Starting the day with a focused spelling activity can set a positive tone for your students and significantly enhance their spelling skills. A morning spelling warm-up is a simple yet effective way to reinforce learning and make spelling a natural part of their daily routine. Here are five morning spelling warm-up ideas to help your students kickstart their day with spelling success. 1. Spelling Flashcards Flashcards are a classic and versatile tool for spelling practice. Here’s how you can use them in the morning: Preparation: Create a set of flashcards with challenging words tailored to your students' level. Activity: Each morning, instruct your students pick a f...
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. So far in May, we've looked at the words embarrass, minute, and neighbo[u]r. Our fourth word for the month is opportunity. An opportunity is a possibility that comes about due to a favourable combination of circumstances. Another word for opportunity is chance. Here is the word opportunity used in some example sentences: You will have the opportunity to learn the words before the spelling test. If the weath...
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. So far in May, we've looked at the words embarrass and minute. Our third word of the month is neighbour (or neighbor in American English!). Neighbour or neighbor is the term given to someone who lives next-door-to or near you. Here is neighbour/neighbor used in some example sentences: My neighbour/neighbor feeds my cat when I go away. Our neighbours/neighbors play loud music late at night. ...
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 ...
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 month we shared tips for spelling immediately, ceiling, decide, and disappoint. Our first tricky spelling word for May is embarrass. If you embarrass someone it means you make them feel self-conscious, uncomfortable, or ashamed. If you feel embarrassed it means you experience self-consciousness, awkwardness or shame. Here is embarrass used in some example sentences: She embarrassed her brother by telling ever...
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. Over April, we've looked at the words immediately, ceiling, and decide. Our final word of the month is disappoint. If something disappoints you, it means it fails to meet your hopes or expectations for it. Here is disappoint used in some example sentences: Don’t disappoint your proud papa! I was disappointed when it rained on my birthday. The team’s result was disappointing. The word...
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. So far this month we've looked at the words immediately and ceiling. Our third word for April is decide. If you decide to do something, it means you choose to do it over another option. Here is decide used in some example sentences: We decided to go for a walk. When will you decide which university to go to? The teacher decided to let us go to lunch early. Decide dates to the late-fourteenth century ...
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. Our first tricky spelling word for April was immediately and today's word is ceiling. A ceiling is the upper surface of a covered space. The word is also used metaphorically to describe the upper limit on what is allowed or possible. Here is ceiling used in some example sentences: An ornate chandelier hung from the ceiling. We are going to paint our ceiling blue. I want to smash the glass ceiling by becoming head of the co...
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. In March, we looked at the words beautiful, because, business, definitely, and disappear. Our first tricky spelling word for April is immediately. If something happens immediately, it means it happens straight away without delay or hesitation. Here is immediately used in some example sentences: Please reply to me immediately. It started to rain and we left the park immediately. ‘Stop talking immediately...
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. Over the month, we've shared spelling tips for the words beautiful, because, business and definitely. Our final tricky spelling word for March disappear. If something disappears, it means it vanishes (sometimes without warning or explanation). Here is disappear used in some example sentences: The sun disappears below the horizon and darkness falls. I can’t find my keys anywhere – they have disappeared...
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. So far in March, we've looked at words beautiful, because, and business.Our fouth tricky spelling word of the month is definitely. The word definitely is used to describe something that will happen without doubt or question. Here is definitely used in some example sentences: It will definitely rain later. Are you definitely coming to my party? My spelling has definitely improved since I started practising every...
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. So far in March, we've looked at words beautiful and because. Our third word of the month is business. Business relates to the activities related to earning money (for example providing goods or services). The word is also used to describe one’s concerns or responsibilities. Here is the word business used in some example sentences: We are in the publishing business. Will you be attending the business conference n...
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 beautiful and today's word is because. The word because is used to introduce an explanation or a reason. Here is because used in some example sentences: I got full marks on my spelling test because I did the Learn the Words practice activities. She was cold because she forgot her coat. We were late for school because the alarm clock didn’t go off. The word because da...
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. In February, we looked at the words receive, necessary, separate, and extremely. Our first tricky spelling word for March is beautiful. If something is beautiful, it means it is pleasing to the eye or delightful to the senses. The word is also used to describe prefect weather conditions. Here is beautiful used in some example sentences: My new dress is a beautiful shade of green. The sound of beautiful music filled th...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for 2023 is tricky spelling words. This year, as well as 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. So far in February, we've looked at the words receive, necessary, and separate. Our fourth word of the month is extremely. Extremely is used to emphasise the description that comes after it. Here is extremely used in some example sentences: I am extremely good at spelling. The weather is going to be extremely wet tomorrow. We’ve known each other for an extremely long time. The word ext...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for 2023 is tricky spelling words. This year, as well as 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. So far in February, we've looked at the word receive and necessary. Our third word of the month is separate. If you separate two or more things, it means you split them up or put a barrier or distinction between them. The word is used to describe things that are not joint to something else. Sometime parts of a matching outfit (like a suit) are called separates. Here is separate used in some example sentences: The tea...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for 2023 is tricky spelling words. This year, as well as 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. So far in February, we've looked at the word receive. This week's word is necessary. If something is necessary, it means it is essential or a requirement. Here is necessary used in some example sentences: Please bring the necessary protective clothing on the school trip. It is necessary to get a good night’s sleep. If necessary, I will do my homework before playing with my friends. Necessary has been used in English since the &...
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. In January, we looked at the words beginning, believe, friend, and quiet. Our first tricky spelling word for February is receive. If you receive something, it means you accept something that is given to you. Here is receive used in some example sentences: Did you receive my letter? They received some good news. We will receive our spelling test scores later today. Receive dates to around 1300 and comes from the Old N...
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. So far we've looked at the words beginning, believe, and friend. Our final tricky spelling word for January is quiet Quiet is the absence of sound. The word is often used to describe things that are calm, still, or silent. Here is quiet used in some example sentences: The teacher asked the class to be quiet. We heard the hum of quiet talking. There was a quiet stillness after the storm. The word dates to ...
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. So far we've looked at the words beginning and believe. This week's word is friend. A friend is someone you like and know well. Here is friend used in some example sentences: They had been friends for a long time. We invited just family to our party, no friends. She spoke to her friend on the phone once a month. The word comes from the Old English ‘freond’, from Proto-Germanic ‘frijōjands&rs...
OurWord 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 beginning and this week's word is believe. If you believe something, it means you regard it to be true. If you believe in someone it means you are confident in their ability to do a specific thing. Here is believe used in some example sentences: The teacher didn’t believe that the dog ate my homework. I believe you will reach your goal. She believed in god. Believe comes from the Middl...
Happy new year! 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. Our first word of the year is beginning. A beginning is the start of something. If something is beginning, it means it is about to start. Here is beginning used in some example sentences: 2023 is only just beginning. It is the beginning of January. The film is beginning at noon. Beginning has been used in English since the later-twelfth century. The Old English word for the ‘start of something’ was ‘fruma’. ...
Last week we looked at the origins of the word language and today we’re going to continue on that theme with the word idiom. Idioms are an expressive way of using language. They are combinations of word which have a figurative meaning that is separate for the actual definitions of the words used. Here are some examples of idioms and what they mean: 1) fly on the wall an unnoticed witness I’d love to be a fly on the wall when she finally tells them the truth. 2) storm in a teacup a small occurrence exaggerated out of proportion All this outrage seems like a storm in a teacu...
There are an estimated 6000 languages spoken around the world and 43% are endangered. In February 2000, the first International Mother Language Day was marked and it has been observed every year since. This year the event takes place on February 21. Here is what the UN writes about the day on their website: ‘Languages are the most powerful instruments of preserving and developing our tangible and intangible heritage. All moves to promote the dissemination of mother tongues will serve not only to 'encourage linguistic diversity and multilingual education but also to develop fuller awareness of linguistic and cultural traditions throughout the world and to inspire so...
Tomorrow – February 13 – marks World Radio Day and this year’s theme is diversity. Here is what UNESCO writes about this day on their website: “Radio is a powerful medium for celebrating humanity in all its diversity and constitutes a platform for democratic discourse. At the global level, radio remains the most widely consumed medium. This unique ability to reach out the widest audience means radio can shape a society’s experience of diversity, stand as an arena for all voices to speak out, be represented and heard. Radio stations should serve diverse communities, offering a wide variety of programs, viewpoints and content, and reflect the div...
A salary is a regular payment made by an employer to an employee. Though a salary is usually paid in monthly instalments, it is referred to as an annual sum. Here is salary used in some example sentences: Her first job after university had a salary of £18000. She used a calculator to work out her take-home salary. Her pension contributions came straight out of her salary. She was looking for a salaried role. Salary dates to the late-thirteenth century and entered English via the Old French ‘salaire’. The word comes from the Latin ‘salarium’ which means ‘allowance’ or ‘stipend’ – ...
For today’s Word for Wednesday, we’re going to look at one of the English language’s weird and wonderful discrepancies. The word in question: noon. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, noon refers to twelve o’clock in the middle of the day. Noon comes from the Old English ‘non’ which has been used in English since the mid-twelfth century. But the word ‘non’ – and here’s where it gets strange – comes from the Latin ‘nona hora’ meaning ‘ninth hour’ (in reference to the ninth hour after sunrise). Before the twelfth century, the word was used in reference to middle of the afternoon –&...
Friday January 24th January marks International Day of Education. The word education is used to describe the activities of imparting or acquiring knowledge or skill, usually in a formal setting like school or university. International Day of Education honours ‘education and its centrality to human well-being and sustainable development.’ Education is a human right that offers children ‘a ladder out of poverty and a path to a promising future’. Despite this, ‘about 265 million children and adolescents around the world do not have the opportunity to enter or complete school; 617 million children and adolescents cannot read and do basic math; less than 40%...
Do you know the term ‘star-crossed’? You may have come across it in the opening of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet: Chorus: Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life; Whose misadventur'd piteous overthrows Doth with their death bury their parents' strife. Romeo And Juliet Prologue, 1–8 If you are 'star-crossed' it means you are doomed. In Romeo and Juliet, you find out how the story ends right in the...
New year, new you – a phrase that you hear used a lot at this time of year. Many companies – including us – have shared articles about goal setting. Your friends and family members might be setting resolutions of their own. Perhaps you have one or two ideas about what you want to achieve this year. The word declutter is something else you hear quite a lot during the first part of the year. While it’s usually used around spring cleaning season, many people like to get ahead of the game. Decluttering describes the act of getting rid of unnecessary items from a (usually messy or overcrowded) space. Last year, on National Clean Off Your Desk Day, we...
Cava? Prosecco? Champagne? Or maybe just a cup of tea? What did you ring in the new year with? Champagne is a white sparkling wine that is exclusively produced in the French region with the same name. The word dates to the 1660s and is short for ‘vin de Champagne’ which translates to ‘wine made in Champagne’. While officially only wine from this region can be labelled Champagne, people have been using the word to refer to all sparkling wines since the late eighteenth century. Prosecco is a sparkling white wine made in the Veneto region of north-eastern Italy, and cava refers to sparking wines made in Spain. Champagne literally means ‘open co...
Merry Christmas to all our course subscribers and blog readers! Whatever you are doing, we hope you are having a lovely day. Here is a list of the Christmassy Words for Wednesday we’ve shared over the years: December 'Decem' is Latin for 'ten', so why is it the twelfth month of the year that’s called December? Advent Is advent a period of anticipation or a period of reflection? Pudding Christmas puddings may be delicious, but the origins of this word are less appealing... Reindeer How long have these creatures been a part of Christmas mythology? Trim Trim is a Janus word, which me...
'On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me: Twelve drummers drumming, Eleven pipers piping, Ten lords a-leaping, Nine ladies dancing, Eight maids a-milking, Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree!' Although this bird takes centre stage in the famous Twelve Days of Christmas song, partridge is not a word you hear very often during the rest of the year. The twelve days in the song begin on Christmas Day and end on Twelfth Night (the evening of the fifth of January and the eve of Epiphany). While the song’s origins are unknown, the E...
Have you noticed a Christmas theme in our Word for Wednesday posts? Last week we looked at the word trim, and today’s word is something you might use when trimming your tree: tinsel. Tinsel is a type of Christmas decoration made up of strips of shiny metal foil attached to a thread. Used during the Christmas season to adorn everything from trees, to picture frames, to ponytails; tinsel is often a divisive subject. While some love it, others deem it gaudy. In fact, the word is sometimes used figuratively to describe something that is superficially glamorous but ultimately cheap. Here is the word used in some example sentences: Every Christmas th...
Do you celebrate Christmas? Have you trimmed your Christmas tree yet? Today’s Word for Wednesday is a Janus word (also known as a contranym or auto antonym). This means it has two contradictory meanings. The term is named for the god of beginnings Janus, whose image – usually depicted with two heads, one looking back into the past and the other looking forward into the future – is often found carved over doorways and gates. In the context of Christmas, trim means ‘to decorate’ or ‘to adorn’. For example: Each year the family gathers to trim the Christmas tree. For Christmas dinner, we had turkey with all the trimmi...
Thanksgiving and similarly-named festivals are celebrated in various countries to give thanks for the harvest and the blessings of the previous year. The date of the celebration changes from country to country and from year to year, and tomorrow – as the fourth Thursday of November – marks the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States of America. In America, Thanksgiving celebrations are the beginning of the festive period leading up to Christmas. Thanksgiving is usually celebrated by sharing a large turkey dinner with friends or family, with each person reflecting in turn on what they are thankful for. There are often parades in large cities. The phrase thank y...
Nice. It’s probably one of the most-used words in the English language. Chances are you’ve been advised not to use it by a teacher. I wouldn’t be surprised if we feature it for one of our 10 Words blog posts in the future. If something is nice, it is ‘pleasant’. You can read the full Spellzone dictionary definition of the word here. Here is nice used in some example sentences: The weather is supposed be nice this weekend. He wasn’t very nice to his parents. Last week we looked at the word 'kind', which originally meant ‘treating someone like family’, and it's quite easy to im...
November 13th marks World Kindness Day, which was introduced by the World Kindness Movement in 1998. The World Kindness Movement is a ‘legally registered not-for-profit organization with no political, commercial or religious affiliations’. Members of the World Kindness Movement span 27 different countries and their mission is to ‘inspire individuals towards greater kindness by connecting nations to create a kinder world’. World Kindness Day aims to celebrate and promote kindness in the many different forms it comes in. Click here for ideas for how you can celebrate World Kindness Day in your communities. The Spellzone dictionary defines kin...
Friday is National Cappuccino Day. Every year, on November 8th, people join to celebrate the creamy drink they love so much. After all, what’s better on a cold November morning that a hot cup of coffee to help you warm up? A cappuccino is equal parts of espresso and hot milk. Sometimes the drink might be topped with cinnamon, nutmeg, chocolate, or whipped cream. Although versions of coffee and milk have been enjoyed since the 1700s, the cappuccino as we know it became widespread after the second world war as espresso machines became more common. The drink – first called 'Kapuziner' – comes from Viennese coffee houses where it was sold alongsid...
With one more day until Halloween, how could we resist choosing a scary Word for Wednesday? Today the word aghast might be used to describe someone who is struck with fear or dread. Here is the word used in some example sentences: He was aghast when he heard the news. The public were aghast to read about the horrific treatment of prisoners in the journalist’s exposé. Around 1300, the word 'agast’, meaning 'terrified' or 'suddenly filled with frightened amazement' started being used in English. It came from the Old English ‘gæsten’ meani...
What does the word genuine have in common with your knee? More than you might think! The Spellzone dictionary defines genuine as ‘sincerely felt or expressed’ or ‘not fake or counterfeit’. Here is the word used in some example sentences: It is vital to check that your news sources are genuine. She felt genuine affection towards her new puppy. He wanted to know if the belt was made of genuine leather. The word has been used in English since the 1590s and comes from the Latin ‘genuinus’ meaning ‘native, natural, innate’. Those who know the word ‘genuflect’ may be able to guess at...
Some of the words we look at in our Word for Wednesday feature are hundreds of years old, while others began appearing in the English language much more recently. One newer word that’s been cropping up on the news and in conversations a lot this year is vape. Vape is a verb used to describe the act of inhaling and exhaling vapour from an electronic cigarette. The word can also be used as a noun in reference to the electronic cigarette itself, similarly to how a ‘cigarette’ is sometimes called a ‘smoke’. Other terms for these types of devices include ‘e-cigarette’ and ‘e-cig’. There are nearly three million people vaping ...
The recent bad weather in England has got us thinking about the word flood. A flood is when water overflows and submerges land that is normally dry. While the word is normally used in reference to the weather, it can also be used to describe an overwhelming amount of something fluid or intangible (for example, memories, information, or tears). Flood comes from the Old English ‘flōd’ which in turn comes from the Proto-Germanic ‘floduz’ meaning ‘flowing water or deluge’. The word has been used metaphorically to mean ‘sudden abundance’ since the mid-fourteenth century. From floods of tears, to being flooded with memories, to o...
Here at Spellzone, we’re partial to a good quiz. Be it spelling or trivia, in the classroom or at the pub, we can certainly get behind an activity that helps people develop their knowledge. What's interesting about this word is that its origin story is unclear. One rumour is that the word came into use after a Dublin theatre owner bet he could add a new word to the English language in just a few days. Supposedly he had the word written on city walls across Dublin and the next day the mysterious word was the talk of the town. Soon after the word quiz was incorporated into English as a synonym for ‘test’ which is what the people of the city though the word was meant to...
Back to School Whether you’re a teacher, student, or parent, we hope you had a restful summer and are now enjoying the new school term. If you’re looking to change up your lesson plans or get to grips with spelling this year, Spellzone is the course for you. Spellzone is an online English spelling resource used by students aged seven to adult. It unlocks the mystery of English spelling and is adaptable for all abilities including students learning English as a foreign language and those with dyslexia. Want to find out more about how to integrate the course into your studies? This month we shared some of our favourite back-to-school blog posts from the ar...
Depending on the type of English you speak, you may not have heard of this word. Even if you have come across it written down, you may be wondering how on earth it’s pronounced. Queue is the British English word for a line of people or vehicles and is pronounced like the letter ‘q’. In American English, you would describe someone or something as ‘waiting in line’ instead. You can find the Spellzone dictionary definition of the word the word queue plus a recording of how to pronounce it here. In the sixteenth century the word was a heraldic term for the ‘tail of a beast’. The word was also a Middle English metaphor for a ‘line of dan...
Ahoy, me hearties! As you may know, tomorrow is International Talk Like A Pirate Day. The celebration was founded over twenty years ago in 1995 and is a fun way to raise money for charities by dressing up and talking like pirates. While participants are certainly not advised to take part in any of the gruesome aspects of piracy (no pillaging or plundering, please!), toy sword fights and elaborate costumes are widely encouraged. As well as, of course, showing off your best pirate lingo. While historically, there have been many different pirate dialects, children’s’ stories and franchises like Pirates of the Caribbean have promoted certain words and stereotypes – ...
How strange that, in all our years of writing Word for Wednesday posts, we’ve never featured the word spelling. A few years ago, we discovered that the word grammar has links to magic – and of course the word spelling does too (magic spell, anyone?). The word dates to the 1660s when it meant ‘manner of forming words with letters’ and came from the Old English spell- and the suffix -ing. The word evolved to mean 'the way a word has been spelled' by the 1730s. In Old English, spell meant ‘story’ and came from the Proto Germanic ‘spellam’. Around 1200 the word spell took on the meaning ‘utterance’ and late...
For some reason, even though it’s been many years since I finished school, I still associate September with fresh starts. There’s something about the evenings falling slightly earlier each day and the tiniest chill to the summer air that makes me want to knuckle down and achieve my goals before the end of the year. Those of you who speak French, may have noticed that ‘sept’ is the French word for ‘seven’ – a little strange perhaps given that September is the ninth month of the year. This is because until around 700 BC, when the second King of Rome Numa Pompilius added January and February, the Roman calendar was made up of ten ‘officia...
A New Blog Feature Welcome to our new 10 Words blog feature designed to help you expand your vocabulary. In each article we’ll choose a word and give you 10 other words you might be able to use in its place. Maybe you’re learning English, or maybe you’re just bored of using the same words over and over again – either way this series is sure to help. You may also be interested in our three tips for expanding your vocabulary. To kick off the series, we’ve chose the word happy. Click here for more. Commonly Confused Words This month, for our Commonly Confused Words post, we looked at the words enquire and inquire. Though ...
August is drawing to a close and to get you prepared for the start of the academic year in just a few day’s time, we’ve chosen a school-related word for this week’s Word for Wednesday. The word pupil has two meanings. It can be used to describe a school student and the dark circle at the centre of the iris in an eye. Although not all homonyms have the same origin, both versions of the word pupil derive from the Latin ‘pupilla’ meaning ‘doll’. While it’s not too difficult to see how the meaning of pupil might have evolved from doll, to child, to schoolchild, to student; you might be wondering where the eye-related meaning comes into the...
As we enter the last couple of weeks of the summer holidays, some of you will be practising getting back into your routines before school starts. After all you want to be ready to learn (or teach) – and not groggy – on that first morning back in the classroom. The word groggy is used to describe someone who is stunned, dazed, or unsteady usually from lack of sleep, illness, injury, or intoxication. Coined from grog and the suffix -y, and first used around 1770, groggy referred to someone in a state of drunkenness that caused them to stagger or stumble. Grog was rum diluted with water and rumoured to be named for Admiral Edward Vernon who ordered it to be served to his sa...
It doesn’t seem like such a stretch to assume the word nightmare is related to the English word mare which means 'female horse'. With ghost stories like that of the headless horseman, it doesn’t seem implausible that among the many weird connections and quirks in the English language there might be one about horses and sleeping. The mare in nightmare actually comes from the Proto-Germanic ‘maron’ meaning ‘goblin’. In German folklore a mare was an evil female spirit or goblin-like creature who suffocated men in their sleep. Another archaic word for nightmare is incubus which is also the name of a mythological male demon who was believ...
Trivia is a word used to describe information that is of little importance or consequence. You may have heard the term used in reference to quiz games. What’s interesting about the word trivia is that, compared to most of the words we look at in our Word for Wednesday feature, it isn’t that old. Trivialities, bits of information of little consequence was a book first published in 1902 and made popular when it was rereleased in 1918. A follow-up More Trivia was released in 1921 and by 1932 the word trivia was widely used in the English language. Both books were published as a collected edition in 1933. Later, in the 1960s, college students began informally quizzi...
British English or American English? The internet means choosing whether to use American spelling or English spelling no longer just depends on what country you live in. More and more people work with colleagues from all over the world and different institutes, organisations, and publications have different style guides. This means it is likely that you will have to change between American and British spelling every now and then. In this article, to celebrate American Independence Day, we shared three of our favourite articles on American English from the archive. Commonly Confused Words July took us back to our Commonly Confused Words series. For vs. Fore vs. Four ...
Yesterday marked International Day of Friendship and to celebrate we’ve picked companion for this week’s Word for Wednesday. Friendship days are marked all over the world. Loved ones are honoured with gifts, cards, and friendship bracelets. In 2011, the UN General Assembly declared July 30 as International Day of Friendship with ‘the idea that friendship between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities.’ So why have we chosen the word companion and not friend as this week’s word? Honestly – because we think it has a more interesting origin. The word dates back to aroun...
In a rush? Not sure what to have for lunch? You probably can’t go too wrong with a sandwich. We get the word for this convenient lunchtime staple from John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich. Said to be a keen gambler, the Earl of Sandwich supposedly ate slices of cold meat between bread at the gaming table instead of full meals. It's speculated that this was so that he didn’t have to stop to eat and so that that he didn’t get his playing cards dirty from the greasy meat. His friends then began ordering ‘the same as sandwich’ and from there the story of the sandwich as we know it now evolved. The word date backs to 1762 and the account ...
All over the internet, people are celebrating World Emoji Day – so what better choice could there be for our Word for Wednesday? World Emoji Day was launched by Emojipedia founder Jeremy Burge in 2014, though people sometimes posted the calendar emoji on July 17 before then. This is because July 17 is the date shown on most calendar emojis – though Facebook shows May 14, founder Mark Zuckerberg’s birthday instead. Emojipedia is searched over 25 million times a month and the team there work on updating emoji definitions, tracking the changes to emoji definitions, and keeping up with the latest emoji definitions. Click here to find out some interesting stastics. ...
It would be interesting to ask different people what their first association with the word stream is. For me, the first thing that comes to mind is Netflix. Others, I’m sure, will think of small narrow rivers, or associate the word with the flow of people or air or smoke. Literary friends might think of stream of consciousness. In Old English, stream referred to a ‘course of water’ and in the twelfth century, the word started being used to describe ‘anything issuing from a source and flowing continuously’. Stream isn’t the only water-related word that has been borrowed in reference to technology – in the early days of the internet, ...
The Spellzone dictionary defines the word clue as 'evidence that helps solve a problem'. Indeed, your first association with the word is possibly in the context of playing games. Here is clue used in some example sentences: He begged the quizmaster for a clue. The detective hoped to find a clue that would unlock the case. She hoped a genetic test would give her a clue about her ancestry. Clue is a spelling variant of the word ‘clew’ which also means ‘a ball of thread’. If you’re wondering what a ball of string has in common with a hint, here’s a clue: the answer lies in Greek...
Fifty Idioms to Describe People We began this month by sharing part two of our list of 50 idioms used to describe people. You can read part one here. An idiom is a combination of words that has a figurative meaning separate from the actual definitions of the words used. There are an estimated 25,000 idioms in the English language so we hope our regular idiom lists help our second-language students make sense of some confusing translations. You can find more of our idiom lists on our blog archive. Make the Most Out of Your Spellzone Subscription The Spellzone website is full of great resources – from the courses themselves, to our spelling games, to our ...
The Spellzone dictionary defines ‘coward’ as ‘a person who shows fear or timidity’. Here is the word ‘coward’ used in some example sentences: Instead of defending what was right, the politician behaved in a cowardly manner. She accused her friend of being a coward for not wanting to ride on the rollercoaster. In the mid-thirteenth century, the accusation was saved for those with an unwillingness to face peril or injury. It comes from the Anglo-French ‘couard’, from the Old French ‘coart’. The word is probably a metaphorical reflection of an animal – ‘coart’ comes from the Italia...
I am not a cricket person, but my family are a cricket family. This means that for the duration of the World Cup my family group chat will read more like a sports commentary. Since I was Googling the rules of the game anyway, I thought I might as well investigate the origins of the word too. Cricket is a homonym – it has multiple meanings. In one context it describes a grasshopper-like insect, and in another it refers to the ball game my family are so obsessed with. The word is also sometimes used to describe a type of footstool. In reference to the insect, cricket dates back to around 1500 and comes from the Old French ‘criquer’ meaning ‘to creak , rattle, crac...
Although it may be June, here in England it doesn’t feel like summer. With flood and thunderstorm warnings, and disruption on our roads and railways, this rain is more of a downpour than a shower. Still, it got us thinking about the word shower itself. While most of us probably associate showers with bathing before we do with rain, the word didn’t take on this meaning until 1859 (when it was first used as an abbreviation for shower-bath – a word attested from 1803). Shower comes from the Old English ‘scur’ meaning ‘a short fall of rain, storm, tempest; fall of missiles or blows; struggle, commotion; breeze’. It has been used metaphoricall...
When in doubt – consult a dictionary! Whether you end up with a physical book, a dictionary website, or an app that you can use without drawing too much attention to yourself, we believe that finding the right dictionary for your lifestyle is an essential part of good spelling practice. The word for this type of alphabetical reference book dates back to the 1520s and comes from the Medieval Latin dictionarium which means ‘collection of words and phrases’ and is probably a shortening of dictionarius which means ‘of words’. The PIE root of this word is deik which means ‘to show’ or ‘pronounce solemnly’. ...
American vs. British English
Common Mistakes
Commonly Confused Words
English Idioms Explained
English Literature
Exams & Tests
Grammar & Punctuation
Mindful Spelling
Spelling at School
Spelling Games
Spelling Homework
Spelling Tips
Spellzone Tips & Tools
Supporting Adult Learners
Supporting Dyslexic Learners
Supporting EAL Learners
Word Origins & Stories
Writing & Vocabulary
"I have just subscribed and look forward to continuing to use Spellzone. I have been really impressed with the program during the trial period and the students gave very positive feedback. Many thanks."
Teacher, International School, GenevaConnect with us at: 
