Roman god of war

music: The Muses were Greek goddesses of the arts, hence music

panic: The god Pan was said to have the power to cause panic

titanic: A titanic struggle has the strength of Titans, early Greek gods

volcano: The volcano comes from Vulcan, Roman god of fire

from people's names

cardigans: Guess which earl issued cardigans to his regiment

diesel: Guess which engineer invented the diesel engine

sandwiches: Guess which earl ate sandwiches while playing cards

wellingtons: Guess which duke first wore wellingtons

from places

academy: Plato taught at Akademia in Athens, hence academy

canter: Pilgrims to Canterbury rode at a canter, an easy pace

currant: Corinth was the original source of the currant

denim: Cloth from Nimes was called 'de Nimes', now denim

indigo: The colour indigo suggests a dye from India

port: Strong wine from Oporto in Portugal is called port

swede: The swede is a turnip from Sweden

tangerine: The tangerine was shipped from the port of Tangiers

shortened

exam: Which sounds worse, exam or examination?

fridge: It is easier to say fridge than refrigerator

navvy: The navvy was the 'navigator' who dug canal navigations

taxicab: A taxicab or cab was once a 'taximeter cabriolet'

telly: It is easier to say telly than television

zoo: A zoo was once called a zoological garden

words with unusual histories

confetti: Small sweets called confetti were thrown at Italian weddings

diary: Roman soldiers' daily food 'diarium' was noted in a diary

omnibus: The omnibus, Latin 'for all', is usually known as bus

salary: A salary was a Roman soldier's salt allowance

tawdry: St. Audrey's Fair in Ely was known for cheap and tawdry goods

tennis: Servers in old tennis once shouted 'tenez' in warning

More consonant sounds

'ch' as in chemist

ache: Watching tennis makes my neck ache

anchor: The ship rode safely to her anchor

chemist: A chemist sells tablets for headaches

Christmas: People give each other gifts at Christmas

echo: Shout and the cave will echo your voice

scheme: He worked out a scheme to make more money

school: Children learn and play at school

stomach: My stomach rumbles when I'm hungry

'ch' sounds as "sh"

chalet: We stayed in a chalet in the holiday camp

charade: We'll act the charade and you guess the word

chassis: This car is built on a strong steel chassis

chef: If the food is good then thank the chef

chiffon: Her chiffon dress was light and floaty

machine: The robot wasn't human but just a machine

parachute: The parachute floated her gently to earth

sachet: Here's a sachet of shampoo to wash your hair

'ci' sounds as "sh"

artificial: If only artificial roses smelled like real ones!

conscience: Guilty conscience kept the thief awake

conscious: The victim was conscious and could speak

crucial: It's crucial we reach the trapped men soon

efficient: An efficient worker is quick but thorough

official: A uniform makes anybody look official

precious: Water is precious in a dry land

social: A social conscience means you care about others

special: A talking dog would be something special!

sufficient: They had sufficient food to last the winter

'gh' sounds as "ff"

cough: We cover our mouths when we cough

enough: We have just enough milk for breakfast

laugh: Clowns try to make us laugh

rough: The path was rough and so he tripped

tough: Walking boots need tough soles

trough: The piglets were snuffling in the trough

other "sh" sounds

action: I like films with a lot of action

initial: M is the initial of Mary's name

mission: Our mission is to make everybody smile

national: The fire was so big it made the national news

ocean: Whales dive deep in the ocean

pension: Retired people need a pension

ration: We have so few sweets we must ration them out

sugar: Just a spoonful of sugar in my tea, please

sure: Monday is sure to follow Sunday

More vowel sounds

'a' as in acorn

able: I am able to waggle my ears

acorn: The oak tree starts as a tiny acorn

angel: An angel is a heavenly messenger

paper: Someone had scribbled on every sheet of paper

'a' as in father

after: C comes after B in the ABC

ask: They heard Oliver Twist ask for more

bath: I like a bath with lots of hot water

class: Don't fly paper darts in class

fast: She ran so fast she broke all records

father: A father is somebody's dad

glass: A glass can be pretty but fragile

last: He fell over and came last in the race

plant: I water my plant every day

'e' as in demon

decent: It was decent of you to help me out

demon: Some little demon has hidden my chocolate

lenient: A lenient judge let us off lightly

recent: Look on the Internet for the most recent news

secret: The secret door was very well hidden

she: Jill hurt her hand when she fell

'ei' as in ceiling

ceiling: A single light hung down from the ceiling

conceited: You're conceited if you think you're better than us

deceit: The old cheat lived a life of deceit

deceive: Camouflage is to deceive the enemy

perceive: Bats perceive sounds we cannot hear

receive: Every winner will receive a prize

'ei' as in vein

eight: A spider has eight legs

freight: Trucks carry freight of all kinds

neigh: She heard her horse neigh from far away

neighbour: I often pop next door to see my neighbour

reindeer: In Lapland I saw reindeer pull a sleigh

sleigh: Over the snow she rode in her sleigh

vein: A vein is a tube carrying blood to the heart

weight: You must be strong to lift such a weight

'i' as in minus

climb: He aims to climb to the top

idle: Machines stood idle when the factory closed

minus: Five minus three is two

sidle: Can you sidle stealthily like a crab?

triangle: A triangle has three sides and three corners

'o' as in dove

brother: Sister and brother went home together

come: Will you come to my party?

done: My work is all done and finished

dove: The gentle dove is a symbol of peace

front: You face the front as you steer your bike

glove: Her hand felt cold without a glove

money: All my money fell out of my purse

mother: A mum is a mother

other: Would you like this book or the other one?

some: Most birds can fly and some can swim

'o' as in only

holy: Most religions respect holy places

only: I have only one sweet left

open: You lift the lid to open the box

over: The cow jumped over the moon

'oor' as in floor

door: Knock on the door and go in

floor: Their wooden floor had no carpet

moor: No trees grew on the windy moor

poor: They were too poor to buy food

'u' as in pull

bull: The colour-blind bull hates a red rag or any other

bush: I hid behind the leafy bush

full: If your glass is too full it spills over

pull: You pull the ring to open the can

push: We had to push the car to make it start

put: She put the key into the lock

'u' as in uniform

puny: I was weak and puny before I trained in the gym

truth: Tell us the truth of what really happened

tunic: The uniform included a simple tunic

unicorn: I've read of the unicorn with its single horn

uniform: Soldiers have to wear uniform

unit: The kilogram is the unit of mass

'y' as in cycle

cycle: I'll cycle over on my new bike

nylon: Manufacture of nylon began in New York and LONdon

python: The python is not a poisonous snake

reply: The phone rang but there was no reply

rhyme: Words rhyme when their endings sound the same

style: You should write in a style that's easy to read

crystal: Each grain of salt is a tiny crystal

'y' as in gym

gym: I'm off to the gym to exercise

mysterious: A mysterious stranger came from nowhere

pyramid: A pyramid made the Pharaoh's memorial

rhythm: A strong pattern of sound is rhythm

sympathy: Friends shared her sorrow with sympathy

syrup: Sweet sticky syrup trickles off my toast

Sounds of 'ough'

although: He didn't cry although his hand hurt

bough: An owl sat on the bough of a tree

bought: I bought a short jacket from the market

cough: We cover our mouths when we cough

dough: You use dough to make pizza bases

drought: A drought is a time of no rain

enough: We have just enough milk for breakfast

nought: Write nought when there is nothing at all

plough: The oxen in the field pulled the plough

thorough: A thorough search leaves no stone unturned

through: Go through the gate to get in the field

Patterns in word endings

'..ar' as in sugar

cellar: Cold steps led down to a chilly cellar

collar: We put Rover's name-tag on his collar

mortar: What holds bricks together is mortar

sugar: Just a spoonful of sugar in my tea, please

vinegar: I sprinkled vinegar over my chips

'..el' as in model

angel: An angel is a heavenly messenger

kennel: Our dog lives in his kennel in the yard

label: The label on the jar said 'plum jam'

level: Things don't slide off a level shelf

model: She built a model of the Titanic

parcel: He wrapped the parcel in brown paper

quarrel: They disagreed and started to quarrel

travel: To reach the States you travel by air

'..ery' as in machinery

confectionery: She loves cakes and other confectionery

embroidery: The art of stitching pictures on cloth is embroidery

finery: Cinderella went to the ball dressed in her finery

jewellery: Fine jewellery may be made with gold

lottery: In a lottery the numbers are picked at random

machinery: Farmers now use machinery instead of horses.

stationery: Paper, pens and pencils are all stationery

'..ey' as in monkey

abbey: Monks once lived in the old abbey

chimney: Why doesn't Santa get stuck in the chimney?

honey: Bees make honey

journey: It's a long journey from here to Timbuktu

money: All my money fell out of my purse

monkey: A monkey uses all four limbs to swing from trees

turkey: The turkey is the largest bird on our farm

valley: A valley is low ground between hills

'..il' as in pencil

civil: Polite people give civil replies

council: The local council collects taxes to spend on services

daffodil: The daffodil is a sign of spring

fossil: We know extinct life from fossil remains

lentil: She made a pot of lentil soup for supper

pencil: I write in pencil if I need to rub out

stencil: A stencil makes it easy to paint a shape

utensil: A utensil is anything used in the kitchen

'..le' as in apple

apple: An apple a day keeps the doctor away

battle: Napoleon fought his last battle at Waterloo

bottle: Do you prefer your cola in a bottle or a can?

bubble: I chewed my gum and blew a bubble

cuddle: A cuddle a day keeps sadness at bay

dribble: Babies happily dribble food down their chins

gobble: Dogs always gobble their food

middle: He fell in a puddle right up to his middle

'..le' as in candle

ankle: Your ankle connects your leg to your foot

bundle: The tramp wrapped his clothes into a bundle

candle: She blew out every candle on her birthday cake

grumble: People often grumble about the weather

handle: I've broken the handle of my favourite mug

nimble: Jack was nimble enough to escape down the beanstalk

simple: Two plus two is a simple sum

single: Someone unmarried is single

'..le' as in table

cable: A cable connects the cooker to the mains

cradle: The tiny baby slept in his cradle

ladle: A ladle is a spoon for serving soup

maple: The maple tree provides a delicious syrup

noble: A noble deed is brave and selfless

sidle: Can you sidle stealthily like a crab?

table: The table was laden with scrumptious food

Syllables and spelling

compound words

birthday: Your birthday marks the day you were born

dustbin: The dustbin is for household rubbish

handbag: She keeps her purse in her handbag

lipstick: Use lipstick to colour your lips

milkman: A milkman delivers milk

notebook: He jotted some notes in his notebook

sunset: The western sky glows red at sunset

windmill: Wind drives the sails of the windmill

split like ba-sin

hotel: On holiday they stayed in a sea-front hotel

label: The label on the jar said 'plum jam'

minus: Five minus three is two

moment: It only takes a moment to burn a piece of toast

pilot: The pilot controls the plane

pupil: The painter taught his pupil all he knew

secret: The secret door was very well hidden

silent: The room fell silent once the crowd had gone

stupid: A well-trained dog seldom does anything stupid

split like bas-ket

basket: They filled a basket with fruit

napkin: I use my napkin to wipe my mouth

panda: The black and white panda munches bamboo shoots

picnic: We spread a cloth on the grass for a picnic

plastic: A plastic flower has no smell

pumpkin: Cinderella's pumpkin became a golden coach

trumpet: A trumpet plays loud music

zebra: A zebra crossing has black and white stripes

split like cot-ton

cotton: A cotton shirt keeps you cool

hidden: The secret door was very well hidden

kitten: My kitten is fluffy and playful

lesson: Our next lesson is History

paddock: Her pony grazes in the paddock

puffin: You can always tell a puffin by its bill

rabbit: Our pet rabbit ate Mum's prize carrots

sudden: A sudden clap of thunder broke the silence

split like fin-ish

body: Daily keep-fit strengthens the body

finish: When I finish this job I can start the next

habit: He has this habit of clicking his fingers

lemon: What a sour taste a lemon has!

metal: A metal often shines like silver

robin: A red-breasted robin perched on a twig

shadow: Bright sun cast a dark shadow behind him

visit: My friends came to visit me in hospital

split like po-em

diet: His diet consists of bread and water

duet: The two boys together sang a duet

lion: A mouse saved the lion by biting him free

poem: Her ten-line poem has clever rhymes

triumph: Caesar returned from battle in triumph

Words ending in vowels

'..a' as in banana

banana: Have you ever seen a straight banana?

camera: The mugger was caught on a hidden camera

cinema: Our new cinema has ten screens

cocoa: My bedtime drink is a mug of cocoa

saga: The saga of his voyage took ages to tell

umbrella: There is shelter for two under my umbrella

vanilla: My favourite ice cream is vanilla with a flake

zebra: A zebra crossing has black and white stripes

'..ea' as in idea

area: The size of a surface is its area

idea: It is a good idea to get dressed before you go out

nausea: The waltzers gave me an attack of nausea

panacea: A panacea is a cure for everything

rhea: A rhea is like an ostrich, but from South America

'..ee' as in coffee

chimpanzee: The chimpanzee is our closest animal relative

coffee: Do you prefer coffee, tea or neither?

committee: A committee meets to plan and decide things

degree: The temperature rose by one degree

guarantee: My watch has a ten-year guarantee

jubilee: Twenty-five years on, the school held its silver jubilee

pedigree: A pedigree dog belongs to a breed

toffee: The dentist says toffee is bad for my teeth

'..i' as in taxi

alibi: An alibi means being elsewhere at the time of a crime

fungi: Mushrooms and toadstools are fungi

graffiti: You often see graffiti sprayed on subway walls

hi-fi: This CD sounds great on our new hi-fi

macaroni: Do you like macaroni cheese?

safari: Which wild animals did you see on safari?

spaghetti: spaghetti is a pasta, Italian for bits of string

taxi: We took a taxi because there was no bus

'..o' as in potato

cargo: A supertanker carries a cargo of crude oil

echo: Shout and the cave will echo your voice

hero: Superman is the hero of all his adventures

photo: She kept his photo in a silver frame

potato: Do you prefer potato mashed or baked?

tomato: A tomato is a red fruit used as a vegetable

volcano: A volcano is a vent from which molten rock or steam is ejected

zero: The value of zero is nothing

'..oo' as in bamboo

bamboo: A stick of bamboo comes from a type of grass

cuckoo: The cuckoo lays her eggs in other birds' nests

hullabaloo: With such a hullabaloo their party was stopped

igloo: An igloo is a dome-shaped house of snow

shampoo: Babies cry when shampoo gets in their eyes

tattoo: A tattoo is a permanent picture on the skin

'..u' as in menu

caribou: The caribou is a North American reindeer

emu: The emu is like an ostrich but lives in Australia

flu: Getting flu is much worse than having a cold

gnu: The gnu and the wildebeest are the same animal

impromptu: An impromptu speech is unprepared

menu: We needed the menu to choose our food

tutu: The tutu is a short white dress for a ballerina

Words from other tongues

words from Arabic

alcohol: Beer, wines and spirits all contain alcohol

hazard: A hazard is a danger or risk

mattress: You will sleep better with a comfortable mattress

sofa: A sofa is a long and cosy seat with arms and back

words from Dutch

brandy: The spirit made from wine is called brandy

buoy: A buoy is a floating mark to guide shipping

easel: An artist supports his painting on an easel

skipper: The skipper is the man in charge of a boat

snoop: To pry into other people's business is to snoop

yacht: A yacht is a boat which is used for pleasure

words from French

bouquet: The bunch of flowers held by a bride is a bouquet

duvet: A duvet covers a bed to keep you warm

mayonnaise: Egg yolk, oil and vinegar make mayonnaise

meringue: Egg beaten with sugar and baked makes a meringue

queue: A long queue looks a bit like a tail

souvenir: A souvenir is an object to remind you of a place

words from Gaelic

bard: A bard would sing verses in praise of his chief

clan: A clan is an extended family group

slogan: An often-repeated phrase in commercials makes a slogan

whiskey: Irish or American whiskey is spelled like this

whisky: Scottish whisky is spelled like this

words from German

dachshund: Sausage dog is not the proper name for a dachshund

delicatessen: A delicatessen sells specialist foods

nickel: A nickel is a small American coin

poodle: The poodle is a dog with clipped curly hair

waltz: A waltz is a romantic ballroom dance

words from Hindi

bungalow: A single-storey house is called a bungalow

chutney: Fruit pickled with vinegar is called chutney

cot: The baby sleeps in her cot

shampoo: Babies cry when shampoo gets in their eyes

words from Italian

motto: Jack's motto was 'I'm all right'

piano: I can play 'chopsticks' on the piano

pizza: A pizza is made from dough and topping, baked in an oven

replica: A replica is an accurate copy

serenade: He stood outside her window and sang a serenade

spaghetti: spaghetti is a pasta, Italian for bits of string

studio: The artist had his studio in the attic

umbrella: There is shelter for two under my umbrella

words from Japanese

futon: A futon is a bed which can be made into a chair

karaoke: Singing pop songs to a backing track is karaoke

karate: The art of karate is a Japanese form of self-defence

tycoon: A tycoon is a high-powered businessman

words from North America

moccasin: A moccasin is a soft flat shoe

moose: A moose is a large North American deer

skunk: Beware the smelly spray of a scared skunk

tomahawk: A tomahawk is an axe that was used for fighting

totem: A totem is an object with symbolic value

words from Persian (Farsi)

bazaar: A bazaar is a group of market stalls

caravan: A caravan is a train of camels, or a mobile home

shawl: She wrapped a shawl round her shoulders for warmth

taffeta: A taffeta dress is made from thin glossy silk

words from Spanish

alligator: An alligator is a reptile related to the crocodile

canyon: A canyon is a steep-sided narrow valley

lasso: He threw his lasso round the neck of the bull

mosquito: The mosquito is an insect adapted for sucking blood

plaza: A plaza is a large town square or shopping centre

ranch: A ranch is a huge cattle farm of the American West

stampede: The stampede began when the cattle were startled

words from Turkish

coffee: In England, coffee is now drunk as much as tea

kiosk: A kiosk in the park sold ice creams

tulip: People visit Holland to see the tulip fields in spring

turban: A long piece of cloth is wrapped to make a turban

Words often misspelled

are letters doubled? 1

occurred: A great idea has just occurred to me

occurrence: His visits to the shop became a daily occurrence

omission: It was a sad omission, leaving Eric out of the team

omitted: His name was omitted from the team list

reference: Look up more details in a reference book

referred: He referred to his diary for the dates

are letters doubled? 2

prefer: I much prefer bananas to apples

preference: Regular supporters take preference for cup-tie tickets

preferred: I said I preferred bananas to apples

transfer: To transfer is to move something from one place to another

transferable: A transferable ticket can be passed to someone else

transferred: Mum transferred some money into my bank account

awkward words 1

journey: It's a long journey from here to Timbuktu

leisure: The opposite of work is leisure

medicine: A medicine is used to treat disease

people: A person needs other people to talk to

quarter: A quarter is one fourth part of something

vehicle: A vehicle runs on wheels and carries people or things

water: I'll run the water for a bath

woman: A woman is an adult female person

women: Mothers are women with children

yacht: A yacht is a boat which is used for pleasure

awkward words 2

beautiful: The snow-covered mountain looked beautiful

desperate: The fly made a desperate attempt to escape the spider

embarrassed: He blushed and felt embarrassed when he had to speak

especially: I love strawberries, especially with cream

exaggerate: Fishermen are supposed to exaggerate the one that got away

interesting: Your voyage to the Antarctic sounds very interesting

lovely: It was a lovely day and the sun shone bright

opposite: Right is the opposite of wrong

separate: They parted and went their separate ways

suppose: Do you suppose we can go to her party?

business words 1

accommodation: Please find me four-star accommodation in Paris

address: We have moved to our new address

business: A business sells a product or service

committee: A committee meets to plan and decide things

correspondence: Written communication, sent or received, is correspondence

faithfully: A letter starting 'Dear Sir' ends with 'Yours faithfully'

necessary: If necessary we will send a replacement

sincerely: A letter starting 'Dear Ms Smith' ends with 'Yours sincerely'

business words 2

approval: Goods sent on approval may be returned if not required

certainly: Sending an e-mail is certainly faster than sending a letter

clerk: A clerk keeps records and deals with correspondence

communication: The exchange of information is communication

delivery: We use an overnight carrier for speedy delivery

height: The height measures the vertical extent of an object

immediately: The missing items should be sent out immediately

liaise: Groups liaise when they work together

weight: You must be strong to lift such a weight

business words 3

authority: People in authority have decision-making powers

efficiency: Investment in new machinery will increase efficiency

limited: A limited company has restricted liability

marketing: Activities which promote a product come together as marketing

mortgage: A loan for a house is a mortgage

procedure: A procedure is a set of instructions

profited: The store profited from an increase in sales

purchase: To purchase means to buy

recommendation: A recommendation is the endorsement of a product

suggestion: He made a brilliant suggestion for increasing sales

are letters doubled? 1

occurred: A great idea has just occurred to me

occurrence: His visits to the shop became a daily occurrence

omission: It was a sad omission, leaving Eric out of the team

omitted: His name was omitted from the team list

reference: Look up more details in a reference book

referred: He referred to his diary for the dates

are letters doubled? 2

prefer: I much prefer bananas to apples

preference: Regular supporters take preference for cup-tie tickets

preferred: I said I preferred bananas to apples

transfer: To transfer is to move something from one place to another

transferable: A transferable ticket can be passed to someone else

transferred: Mum transferred some money into my bank account

awkward words 1

journey: It's a long journey from here to Timbuktu

leisure: The opposite of work is leisure

medicine: A medicine is used to treat disease

people: A person needs other people to talk to

quarter: A quarter is one fourth part of something

vehicle: A vehicle runs on wheels and carries people or things

water: I'll run the water for a bath

woman: A woman is an adult female person

women: Mothers are women with children

yacht: A yacht is a boat which is used for pleasure

awkward words 2

beautiful: The snow-covered mountain looked beautiful

desperate: The fly made a desperate attempt to escape the spider

embarrassed: He blushed and felt embarrassed when he had to speak

especially: I love strawberries, especially with cream

exaggerate: Fishermen are supposed to exaggerate the one that got away

interesting: Your voyage to the Antarctic sounds very interesting

lovely: It was a lovely day and the sun shone bright

opposite: Right is the opposite of wrong

separate: They parted and went their separate ways

suppose: Do you suppose we can go to her party?

confusing homophones 1

canvas: Sailing ships looked stunning with their canvas sails

canvass: The candidate called to canvass my vote

check: This pattern is a check

cheque: It is easy to spend when you pay by cheque

council: The local council collects taxes to spend on services

currant: Imagine an ant carrying a currant

current: The upturned craft was swept away in the current

confusing homophones 2

formally: You need to write formally to apply for a job

formerly: The exhibition hall was formerly a railway station

licence: A TV licence allows you to watch live programmes

license: The people at Swansea will license your car

practice: The choir needed a long practice before the performance

practise: You could sing like me if you practise hard

principal: The college principal is a pal of my Dad's

principle: It is my principle never to lend money

stationary: Parked cars are stationary

stationery: Paper, pens and pencils are all stationery

words often confused 1

accept: I am delighted to accept the job offer

advice: Ask for advice if you are unsure what to do

advise: A lawyer is paid to advise you

except: February has 28 days except in leap years

loose: The clown's trousers are loose and baggy

lose: Take care not to lose your passport

quiet: She needs peace and quiet after a hectic day

quite: Her piggy-bank is quite full

wander: Without fences sheep wander away

were: Once upon a time there were three pigs

where: Just here is where I sit

wonder: I wonder what would happen if I could do magic?

words often confused 2

affect: Does my whistling affect your concentration?

decease: On you decease you cease to live

disease: Doctors aim to cure disease

effect: Her soft voice had a calming effect on her horse

eligible: At eighteen you are eligible for the vote

emigrant: An emigrant is someone who leaves their country for good

eminent: Party leaders are eminent politicians

human: A robot has no human feelings

humane: People campaign for the humane treatment of animals

illegible: Writing which is impossible to read is illegible

immigrant: The immigrant settled well into his new country

imminent: Something imminent is just about to happen

Curriculum Subject word lists

English

textual sources 1

literature: Novels, plays and poetry are classed as literature

poem: Her ten-line poem has clever rhymes

autobiography: An autobiography is a book about the author's own life

biography: A biography is a book about someone's life

drama: Writing designed for performance is drama

fiction: All fiction has been invented by its author

novel: A novel is a book-length fictional story

poetry: Poems are poetry

genre: Works of the same genre share the same style

textual sources 2

ballad: A ballad is a song or poem which tells a story

comedy: A comedy is an amusing play

farce: A farce is drama with ridiculous, unlikely events

horror: An effective horror story really frightens people

legend: A legend is a well-known story from the past, fact or fiction

mystery: Puzzling events in a mystery are usually solved in the end

myth: A myth explains natural or spiritual things through story

satire: A satire ridicules people's excesses

sci-fi: Science fiction gets shortened to sci-fi

sonnet: A sonnet is a poem with fourteen lines

thriller: An exciting story of danger is a thriller

tragedy: A tragedy has a sad conclusion

romance: A romance is a story with a love interest

textual sources 3

advertisement: An advertisement tries to attract your attention

report: A report carries information

leaflet: The salesman put a leaflet through the door

account: An account is a detailed report of events

article: An article is a piece of writing for newspaper or journal

brochure: A brochure is an information booklet with pictures

bulletin: Any short news report is a bulletin

essay: An essay is a non-fiction, one-topic piece of writing

magazine: Articles, photos, stories and adverts fill your typical magazine

newspaper: If it's paper printed with news, it's newspaper

pamphlet: A pamphlet is a leaflet giving information

text analysis 1

character: Scrooge is a character in 'A Christmas Carol'

description: A description tells in detail what something is

favourite: The thing you like best is your favourite

style: You should write in a style that's easy to read

criticism: Informed opinions make useful criticism

context: One word sits among other words: they're its context

depth: Sincere feeling and thought gives writing depth

paraphrase: To re-phrase someone's words is to paraphrase

portrayal: To show or describe is to give a portrayal

quotation: A quotation is a snippet from someone's writing

setting: Time and place make up a story's setting

theme: A theme is the subject of a composition

vocabulary: A selected group of words is a vocabulary

text analysis 2

conclusion: A conclusion is an ending

paragraph: A paragraph is a short but distinct piece of writing

scene: The stage was set for the opening scene

sentence: A sentence begins with a capital and ends with a full stop

extract: The dentist pulled hard to extract the tooth

episode: An episode is a part of a television serial

dialogue: A conversation between two people is a dialogue

chapter: A chapter is one division of a book

clause: There's a clause built on every verb in a sentence

introduction: Writers and speakers start their work with the introduction

layout: The arrangement of items in a fixed area is a layout

narrative: The telling of a tale is a narrative

title: The title is the name the author gives his work

subtitle: A subtitle is a less important heading than a title

phrase: A phrase is a small unit of words within a sentence

text analysis 3

communicate: If we communicate then others know what we mean

draft: Any unfinished version of your writing is a draft

irrelevant: If something is irrelevant it is unrelated to the subject

idea: It is a good idea to get dressed before you go out

bias: To show bias is to show prejudice

editing: Changing writing to improve it is editing

objective: An objective opinion ignores personal feelings

opinion: What you think or believe is your opinion

persuasive: A persuasive argument wins people over

relevant: Something relevant is very much to the point

subjective: A subjective opinion is based on personal feelings

summary: A summary briefly gives a work's main points

argument: An argument is a thread of ideas supporting a standpoint

skills of writing

rhyme: Words rhyme when their endings sound the same

rhythm: A strong pattern of sound is rhythm

suspense: A built up state of waiting is called suspense

allegory: Characters in an allegory are symbols of something else

alliteration: The same sounds starting several close words gives alliteration

ambiguity: It's ambiguity when more than one meaning is possible

assonance: Echoing of vowel sounds in a run of words is assonance

imagery: Highly descriptive language may well contain imagery

irony: Saying the opposite of what you mean is irony

metaphor: A metaphor compares things by saying one is the other

motif: An idea running through a work is a motif

onomatopoeia: Words sounding like their meaning is onomatopoeia

personification: Turning something abstract into a person is personification

simile: A simile says one thing is like another

hyperbole: A hyperbole is a highly exaggerated statement or description

non-print media

cinema: Our new cinema has ten screens

listen: I am trying to listen to the music

screen: I like a TV with a big screen

watch: I like to watch the news on TV

cassette: A cassette is a handy way to buy music

theatre: Inside the theatre, actors rehearsed on the stage

commentary: A commentary is a running description of an event

film: A film is shown in a cinema or on video

headline: A headline leads a newspaper article

lighting: The lighting is important in a stage show

radio: A radio is equipment for receiving broadcasts

video: To video something is to record it on film

view: To view something is to watch it on television

visual: Something which stimulates the sense of sight is visual

finding your way

catalogue: We order goods from a catalogue

dictionary: A dictionary gives the meaning of words

library: A library houses a collection of books

reference: Look up more details in a reference book

research: Collecting information about something is research

illustration: The illustration on this page is by a well known artist

encyclopedia: An encyclopedia gives information (also spelled -paedia)

alphabetical: The order of the alphabet determines alphabetical word-lists

bibliography: A bibliography is a book list on a certain topic

caption: The words accompanying a picture or diagram are its caption

contents: A book's contents page lists chapter headings

index: The index gives page numbers for subjects mentioned in the book

thesaurus: A thesaurus groups together words with similar meanings

glossary: A glossary is a list of difficult words explained

people in the media

author: The writer of a book is its author

correspondent: My friend is darts correspondent for the local paper

journalist: He's a journalist and writes for the local paper

actor: A good actor can play many parts

editor: The editor decides what goes in the paper

narrator: The narrator is the one who tells the tale

playwright: A playwright is a writer of plays

reporter: A reporter gives up-to-date information about topical issues

director: Steven Spielberg is a famous director

advertiser: An advertiser uses publicity to sell goods or services

cameraman: A man operating a film camera is a cameraman

poet: Poetry is the product of the poet

presenter: Radio and television programmes may be hosted by a presenter

scriptwriter: A scriptwriter prepares the written form of a film or programme

producer: A producer is in charge of the production of a play or film

parts of speech

definite: The definite article is the word 'the'

adjective: An adjective describes a noun

adverb: An adverb tells more about a verb

conjunction: A conjunction brings other words together

demonstrative: 'This' is a demonstrative word

indefinite: The word 'a' is the indefinite article

noun: A noun is word which names something

participle: A participle comes from a verb

preposition: A preposition like 'in' or 'on' does suggest a position

pronoun: A pronoun like 'it' stands in place of a noun

verb: A verb tells of doing or being

punctuation

asterisk: An asterisk is a starlike symbol

apostrophe: An apostrophe with 's' says something belongs

capital: A capital letter marks the start of a sentence

colon: A colon is a mark to direct attention to what follows

comma: A comma divides a sentence into parts

hyphen: A hyphen brings together two words

margin: The margin is the edge of a piece of writing

punctuation: Writing is divided by punctuation marks

brackets: Something enclosed in brackets gives additional information

words about language

language: What we speak is language

word: Now here is a word I can spell

prefix: Name a prefix that means 'before'

grammar: The study of the rules of a language is its grammar

accent: An accent is the local pronunciation of a language

consonant: A consonant is any letter which is not a vowel

dialect: A dialect is a regional variation of a language

suffix: A suffix is a final addition to a word to change its meaning

tense: The tense of a verb indicates the time it refers to

vowel: A vowel in English is a, e, i, o, u and sometimes y

jargon: Language that can be understood by a restricted few is jargon

Mathematics

numbers 1 to 10

eight: A spider has eight legs

five: People have five toes on each foot

four: Chairs need four firm legs

nine: A cat is said to have nine lives

one: We have two eyes and one nose

seven: There are seven days in a week

six: An ant has six legs

ten: My toes add up to ten

three: A triangle has three sides

two: We have one nose but two eyes

numbers 1st to 10th

eighth: The eighth time is when something has happened eight times

fifth: The fifth time is when something has happened five times

first: The first to get home is the winner

fourth: The fourth time is when something has happened four times

ninth: The ninth time is when something has happened nine times

second: The second follows the first

seventh: The seventh time is when something has happened seven times

sixth: The sixth time is when something has happened six times

tenth: Her birthday is the tenth of March

third: She ate two cakes and then a third

numbers 10 to 100

eighty: Four twenties make eighty

fifty: A golden wedding is fifty years of marriage

forty: Ali Baba fought forty thieves

hundred: There are a hundred years in a century

ninety: Nine times ten makes ninety

seventy: Seven tens make seventy

sixty: Six tens make sixty

ten: My toes add up to ten

thirty: Three tens make thirty

twenty: Two men have twenty toes

numbers 10th to 100th

eightieth: The eightieth is when something has happened eighty times

fiftieth: The fiftieth is when something has happened fifty times

fortieth: The fortieth is when something has happened forty times

hundredth: On her hundredth birthday her cake had one hundred candles

ninetieth: The ninetieth is when something has happened ninety times

seventieth: The seventieth is when something has happened seventy times

sixtieth: The sixtieth is when something has happened sixty times

tenth: Her birthday is the tenth of March

thirtieth: The thirtieth time is when something has happened thirty times

twentieth: On your twentieth birthday you are twenty years old

geometric terms

angle: An angle measures the difference in direction of two lines

area: The size of a surface is its area

centre: A centre is a middle point

circle: All of a circle is the same distance from its centre

diameter: The diameter of a circle is its greatest width

height: The height measures the vertical extent of an object

length: The length measures the horizontal extent of an object

straight: A straight line does not change direction

width: The width of an object measures how wide it is

handling data 1

average: An average is the arithmetic mean of a number of items

diagram: A diagram is a plan of something on paper

graph: A graph makes a picture from numbers

percentage: A percentage is a rate per hundred

survey: To do a survey is to collect information about something

chart: A pie chart is a way of showing information

frequency: The frequency of a wave measures how often it repeats

pictogram: A pictogram is a graph using pictures

median: The median is in the middle

tally: A tally is a count of something

maximum: The maximum is the largest of a series of numbers

minimum: The minimum is the smallest of a series of numbers

arithmetic terms 1

addition: With addition you add quantities together

division: Sharing things out is division

fraction: A fraction is part of something

multiplication: With multiplication you increase by a number of times

remainder: The remainder is what is left after a division sum

factor: A factor of a number can divide it exactly

multiple: A multiple of a number is an exact number of times greater

increase: An increase means getting larger

decrease: A decrease means getting smaller

equal: Two things that are equal have the same value

shapes

quadrilateral: A quadrilateral has four sides

pentagon: A pentagon is a five-sided figure

hexagon: A hexagon is a six-sided figure

heptagon: A heptagon is a seven-sided figure

octagon: An octagon is an eight-sided figure

nonagon: A nonagon is a nine-sided figure

decagon: A decagon is a ten-sided figure

rhombus: A rhombus has four equal sides

rectangle: All four angles of a rectangle are right angles

tetrahedron: A tetrahedron is an object with four faces

handling data 2

frequency: The frequency of a wave measures how often it repeats

deviation: The deviation of data measures how much it varies

sampling: By sampling a few items out of many you can make predictions

randomness: It is important to aim for randomness when taking samples

questionnaire: A questionnaire aims to find out about people

cumulative: A cumulative error mounts up as you continue

interquartile: A fourth part of a frequency distribution is interquartile

correlation: Variables which are related show correlation

inference: An inference is a generalisation made from a study of data

discrete: A discrete variable has a limited number of values

probability: The probability of an event measures the chance of it happening

diagrammatic: A diagrammatic representation expresses data graphically

statistics: The study of data is statistics

arithmetic terms 2

negative: A negative number is less than zero

positive: A positive number is greater than zero

zero: The value of zero is nothing

decimal: Numbering by tens is decimal

mathematics: The study of number and shapes is mathematics

computation: Doing sums can be called computation

approximate: An approximate answer is almost correct

numerator: The numerator is the top part of a fraction

denominator: The denominator is the lower part of a fraction

recurring: In a recurring decimal the same digit is repeated over again

algebra terms

equation: A chemical equation matches reactants with products

variable: A variable is an item whose value can alter

simplify: To simplify an expression you reduce the number of items

ratio: The ratio of two numbers shows the difference in size

brackets: Something enclosed in brackets can be handled separately

formula: A formula is a general rule, expressed in symbols

proportional: Items are proportional if they are in the same ratio

substitution: One item is replaced by another in substitution

polynomial: A polynomial equation has a variable raised to a higher power

Science

experimental procedures 1

conclusion: A conclusion is an ending

measure: In an experiment you measure accurate amounts of reactants

predict: Meteorologists aim to predict the weather

observe: To observe is to watch carefully

analyse: To analyse something is to discover its composition

investigate: To find a solution you must thoroughly investigate the problem

evidence: You seek evidence for a hypothesis by experiment

comparison: After an experiment you make a comparison of results

evaluation: To consider the results of an experiment is an evaluation

variables: The variables are factors that alter within an experiment

experimental equipment

apparatus: The equipment used for experiments is called apparatus

laboratory: Research and experiments are done in a laboratory

thermometer: A thermometer measures temperature

equipment: Some experiments need a lot of equipment

beaker: A beaker is a cylindrical flask

Bunsen: A Bunsen burner mixes gas and air to give intense heat

titration: A titration measures the reactant needed to complete a reaction

pipette: A pipette measures small amounts of liquid accurately

burette: A burette releases liquid in accurate measures

conical: A conical flask is harder to knock over

photometer: A photometer measures the intensity of light

gauge: You use a gauge to see readings of a variable

funnel: A funnel is used to hold filter-paper over a flask

balance: A balance is an accurate device for weighing

Liebig: A Liebig condenser is a water-cooled glass condenser

life - cells

evolution: The evolution of something is its development over time

gene: The gene is the functional unit of inheritance

hybrid: A hybrid combines the character of different parents

inheritance: The passing on of characteristics to offspring is inheritance

organelle: An organelle is a specialised part of a cell

nucleus: The central portion of a cell or of an atom is the nucleus

membrane: A membrane is a protective layer

cytoplasm: The cytoplasm is the protoplasm outside the nuclear membrane

chromosome: The chromosome carries hereditary information as genes

meiosis: In meiosis the number of chromosomes is halved

mitosis: In mitosis each new cell copies all the parent's chromosomes

gamete: A gamete is a mature male or female germ cell

ciliated: A ciliated cell is one coated with tiny hairs

fertilisation: fertilisation occurs when two gametes are united

conception: The beginning of pregnancy is conception

reproduction: The process of creating new living things is reproduction

life - plants 1

photosynthesis: Plants use photosynthesis to obtain energy

chlorophyll: The pigment involved in plant photosynthesis is chlorophyll

pollination: The transfer of pollen from anther to stigma is pollination

humus: The organic part of soil is humus

transpiration: The release of water through a plant's pores is transpiration

germination: The germination of a seed is when it starts to sprout

diffusion: Molecules moving down a concentration gradient is diffusion

osmosis: Water moving through a semipermeable membrane is osmosis

moisture: The word moisture indicates a small amount of water

life - animals

amphibian: An amphibian is an animal at home on land and in water

parasite: A parasite is a creature that lives on another

respiration: Intake of oxygen and output of carbon dioxide is respiration

circulation: The heart maintains the circulation of the blood

producer: A producer creates organic matter from simple ingredients

herbivore: A herbivore is an animal which feeds on plants

carnivore: A carnivore is an animal which feeds on other animals

omnivore: An omnivore will eat both plants and animals

reptile: A reptile is an air-breathing cold-blooded vertebrate

mammal: A mammal has mammary glands for feeding its young

nocturnal: A nocturnal animal is active at night

migratory: A migratory animal changes habitat according to season

habitat: The natural environment of a plant or animal is its habitat

consumer: A consumer relies on organic matter for its food

vertebrate: A vertebrate is an animal with a backbone

life- health

immune: The immune system protects the body from infection

syndrome: A syndrome is a group of recognised symptoms

deficiency: A deficiency is when the body doesn't have enough of something

virus: A virus is a submicroscopic organism causing infection

organism: An organism is the totality of a living being

infection: An infection is the invasion of the body by foreign agents

toxin: A toxin is a poisonous substance

inflammation: The body's local response to injury can involve inflammation

bacteria: Single-celled prokaryotic micro-organisms are bacteria

fever: A fever involves an abnormally high body temperature

immunisation: The process of gaining resistance to infection is immunisation

materials - classification

metal: A metal often shines like silver

crystalline: Common salt is a crystalline substance

compound: A compound is two or more elements bound together

mixture: A mixture of two substances can be separated physically

aerosol: An aerosol is small particles of liquid suspended in a gas

aqueous: An aqueous solution is a solution in water

amorphous: An amorphous solid is non-crystalline

alloy: An alloy is a mixture of different metals

polymer: A polymer is made of two or more similar monomer units

monomer: A monomer is a chemical compound that can be polymerised

reactant: A reactant is a substance taking part in a chemical reaction

vitreous: A vitreous substance is glass-like

materials - properties

magnetic: A magnetic substance can be attracted by a magnet

semiconductor: A semiconductor only conducts electricity in special conditions

insulator: An insulator does not conduct electric current

ionic: In an ionic bond an electron is transferred between atoms

covalent: A covalent bond shares electrons between atoms

semipermeable: A semipermeable membrane is a barrier to larger molecules

soluble: A substance is soluble in a liquid if it will dissolve in it

density: The measurement of mass per unit of volume is density

alkaline: An alkaline solution has a pH higher than seven

acid: An acid has a pH lower than seven

reactive: A reactive substance readily undergoes chemical change

inert: An inert substance is highly unreactive

volatile: A volatile liquid easily turns to vapour

materials - particles

molecule: The least water you can get is a single molecule

element: An element cannot be divided into further components

proton: A proton is an elementary particle with a positive charge

neutron: A neutron is an uncharged elementary particle

isotope: An isotope of an element differs in the number of neutrons

ion: An ion is an atom or group of atoms with an electric charge

electron: An electron is a subatomic particle with a negative charge

orbital: Any electron within an atom exists in an orbital

valency: Carbon combines with 4 hydrogen atoms so has a valency of 4

radical: A free radical has one or more unpaired electrons

nucleus: The nucleus is the central part of an atom

physical change

dissolve: A soluble substance will dissolve in a liquid

evaporate: When you evaporate a liquid it turns to a gas

solidify: To solidify is to turn into a solid state

distil: To distil a liquid is to vaporise and then condense it

filter: When you filter a liquid, solid particles are removed

condensation: The change from a gas to a liquid or solid is condensation

diffusion: Molecules moving down a concentration gradient is diffusion

concentrate: To concentrate a solution you must reduce the amount of solvent

liquefy: To liquefy is to change from the solid to the liquid state

crystallisation: The production of crystals from a liquid is crystallisation

precipitation: When a solid separates from a liquid it is precipitation

volatile: A volatile liquid easily turns to vapour

chemical change

explosion: An explosion is a chemical reaction that runs out of control

equation: A chemical equation matches reactants with products

combustion: It is combustion when a substance burns in air

neutralisation: The reaction of an acid with a base is neutralisation

oxidation: Adding oxygen or removing hydrogen is oxidation

reduction: Adding hydrogen or removing oxygen is reduction

reaction: A chemical reaction involves the formation of a new molecule

effervescence: The forming of many bubbles in a liquid is effervescence

corrosion: The wearing away of a metal by chemical action is corrosion

catalysis: In catalysis, a catalyst affects a reaction but is not altered

activation: The energy needed to start a reaction is the activation energy

electrolysis: The splitting of a molecule through electricity is electrolysis

cathode: The cathode is the electrode with negative potential

anode: The anode is the electrode with positive potential

hydrophilic: If something is hydrophilic it attracts water

hydrophobic: If something is hydrophobic it repels water

forces and motion

compression: We use compression to make things smaller

pressure: Too much air pressure bursts a balloon

temperature: The temperature of something is its degree of hotness

weight: You must be strong to lift such a weight

deceleration: Friction and air resistance cause deceleration of moving objects

acceleration: Applying force to a frictionless mass causes acceleration

barometric: The pressure of the atmosphere is barometric pressure

gravity: The attraction of all masses towards each other is gravity

friction: The force of friction works against a moving body

energy

energy: Gas and electricity are forms of energy

renewable: Power from sunlight is a renewable source

conservation: The careful management of resources is conservation

momentum: The momentum of a moving body measures its energy

kinetic: Energy created by movement is kinetic energy

potential: The concept of potential energy is stored energy

dissipation: The wasting away of a resource such as heat is dissipation

conduction: The movement of heat through a solid is conduction

convection: The movement of heat through a liquid is convection

radiation: The emission of energy as waves is radiation

absorption: The soaking up of wave energy is absorption

waves

microwave: A microwave oven uses extremely high frequency radio waves

transparent: Something which can be seen through is transparent

ultraviolet: Light waves too short be seen are ultraviolet

frequency: The frequency of a wave measures how often it repeats

longitudinal: Particles vibrate in the same direction with a longitudinal wave

transverse: Particles vibrate at right angles to a transverse wave

velocity: The measurement of speed is velocity

reflection: The return of waves from a surface is reflection

refraction: With refraction a wave changes its direction

amplitude: The amplitude of a wave measures the extent of its vibration

diffraction: You can see diffraction of light from the surface of a CD-ROM

radiation: The emission of energy as waves is radiation

prism: A prism is a transparent object which refracts light

decibel: The decibel measures the loudness of sound

trough: A trough is the lowest part of a wave

electricity/magnetism

ammeter: An ammeter measures electrical current in amperes

voltmeter: A voltmeter measures electric potential in volts

transformer: A transformer changes the voltage of an electrical supply

polarity: The polarity of a magnet indicates which end is North

induction: A moving magnet creates an electric current by induction

electromagnetic: An electromagnetic field is generated by an electric current

electrostatic: Ionised particles carry an electrostatic charge

dynamo: A dynamo is a device for generating electric current

particle: An electron is a subatomic particle

static: Rubbing a comb in hair generates static electricity

attraction: There is attraction between two particles of opposite charge

repulsion: There is repulsion between two particles of the same charge

rectifier: A rectifier converts alternating to direct current

electrical circuits

resistance: Opposition to an electric current is measured by resistance

integrated: An integrated circuit contains many components on one base

voltage: Electrical potential is measured by voltage

filament: A filament is a thin wire as in a light bulb

insulation: The passage of an electric current is prevented by insulation

resistor: A resistor adds electrical resistance to a circuit

transistor: A transistor will vary the flow of electricity

capacitor: A capacitor stores electrical charge

ampere: The ampere measures the amount of electric current

ohm: The ohm measures the resistance of an object

diode: A diode allows the flow of electricity in one direction only

impedance: Opposition to flow of an alternating current is impedance

capacitance: The storage of a capacitor is measured by capacitance

experimental procedures 2

dissolve: A soluble substance will dissolve in a liquid

evaporate: When you evaporate a liquid it turns to a gas

distil: To distil a liquid is to vaporise and then condense it

filter: When you filter a liquid, solid particles are removed

condensation: The change from a gas to a liquid or solid is condensation

dilute: To dilute a solution is to add more of the solvent

distillation: To purify through vaporisation is distillation

filtration: To remove solids in a filter is filtration

life - plants 2

chloroplast: A chloroplast is an organelle containing chlorophyll

stamen: The stamen is the male part of the flower

stigma: The stigma is the part of the flower which receives pollen

capsule: A capsule is a container for spores or seeds

rhizome: A rhizome is a root-like stem containing a plant's food reserves

monocotyledon: A monocotyledon is a plant with a single seed-leaf

dicotyledon: A dicotyledon is a plant with a pair of seed-leaves

anther: The anther of a flower contains the pollen

style: The style of a flower supports the stigma

ovary: The ovary of a flower holds the ovules

ovule: The ovule of a flower becomes a seed when fertilised

pollen: Plants are fertilised by means of pollen grains

History

politics and government 1

fascism: An autocratic regime which suppresses opposition is fascism

monarchy: A monarchy is a country which has a hereditary head of state

republic: A republic has an elected head of state.

empire: A group of countries under one sovereign is an empire

totalitarian: A totalitarian regime is restrictive and state-dominated

democracy: In a democracy, the government is elected by the people

nationalism: A movement towards a separate country is nationalism

dictatorship: A dictatorship is rule of a country by a single person

restoration: A restoration occurs when an ousted ruler returns to power

communism: A society with all goods held in common is communism

social 1

civil: Polite people give civil replies

disease: Doctors aim to cure disease

marriage: A contract between two people to live together is a marriage

plague: A plague kills many far and wide

feudal: In a feudal system land is held in return for service

census: A population count is a census

reform: A change in current practice is a reform

inequality: Different pay for the same job is an example of inequality

abolition: To repeal an existing law is abolition

workhouse: Paupers and petty criminals ended up in the workhouse

economic

factory: A factory is a place for making things

industrial: The industrial revolution was machine-made replacing man-made

piracy: Robbery on the high seas is piracy

agricultural: Matters relating to farming are agricultural

nationalisation: In nationalisation, an industry is taken over by the government

privatisation: Nationalised industries are sold off in privatisation

Depression: The Depression began with the collapse of the stock markets

poverty: The state of being poor is poverty

exploitation: Taking advantage of others for personal gain is exploitation

quota: A quota is a proportion of what you produce

duty: Extra money added to the price of imported goods is duty

subsidy: A payment by the state to keep prices down is a subsidy

commerce: The business of buying and selling is commerce

laissez-faire: A laissez-faire economy is one with minimum state interference

engineering: Making useful objects from natural resources is engineering

religious

belief: Your belief is something you hold to be true

monastery: A monastery is a place for monks to pray or meditate

Protestant: A Protestant church was one protesting against Catholic practice

religion: A religion is a prescribed set of beliefs and practices

symbol: A symbol is an object or act of religious significance

worship: To worship is to pay deep respect

nonconformist: A nonconformist is a person who will not conform

Dissolution: The enforced closing of monasteries was called the Dissolution

Catholic: The Roman Catholic church accepts the authority of the Pope

Reformation: The Reformation led to the founding of Protestantism

pilgrimage: A pilgrimage is a special journey to visit a holy place

superstition: A superstition is a belief with no reason behind it

persecution: A new religion often faced persecution by authorities against it

diplomacy

treaty: A treaty is a signed agreement between states

ambassador: An ambassador protects his country's interests abroad

colony: A country having ties with a parent state is a colony

independence: Freedom from external control is independence

empire: A group of countries under one sovereign is an empire

unification: A joining together is unification

rebellion: Demonstration against authority is rebellion

exploration: The search for new lands and resources is exploration

negotiation: Discussion to reach an agreement is negotiation

commonwealth: A commonwealth is a group of countries with a common interest

relations: Diplomacy is about international relations

government

borough: A borough is a local council

council: The local council collects taxes to spend on services

government: The government runs the country

parliament: Representatives of the people sit in a parliament

election: She was elected MP at the last election

region: An administrative area is a region

legislation: The making and passing of laws is legislation

chamber: The House of Commons is a chamber, as is the House of Lords

poll: The casting and recording of votes is a poll

franchise: A franchise is a right or privilege granted to people

veto: A senior politician can veto something and stop it happening

statute: A statute is similar to a law

county: A county is an administrative area in England and Wales

politics and government 2

revolution: The revolution swept the dictator from power

heir: The crown prince was heir to the throne

political: Anything relating to politics is political

propaganda: The promotion of a one-sided point of view is propaganda

referendum: A referendum is when all voters decide on a single question

suffrage: The right to vote is called suffrage

treason: To betray your country is called treason

abdicate: A ruler who resigns from office is said to abdicate

Suffragette: A Suffragette was a woman who promoted votes for women

Luddite: A Luddite was part of a campaign against machinery

Geography

physical features

continent: One continent has several countries

ocean: Whales dive deep in the ocean

valley: A valley is low ground between hills

glacier: A glacier is a river of ice

island: An island is land surrounded by water

estuary: The sea tides flow into the estuary of a river

mountain: The Alps are the highest mountain range in Europe

gorge: A gorge is a deep, narrow valley

tributary: A tributary is a small river which feeds a larger one

delta: An area of silt and sand deposited by a river is a delta

watershed: A watershed divides the catchment areas of two rivers

confluence: The confluence of two streams is where they join

source: The source of a stream is its starting point

industry

business: A business sells a product or service

industry: Production and manufacturing are two branches of industry

leisure: The opposite of work is leisure

location: A location is where something is situated

manufacturing: The production of goods is manufacturing

employment: Giving jobs to people for money is employment

primary: Agriculture and mining are examples of primary industry

secondary: Manufacturing is the main activity of a secondary industry

tertiary: The provision of services is the activity of tertiary industry

accessibility: Ease of access is accessibility

geological terms

fossil: We know extinct life from fossil remains

earthquake: Geological activity can cause an earthquake

sedimentary: Material deposited by water forms sedimentary rocks

igneous: Rocks formed by solidified magma are igneous

metamorphic: Activity in the earth's crust has modified metamorphic rocks

lava: Molten rock ejected by a volcano is called lava

limestone: Sedimentary rock of calcium carbonate is called limestone

granite: Igneous, crystalline coarse-grained rock is called granite

tectonic: Something tectonic relates to movement of the Earth's crust

magma: Molten rock material is called magma

volcano: A volcano is a vent from which molten rock or steam is ejected

epicentre: The epicentre of an earthquake is the origin of the shock

Richter: The Richter scale measures the intensity of an earthquake

ecological terms

environment: Our environment is the surrounding conditions in which we live

pollution: Car exhausts add to pollution

greenhouse: The greenhouse effect is when the earth's surface gets warmer

deforestation: Where forests are cut down, deforestation is taking place

renewable: Power from sunlight is a renewable source

conservation: The careful management of resources is conservation

sustainable: Earth's resources are not used up with sustainable energy

desertification: It is desertification when fertile land becomes desert

stewardship: Land management is known as stewardship

overfishing: Taking too many fish from the sea is overfishing

famine: A lack of food on a national scale is famine

global: A gradual rise in the earth's temperature is global warming

climate

climate: Weather type is referred to as climate

temperature: The temperature of something is its degree of hotness

thermometer: A thermometer measures temperature

precipitation: Rainfall, snow, sleet and hail are all precipitation

monsoon: The monsoon is a seasonal wind in the Indian Ocean

equatorial: High temperatures and rainfall give an equatorial climate

atmosphere: The atmosphere is the envelope of air around the Earth

humidity: Water in the air is humidity

weather

drought: A drought is a time of no rain

temperature: The temperature of something is its degree of hotness

thermometer: A thermometer measures temperature

precipitation: Rainfall, snow, sleet and hail are all precipitation

rainfall: The amount of rain which falls is rainfall

sunshine: Bright light and heat come from sunshine

flood: A flood occurs when heavy rainfall causes river levels to rise

isobar: An isobar is a line connecting places with the same air pressure

meteorology: The study of weather and the atmosphere is meteorology

anticyclone: An anticyclone is a high-pressure weather system

depression: A depression is a low-pressure weather system

pressure: The force exerted on the earth by the air is pressure

gradient: The strength of the wind is related to the pressure gradient

forecast: A forecast is a prediction of weather conditions

gauge: A rain gauge measures rainfall

barometer: A barometer measures the pressure of the atmosphere

ecosystems

tundra: Areas of treeless plains are known as tundra

savannah: Areas of tropical grassland are known as savannah

steppe: A steppe is a flat, treeless area in south-east Europe or Asia

prairie: A prairie is a vast expanse of uncultivated grassland

deciduous: Trees which shed their leaves in autumn are deciduous

coniferous: Cone-bearing trees are coniferous

fauna: The animal life of an area is its fauna

flora: The natural vegetation of an area is its flora

desert: Areas of desert are arid and uncultivable

habitat: The natural environment of a plant or animal is its habitat

biomass: The total of all living things in a system is its biomass

ecosystem: An ecosystem deals with a group of living things as a unit

population

country: He left his own country to go abroad

demography: The study of population and its movement is demography

urbanisation: The transformation of rural areas into towns is urbanisation

colony: A country having ties with a parent state is a colony

urban: Anything relating to a town is described as urban

suburban: Areas adjacent to a town or city centre are suburban

rural: Country areas are rural

distribution: The spread of population is its distribution

residential: A residential area is given over to housing

amenities: Local services which improve the quality of life are amenities

population: The number of people living in a country is its population

conurbation: A conurbation is a cluster of towns

some European lands

Belgium: The people of Belgium are called Belgians

Denmark: The people of Denmark are Danes

France: The people of France are the French

Germany: The people of Germany are the Germans

Greece: The people of Greece are Greeks

Ireland: The people of Ireland are the Irish

Italy: The people of Italy are the Italians

Netherlands: The people of the Netherlands are the Dutch

Portugal: The people of Portugal are the Portuguese

Spain: The people of Spain are Spaniards

Finland: The people of Finland are the Finns

Sweden: The people of Sweden are the Swedes

Luxembourg: The people of Luxembourg are called Luxembourgers

farming

agriculture: The cultivation of land is agriculture

irrigation: The provision of water to crops is irrigation

arable: Farmers use arable land to grow crops

livestock: Farm animals are livestock

rotation: Sowing different crops in the fields each year is rotation

pastoral: Land used for grazing is pastoral

cereal: Wheat, barley and oats are examples of cereal crops

diversification: Putting resources into several areas is diversification

natural hazards

earthquake: Geological activity can cause an earthquake

flood: A flood occurs when heavy rainfall causes river levels to rise

volcano: A volcano is a vent from which molten rock or steam is ejected

tsunami: A tsunami is a tidal wave caused by an earthquake

avalanche: An avalanche is a sudden slippage of fallen snow

cyclone: A cyclone is a wind system around a centre of low pressure

heatwave: A heatwave is a period of intense hot weather

typhoon: A typhoon is a cyclone in the Pacific

tornado: A tornado is a powerful and destructive whirlwind

hurricane: A hurricane is a wind of Force 11 or greater

blizzard: A blizzard is a heavy snowstorm

Design and technology

designing

design: You need a design before you build

dimension: Which dimension are you measuring - length, width or depth?

graphic: A graphic drawing is based on geometric principles

perspective: In drawing, perspective is used to create depth and distance

research: Collecting information about something is research

criteria: The design requirements of an article are its criteria

specification: A specification gives dimensions and other data affecting design

layout: The arrangement of items in a fixed area is a layout

elevation: An elevation is a geometrical projection on a vertical plane

projection: A two-dimensional drawing of a spatial object is a projection

isometric: An isometric drawing has the same scale along each axis

estimate: An estimate is an informed guess

tools and equipment

adhesive: An adhesive fixes two surfaces together

machine: The robot wasn't human but just a machine

scissors: Use sharp scissors to cut paper and cloth

screw: You turn a screw to tighten it

chisel: Use a metal chisel to chip, cut or carve

hacksaw: A hacksaw is a fine-tooth saw used for cutting hard materials

bradawl: Use a bradawl to make a hole for a screw

pliers: Pincers used for holding, bending and cutting wire are pliers

hammer: Use a hammer to hit a nail home

materials and components

rigid: Something is rigid if it is not flexible

manufacture: To manufacture is to make things on an industrial scale

thermoplastic: A thermoplastic material softens with heat

thermoset: A thermoset is a material which does not soften with heat

textile: A textile is a material made from fibres

flexible: A flexible material will bend

durability: The quality of being long-lasting is durability

tolerance: The permitted deviation from specified dimensions is tolerance

tensile: The breaking strain of a fibre depends on its tensile strength

suitability: The fitness of a material for its function is its suitability

component: A component is a part of a larger machine

strength: The strength of a material is its toughness

quality: Ensuring production standards are maintained is quality control

processes and techniques

compression: We use compression to make things smaller

modify: To modify something is to change it

assemble: To assemble parts is to fit them together

moulding: With moulding a shape is formed in a mould

attach: To join one thing to another is to attach it

separate: To detach one thing from another is to separate it

systems and control

pneumatic: A pneumatic system is based on air

mechanical: A mechanical process is done by a machine

feedback: With feedback you learn the effects of an action

sensor: A sensor is a device for collecting data

electrical: An electrical device works by electricity

electronic: Computers, radios and pagers are electronic devices

device: A clamp is a device for holding things steady

circuit: A circuit exists when a flow of electricity is taking place

switch: A switch can provide or cut off an electrical current

structures

bridge: You can cross the river at the bridge

efficiency: Investment in new machinery will increase efficiency

structure: A structure is an artificially built object

suspension: A suspension bridge hangs from cables suspended between towers

reinforce: I reinforce something to make it stronger

maintenance: Keeping things in good working order is maintenance

unstable: An unstable structure is liable to collapse

buckle: Load-bearing beams may buckle with excessive weight on them

cantilever: The supporting beams of a cantilever bridge meet in the middle

reliability: Designing for reliability minimises the risk of breakdown

tension: Something is under tension if it is being stretched

general terms

design: You need a design before you build

materials: The items needed to create something are materials

measure: In an experiment you measure accurate amounts of reactants

structure: A structure is an artificially built object

technology: Applied science is called technology

analysis: An analysis gains information from collected data

construction: The process of building something is known as construction

evaluation: To consider the results of an experiment is an evaluation

I.C.T.

equipment

computer: A computer is an electronic device for handling data

hardware: The solid objects used in computing are called hardware

keyboard: The keyboard is used for entering data by hand

monitor: A monitor displays information from a computer

megabyte: A megabyte is roughly one million bytes

binary: The binary system counts in twos

microprocessor: A microprocessor is the heart of a computer on a single chip

memory: The computer's memory stores data

silicon: Microchips are made on a base of pure silicon

barcode: A barcode contains machine-readable information

pixel: A pixel is the smallest unit on a computer screen

laser: A laser printer provides high-quality print

plotter: A plotter is a device for drawing from a computer

scanner: A scanner lets a computer accept paper input

floppy: A floppy disc can be used to store computer data

kilobyte: A kilobyte is 1024 bytes

handling information 1

database: A database is used to store and work with data

delete: To remove a record is to delete it

information: Useful data provides information

insert: A word-processor lets you insert words into text

loading: A program is loading as it is being installed in the computer

processing: A computer is used for processing data

software: Instructions are given to a computer as software

analysis: An analysis gains information from collected data

access: The access to certain data is controlled in a network

spreadsheet: A spreadsheet is used to calculate and display numbers

quantitative: Analysis to do with amount of data is quantitative

qualitative: Analysis to do with the kind of data is qualitative

data: All information in a computer is kept as data

control and modelling

procedure: A procedure is a set of instructions

measurement: A measurement finds the size of something

feedback: With feedback you learn the effects of an action

sensor: A sensor is a device for collecting data

simulation: A simulation uses the computer to model an event

variable: A variable is an item whose value can alter

interface: An interface is where two systems speak to each other

robot: A robot can emulate some human actions

logging: The recording of data by computer is called logging

communication

communication: The exchange of information is communication

digital: Something digital counts in units

modem: A modem connects a computer to a telephone line

network: A network connects several computers and equipment

fax: A fax or facsimile is a way of sending messages by phone

satellite: A satellite network is a powerful way to transmit data

phone: A phone is for direct voice communication at a distance

channel: The data for a particular link moves down a single channel

teleworking: Working at home and using phone and modem is teleworking

internet: The internet is the worldwide network of connected computers

import: To import data is to bring it in from another source

text editing

cursor: A cursor is a pointer on the screen

back-up: A back-up is a copy of data kept for security

font: A font is a set of characters in a particular style

replace: It is simple to replace words in a word-processor

paste: To paste an item is to place it within a document

menu: A menu is a list of possible actions

desktop: The window environment of a computer is called the desktop

template: A template is some text which can be used lots of times

virus: A virus is a program whose purpose is to destroy data

search: A computer is an efficient way to search for information

word-processor: A word-processor is software for writing and editing text

handling information 2

clicking: You can select an item by clicking with the mouse

numeric: A numeric field is one which contains numbers, not text

function: A function is a group of instructions

icon: An icon represents a program or an action

image: A picture is kept on the computer as an image file

record: A record is a single set of data

cell: Data in a spreadsheet is entered in a cell

column: A column is a vertical set of cells or other data

scale: You see a document better by increasing its scale

field: A field is part of a record, containing an item of information

file: A file is a collection of data stored by a computer

Art

styles

Renaissance: Renaissance art was based on observation of the visible world

Impressionism: Colour, tone and texture are the hallmarks of Impressionism

Expressionism: Expressionism is the artist's emotional response to reality

Baroque: Baroque is an extravagant style of the 17th century

medieval: Concerning the Middle Ages is medieval (also spelled -iaeval)

contemporary: Present-day art is contemporary

abstract: Art of an abstract nature does not try to be realistic

figurative: Art relating to the representation of form is figurative

Classicism: Classicism is the artistic style of ancient Greece

Cubism: Fragmented objects and absence of perspective indicate Cubism

Pointillism: Creating pictures by applying dots of paint is Pointillism

Surrealism: In Surrealism, fantasy and reality are often linked

forms of art, 2-dimensions

photograph: Without a camera you cannot take a photograph

picture: A picture is a representation of something in two dimensions

stencil: A stencil makes it easy to paint a shape

illustration: The illustration on this page is by a well known artist

lithograph: A lithograph is a print made from a plate with ink and grease

etching: An etching is a print from a metal plate treated with acid

silhouette: A silhouette is like the shadow of an object

cartoon: A cartoon is amusing art, sometimes animated

portrait: A portrait is an image of a person in art or photography

fresco: A fresco is painted with watercolours on fresh plaster

mural: A picture painted on a wall is a mural

landscape: A landscape is an open view of countryside

mosaic: A mosaic is a picture composed of small coloured pieces

forms of art, 3-dimensions

collage: A collage is a picture made up from existing objects

jewellery: Fine jewellery may be made with gold

sculpture: A marble statue is a piece of sculpture

embroidery: The art of stitching pictures on cloth is embroidery

artefact: An object of artistic or historical interest is an artefact

ceramics: Art forms created from clay or quartz sand are ceramics

architecture: The design of buildings is architecture

mask: A mask held over your face will change your appearance

batik: In batik, colour-resistant wax is used to create a design

origami: The Japanese art of paper-folding is origami

carving: A carved object, design or figure is a carving

tapestry: A picture embroidered in wools or silks is a tapestry

casting: A mould is used to make a casting

relief: Figures in relief stand out from their background

talking about art

composition: The arrangement of contents in a work of art is composition

figure: A figure is the shape of a person

foreground: She drew trees in the foreground and hills behind

perspective: In drawing, perspective is used to create depth and distance

proportion: The relation of one element to a complete work is its proportion

texture: The feel of material is its texture

tactile: If a fabric feels good to touch, it is tactile

background: A background is the scenery or environment behind something

culture: A culture is the customs and traditions of a particular group

surface: The surface is the area on which you paint

tools and materials

charcoal: The blackened wood used in art is charcoal

acrylic: If you need a fast-drying, versatile paint, use an acrylic

turpentine: Use turpentine to thin paint or clean brushes

canvas: A canvas is a piece of cloth used as a surface for painting

vellum: Strong, cream-coloured paper is vellum

pastel: A crayon made of powdered pigment is a pastel

marble: Used for statues, marble should be white and non-porous

bronze: An alloy of copper and tin is bronze

palette: An artist uses a palette to mix colours

chisel: A sculptor may use a chisel to carve stone or wood

techniques

illuminate: To illuminate something is to enhance it with light or colour

superimpose: To superimpose means to put one image on top of another

scumble: To scumble is to soften hard lines or colours by rubbing them

stipple: To stipple is to make light and shade effect with brush strokes

redefine: To redefine a painting is to make the original lines clearer

shading: Use shading to indicate degrees of light and dark

crosshatch: You crosshatch by shading in a criss-cross line pattern

highlight: If you accentuate something with light, you highlight it

Music

performing

concert: The school choir gave a concert at the town hall

performance: The play's first performance is tonight

practice: The choir needed a long practice before the performance

microphone: A microphone is used to pick up sound

practise: You could sing like me if you practise hard

rehearsal: A rehearsal is a practice performance

acoustics: The acoustics of the church made the singing echo

amplifier: An amplifier is for making sounds louder

recital: A recital is a public performance by a solo musician

composing

rhythm: A strong pattern of sound is rhythm

phrase: Imagine that a phrase is a short musical sentence

improvisation: Making up the music as you play is improvisation

instrumental: You won't hear any voices in instrumental music

chord: A chord is a harmonious group of three or more notes

variation: A variation repeats the tune in a different style

notation: Read the notation and it will show you what to play

accompaniment: Singers often have a guitar accompaniment

melody: A tune is sometimes called a melody

ostinato: An ostinato is a repeating bass pattern

orchestration: Arranging music for an orchestra is called orchestration

treble: The treble clef indicates the higher notes

clef: The treble clef indicates the higher notes

stave: A stave is the set of five lines on which music is written

listening

musical: A musical is a mixture of music, dance and drama

symphony: A symphony is a big orchestral composition

Romantic: The Romantic movement was about expressing emotion

classical: Was Mozart the John Lennon of classical music?

Baroque: Baroque is an extravagant style of the 17th century

concerto: A concerto is music for orchestra and a soloist

sonata: A sonata is usually played solo

oratorio: An oratorio is biblical music for singers and orchestra

reggae: Rhythmic rock music from the West Indies is reggae

fugue: In a fugue, a tune stated by one voice is copied by another

fusion: A mixture of two different musical styles is fusion

Renaissance: In Renaissance music a tune is copied by each voice part in turn

opera: A story set to music is opera

minimalist: Modern music which is simple and explores tonality is minimalist

musicians

choir: A choir is a large or small group of singers

composer: A composer writes music

conductor: A conductor helps the orchestra to keep time

duet: The two boys together sang a duet

orchestra: An orchestra is a number of musicians playing together

soloist: The soloist sang alone

trio: A trio is a group of three players

quartet: A quartet is music for four, and the people who play it

busker: The busker stood on the corner and played for passers-by

minstrel: A minstrel was a medieval musician and entertainer

ensemble: An ensemble is a small group of musicians

vocalist: A singer may also be called a vocalist

gamelan: A gamelan is an Indonesian percussion orchestra

instrumentalist: Anyone who plays an instrument is an instrumentalist

talking about music

theme: A theme is the subject of a composition

modulation: A change from one key to another is a modulation

syncopation: Off the beat rhythm is called syncopation

instrumentation: A composer's choice of instruments is his instrumentation

harmony: Notes which sound good together are in harmony

discord: Notes which sound harsh together make a discord

lyrics: The words of a song are known as lyrics

tonality: The sound relation between the notes of a scale is tonality

homophonic: Music based on chords is said to be homophonic

polyphonic: Music using separate melodic lines is polyphonic

dissonance: Sounds which clash cause dissonance

pentatonic: The pentatonic scale is a five-note musical scale

chromatic: The chromatic scale consists of all 12 semitones

descant: A descant is played or sung above the melody line

instruments

guitar: The electric guitar leads many bands

percussion: Drums and cymbals are percussion instruments

strings: The strings are orchestral instruments played with a bow

piano: I can play 'chopsticks' on the piano

brass: The trombone and trumpet are both brass instruments

woodwind: Clarinet, flute and oboe are woodwind instruments

xylophone: A xylophone has wooden bars you hit with hammers

bassoon: The low woodwind sound comes from the bassoon

oboe: That thin reedy woodwind sound comes from the oboe

cello: You sit to play the cello as it's much bigger than a violin

saxophone: I wish I could play saxophone like Lisa Simpson

sitar: A sitar is a long-necked Indian string instrument

clarinet: The clarinet is a wind instrument, usually made of wood

glockenspiel: A glockenspiel is a set of bells or bars played with hammers

timpani: Kettledrums are sometimes called timpani

voices

soprano: A female singer who can reach high notes is a soprano

tenor: The tenor sings the higher range of the male voice

bass: The bass sings the lower range of the male voice

alto: The alto sings the lower range of the female voice

contralto: Female alto voices are often called contralto

Physical education

games

coach: Their coach makes them train very hard

court: We played tennis on a grass court

cricket: You need a bat and ball for cricket

referee: The referee blew his whistle for full-time.

badminton: You hit a shuttlecock over a high net in badminton

volleyball: Players use hands to hit a ball over a high net in volleyball

hockey: Players use sticks to hit the ball into a goal net in hockey

rounders: Hit the ball then touch four bases to score at rounders

netball: Players score by shooting a ball through a high net in netball

fielding: The fielding team tries to get the batting team out

offside: A player who is illegally in front of the ball is offside

attacker: A player who is involved in scoring situations is an attacker

defender: A player who prevents scoring situations is a defender

tennis: Use a racket to hit the ball over a low net in tennis

gymnastic activities

gymnastics: Rings, bars and vaulting horses are used in gymnastics

rolling: Turning over and over whilst curled up is rolling

balancing: If you stand on one leg without falling over, you are balancing

somersault: You turn a somersault if your heels flip over your head

trampoline: A trampoline is springy so you can jump higher

vault: To vault is to jump over something, at times using a pole

approach: Your run-up to a jump is your approach

apparatus: Equipment used in gymnastics is sometimes called apparatus

dance

rhythm: A strong pattern of sound is rhythm

choreography: The design of dance routines is choreography

ballet: Classical dance is known as ballet

ballroom: Waltz, tango and foxtrot are all ballroom dances

coordination: When several parts move in harmony, this is coordination

interpretation: The way a dancer expresses a dance is his interpretation of it

performance: A performance is a dance presentation for an audience

expression: Representing emotion by movement and gestures is expression

athletic activities

jogging: Running at an easy pace is jogging

athletics: Throwing, jumping and running events are part of athletics

javelin: A javelin is like a spear

relay: Teams of four competitors compete in a relay

hurdles: Athletes run and jump over a series of obstacles in hurdles

discus: Round and almost flat, a discus is thrown as far as possible

competition: People who want to test their skills will enter a competition

baton: A baton is a stick passed from runner to runner in a relay

decathlon: A decathlon is a contest comprising ten athletic events

pentathlon: A pentathlon is a contest comprising five events

marathon: The marathon is the best-known long-distance race

attempt: An attempt is a go!

disqualification: Being excluded from an event is disqualification

sprint: A sprint is a fast run over a short distance

outdoor activities

obstacle: An obstacle is something which stands in the way

orienteering: Use a compass and map to find your way in orienteering

adventurous: If you are not afraid of taking risks, you are adventurous

canoeing: Paddling a canoe is canoeing

climbing: Hill or mountain, climbing is going upwards!

abseiling: Descending a rock face by rope is abseiling

navigation: Finding your way on land or sea is navigation

survival: Staying alive in difficult situations is survival

kayak: A kayak is a single-person canoe

swimming

breaststroke: Swimming like a frog is breaststroke

synchronised: Movement in water to music is synchronised swimming

resuscitation: Reviving an unconscious person is resuscitation

medley: A medley is a relay race with different strokes

propulsion: The way you move yourself through the water is propulsion

backstroke: Crawl done on your back is backstroke

butterfly: Arms move forward together in butterfly stroke

competitor: A competitor is someone who takes part in a competition

diving: Entering water head first is diving

gala: A gala is a competition between swimming clubs

fitness/training

extension: Stretching a muscle or unbending a joint is extension

rotation: Circular movement of a joint is rotation

abduction: An outward muscle movement is abduction

adduction: An inward muscle movement is adduction

aerobic: Exercise which increases lung function is aerobic

isotonic: Exercises in which muscles are lengthened are isotonic

isometric: Exercises in which muscle length remains the same are isometric

flexibility: The body's ability to bend and stretch is its flexibility

endurance: An endurance event demands a prolonged physical effort

technique: A recommended way of doing something is a technique

stretching: If you straighten and extend your body, you are stretching

repetitions: How many repetitions of this exercise can you do?

circuit: A training circuit contains different types of exercise

the body

respiration: Intake of oxygen and output of carbon dioxide is respiration

adrenaline: The hormone which stimulates blood flow is adrenaline

muscle: A muscle is an organ for moving a part of the body

dislocate: To put a bone out of joint is to dislocate it

concussion: A bang on the head can cause concussion

nutrition: The science of nourishing the body is nutrition

dehydration: A lack of water in the body leads to dehydration

deficiency: A deficiency is when the body doesn't have enough of something

circulatory: A circulatory problem is related to the circulation of the blood

vertebral: The spine can also be called the vertebral column

hygiene: The science of cleanliness is hygiene

injury: Fitness and training can minimise the risk of injury in sport

Religious education

religions

Christianity: Belief in Jesus Christ as Son of God is part of Christianity

Islam: Established by Muhammad, Islam is submitting yourself to God

Hinduism: A group of beliefs and rituals originating in India is Hinduism

Buddhism: The four noble truths and the eightfold path exist in Buddhism

Judaism: Judaism believes in a Covenant between God and the Jewish people

Jainism: Non-violence and interdependency are basic to Jainism

Baha'i: A key Baha'i belief is the oneness of humankind

Rastafarianism: Rastafarianism believes in Ethiopia as the promised land

Sikhism: The holy book of Sikhism is the Guru Granth Sahib

Shintoism: Shintoism is a religion respecting the powers of nature, or Kami

Confucianism: Confucianism teaches respect for the established order

Taoism: Taoism emphasises the dual nature of the universe

religious practice

ceremony: The wedding was a happy ceremony

prayer: In prayer a person addresses a deity

wedding: A wedding is the ceremony where people vow to stay together

worship: To worship is to pay deep respect

meditation: In meditation you achieve heightened spiritual awareness

chanting: Intoning prescribed words to a rhythmic pattern is chanting

kneeling: Resting on your knees during prayer is kneeling

prostration: Kneeling and bending your body to the ground is prostration

baptism: Ritual sprinkling with water or immersion in it is baptism

funeral: A funeral service pays respect to someone who has died

yoga: Physical and mental exercises help spiritual awareness in yoga

rite: A rite is another word for a ritual

miracle: A miracle is a happening without a logical explanation

service: A service is a communal form of worship

places of worship

abbey: Monks once lived in the old abbey

church: Christians go to church to pray

monastery: A monastery is a place for monks to pray or meditate

temple: A temple is a holy building used for ritual and worship

mosque: Muslims worship in a mosque

gurdwara: A gurdwara is a Sikh temple

cathedral: A cathedral is a large church with a bishop attached to it

chapel: A chapel is a nonconformist church

synagogue: Jews worship in a synagogue

mandir: A mandir is a place for Hindu worship

people and religion

priest: A priest is a person who leads religious services

vicar: A vicar is in charge of an Anglican parish

monk: A monk devotes himself to a life of prayer or contemplation

clergyman: A clergyman is a person who leads Christian worship

bishop: A bishop is in charge of the churches in his area, or diocese

archbishop: The archbishop is the chief bishop

mullah: A mullah is a learned member of the Muslim religion

rabbi: A rabbi leads study and worship in a synagogue

ascetic: An ascetic lives a life of austerity

worshipper: A worshipper is a person at prayer

congregation: A congregation is a group of worshippers

saint: A saint is held to be an especially holy person

guru: A guru is a spiritual leader in Eastern religions

disciple: A disciple is the student of a spiritual leader

yogi: A yogi is someone who practises yoga

religious groups

Protestant: A Protestant church was one protesting against Catholic practice

Catholic: The Roman Catholic church accepts the authority of the Pope

Evangelical: An Evangelical church believes in spreading the Gospel

Shia: A Shia is a follower of Muhammed's cousin Ali

Sunni: A Sunni is a supporter of the Muslim body of Sunna law

Mahayana: Mahayana Buddhists strive for the enlightenment of all people

Theravada: Theravada Buddhists follow more closely the original teachings

Orthodox: An Orthodox Christian belongs to the Eastern group of churches

liberal: A liberal person is opposed to dogmatic beliefs

Reform: Reform Judaism tries to adapt Jewish beliefs to the modern world