Word for Wednesday: Minute

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Our Word for Wednesday theme for 2023 is tricky spelling words. This year, after sharing the definition and etymology of each week’s word, we will end every blog post with some tips and tricks to help you spell it.

Last week, we looked at the word embarrass. Our second word for May is minute. 

A minute (pronounced min-it) is a unit of time equal to sixty seconds. Sixty minutes make up one hour. 

Minute (pronounced my-newt) is used to describe something that is very small. 

Here are both versions of the word minute used in some example sentences: 

  • There are sixty seconds in a minute and sixty minutes in an hour. 
  • The test will begin in one minute. 
  • How many minutes until breaktime? 
     
  • There was a minute tear in my jeans. 
  • Our chance of winning was minute, but we tried our best,

Both versions of the word minute come from the Latin ‘minuere’ meaning ‘to lessen or diminish’. The word has been used in reference to time since the late-fourteenth century and as an adjective meaning ‘tiny’ since the mid-fifteenth century.

Learn about the word minute in Spellzone Unit 18. Irregular common words – common errors e.g. would, who, does and test yourself on other common words. 

To help you spell this word, remember the word minute has the word nut in the middle of it.  


10 May 2023
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