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’. ...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for November is other words for funny. If something is funny, it means that it provokes laughter. The word has been used in English since 1756 and comes from the word ‘fun-‘ and the suffix ‘-y'. 'Fun' comes from the Middle English ‘fonnen’ meaning ‘befool’. Over November we’ve looked at the words amusing, droll, hilarious. and silly. Our final funny word of the month is witty. If something is witty, it means it is characterised by quick and inventive verbal humour Here is witty used in some example sentences: They exchanged a witty back-and-forth.&nbs...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for November is other words for funny. If something is funny, it means that it provokes laughter. The word has been used in English since 1756 and comes from the word ‘fun-‘ and the suffix ‘-y'. 'Fun' comes from the Middle English ‘fonnen’ meaning ‘befool’. Over the last few weeks, we’ve looked at the words amusing, droll, and hilarious. This week’s word is silly. If something is silly, it means it is funny in a foolish or frivolous way. Here is silly used in some example sentences: The joke was silly but I couldn’t stop laughing. She wore a silly hat t...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for November is other words for funny. If something is funny, it means that it provokes laughter. The word has been used in English since 1756 and comes from the word ‘fun-‘ and the suffix ‘-y'. 'Fun' comes from the Middle English ‘fonnen’ meaning ‘befool’. So far we’ve looked at the words amusing and droll. This week’s word is hilarious. If something is hilarious, it means it is extremely funny. Did you watch the hilarious video of the goat that sounds like a screaming man? They couldn’t stop laughing at the comedian’s hilarious jokes. Hi...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for November is other words for funny. If something is funny, it means that it provokes laughter. The word has been used in English since 1756 and comes from the word ‘fun-‘ and the suffix ‘-y'. 'Fun' comes from the Middle English ‘fonnen’ meaning ‘befool’. Last week we looked at the word amusing and today’s word is droll. If something is droll, it means it is funny in an unexpected and dry way. Here is droll used in some example sentences: He enjoyed droll satire. Her expression was droll when she told him he was her hero. Droll dates to the 1620s and come...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for November is other words for funny. If something is funny, it means that it provokes laughter. The word has been used in English since 1756 and comes from the word ‘fun-‘ and the suffix ‘-y'. 'Fun' comes from the Middle English ‘fonnen’ meaning ‘befool’. Our first word of the month is amusing. If something is amusing it means it provides enjoyment or causes laughter. Here is amusing used in some example sentences: The chair made an amusing squeaking sound. There’s an amusing twist at the end of the film. The word amusing entered English in the 1590s as synonym for ‘cheating...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for October is Halloween. The word Halloween likely dates to the seventeenth century but was popularised in the Burns poem ‘Halloween’ which was written in 1785. It is a Scottish abbreviation of ‘Allhallow-even’ which means ‘Eve of the All Saints’. ‘Hallow’ means ‘holy person’ or ‘saint’. Over October, we’ve looked at the words witch, banshee, and zombie. Our final word for the month is ghoul. A figure of Arabic folklore, the ghoul is a demonic being or evil spirit that robs graves and feasts on human flesh. In some stories, ghouls...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for October is Halloween. The word Halloween likely dates to the seventeenth century but was popularised in the Burns poem ‘Halloween’ which was written in 1785. It is a Scottish abbreviation of ‘Allhallow-even’ which means ‘Eve of the All Saints’. ‘Hallow’ means ‘holy person’ or ‘saint’. So far, we’ve looked at the words witch and banshee. Today’s word of the week is zombie. A zombie, a figure of Haitian folklore, is a dead body that has been reanimated by supernatural spirits or forces. Today, the zombie exists in popula...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for October is Halloween. The word Halloween likely dates to the seventeenth century but was popularised in the Burns poem ‘Halloween’ which was written in 1785. It is a Scottish abbreviation of ‘Allhallow-even’ which means ‘Eve of the All Saints’. ‘Hallow’ means ‘holy person’ or ‘saint’. Last week, we looked at the word witch and today’s word is banshee. A banshee is a female spirit from Irish folklore whose wailing, screeching, or keening foretells impending death. The word banshee has been used in English since 1711 and is a phonetic s...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for October is Halloween. The word Halloween likely dates to the seventeenth century but was popularised in the Burns poem ‘Halloween’ which was written in 1785. It is a Scottish abbreviation of ‘Allhallow-even’ which means ‘Eve of the All Saints’. ‘Hallow’ means ‘holy person’ or ‘saint’. Our first word for the month is witch. A witch is a (usually female) being who practises sorcery or magic known as witchcraft. In medieval and early modern Europe, witches were thought to have supernatural powers from communing with the devil and other evil be...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for December is Christmas decorations. A decoration is something that is used to beautify a space. The word comes from the Latin ‘decorare’. Over December we’ve looked at the words nutcracker, bauble, mistletoe, and stocking. Though Christmas might be over, there are still a few days left to enjoy the festive decorations and, with that in mind, our final word of the month is poinsettia. A poinsettia is a small shrub with scarlet petal-like leaves. The star-shaped leaves symbolise the star of Bethlehem and their blood red colour symbolises Christ’s sacrifice. The story of the poinse...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for December is Christmas decorations. A decoration is something that is used to beautify a space. The word comes from the Latin ‘decorare’. So far this month, we’ve looked at the words nutcracker, bauble, and mistletoe. With Christmas Eve just days away, what else could we choose for this week’s word but stocking? Stockings are long socks which are hung up by children on Christmas Eve in the hope that they will be filled with gifts. There is no record of the origin of this tradition and even today different households have different gift-giving rituals. In some families, stockings are filled e...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for December is Christmas decorations. A decoration is something that is used to beautify a space. The word comes from the Latin ‘decorare’. So far, we’ve looked at the words nutcracker and bauble. Today’s word is mistletoe. Mistletoe is a plant with green leathery leaves that grows on trees including apples and oaks. In the winter, the mistletoe plant produces white berries. Though poisonous, mistletoe is often used to decorate with at Christmas time. The tradition of kissing under a mistletoe branch is attributed to servants in late-eighteenth-century England. In some versi...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for December is Christmas decorations. A decoration is something that is used to beautify a space. The word comes from the Latin ‘decorare’. Last week we looked at the word nutcracker and this week's Christmas decoration is bauble. A bauble is brightly coloured glass or plastic orb that is hung on a Christmas tree and catches and reflects the lights in a room. Today, it is common for people to buy or make baubles that are personalised with names, special dates, or photos. The word also means trinket or toy. Bauble dates to the early-fourteenth century and comes from the...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for December is Christmas decorations. A decoration is something that is used to beautify a space. The word comes from the Latin ‘decorare’. Our first Christmas decoration of the month is the nutcracker. A nutcracker is a device that is used to crack nuts open. Some traditional versions of this tool are shaped like a human figure with a space for the nut where the mouth would be. Such devices have come to be associated with Christmas thanks to The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E. T. A. Hoffman, which was famously scored as a ballet by the composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. In the ballet, a little girl is given a figure-...
Our Word for Wednesday theme this month is fireworks. A firework is a device with an explosive that burns with coloured flames. The word dates to the 1570s fro Over November we’ve looked at the words sparkler, fountain, and Catherine wheel. Our final fireworks-themed word for the month is rocket. A rocket is a firework that propels high into the sky when lit and produces sparks and whistles. The word has been used since the 1610s and comes from the Italian ‘rocchetto’ which means 'bobbin' (in reference to how a rocket spins), from ‘rocca’ meaning ‘distaff’. The word took on its space-related meaning in ...
This month’s Word for Wednesday theme is fireworks. A firework is a device with an explosive that burns with coloured flames. The word dates to the 1570s from the Old English ‘fyr’ and ‘work’. So far we’ve looked at sparklers and fountains. Our third firework for November is the Catherine wheel. A Catherine wheel is a spinning firework that emits colourful sparks. It is usually affixed to something solid like a wall before being lit. The Catherine wheel is named after St Catherine of Alexandria who was sentenced to death on a spiked wheel which broke at her touch. She was instead executed by beheading. The wo...
November’s Word for Wednesday theme is fireworks. A firework is a device with an explosive that burns with coloured flames. The word dates to the 1570s from the Old English ‘fyr’ and ‘work’. Last week we looked at the word sparkler and today’s word is fountain. A fountain is a firework which is propped in the ground and, once lit, erupts a shower of sparks in the shape of a water fountain. Fountains often produce whistling sounds and bangs. The word fountain, in reference to a spring of water, dates to the early-fifteenth century and comes from Old French ‘fontaine’, from the Medieval Latin ‘fontana...
With Diwali and Bonfire Night falling back-to-back this week, we can expect plenty of glitter and sparkle lighting up our skies. To celebrate, we’ve chosen fireworks as our Word for Wednesday theme for November. A firework is a device with an explosive that burns with coloured flames. The word dates to the 1570s from the Old English ‘fyr’ and ‘work’. Our first fireworks-themed word of the month is sparkler. A sparkler is a handheld firework that burns slowly and produce sparks. The word sparkler has been used in reference to this type of firework since 1905, and more generally in reference to anything that sparkles since 1713. The word sparkle day...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for October is Halloween. The word Halloween likely dates to the seventeenth century but was popularised in the Burns poem ‘Halloween’ which was written in 1785. It is a Scottish abbreviation of ‘Allhallow-even’ which means ‘Eve of the All Saints’. ‘Hallow’ means ‘holy person’ or ‘saint’. Over the last few weeks, we’ve looked at the words pumpkin, monster, and skeleton. For our final Halloween-themed post of the month, we’ve chosen trick-or-treat. Trick-or-treating is a Halloween tradition in which costumed children visit ne...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for October is Halloween. The word Halloween likely dates to the seventeenth century but was popularised in the Burns poem ‘Halloween’ which was written in 1785. It is a Scottish abbreviation of ‘Allhallow-even’ which means ‘Eve of the All Saints’. ‘Hallow’ means ‘holy person’ or ‘saint’. So far we’ve looked at the words pumpkin and monster. Today’s word is skeleton. A skeleton is the hard structure of bones and cartilages that provides a frame for the body. Animated skeletons have been used to personify death since the Middle Ag...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for October is Halloween. The word Halloween likely dates to the seventeenth century but was popularised in the Burns poem ‘Halloween’ which was written in 1785. It is a Scottish abbreviation of ‘Allhallow-even’ which means ‘Eve of the All Saints’. ‘Hallow’ means ‘holy person’ or ‘saint’. Last week, we looked at the word pumpkin. Today’s word is monster. A monster is a frightening imaginary creature that is usually depicted with various animal and human parts. The word is also used to describe a cruel or evil person. Monster c...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for October is Halloween. The word Halloween likely dates to the seventeenth century but was popularised in the Burns poem ‘Halloween’ which was written in 1785. It is a Scottish abbreviation of ‘Allhallow-even’ which means ‘Eve of the All Saints’. ‘Hallow’ means ‘holy person’ or ‘saint’. Our first Halloween-themed word of the month is pumpkin. A pumpkin is a round orange Autumn squash that has become associated with Halloween due to the time of year it matures. Pumpkins are used in both sweet and savoury dishes. Since 2003, when Starbucks first introduced the drink,...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for August is eponymous words. An eponymous word is a word that is named after a person or fictional character. These people or characters are known as eponyms and examples include the Earl of Sandwich (sandwiches), the Duke of Wellington (wellington boots), and Don Quixote (quixotic). Over the last few weeks, we’ve looked at the words August, hoover, and echo. Our final word for the month is cardigan. A cardigan is a knitted jacket that is fastened up the front with buttons or a zip. The word dates to 1868 and is named for James Thomas Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan, who supposedly wore such...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for August is eponymous words. An eponymous word is a word that is named after a person or fictional character. These people or characters are known as eponyms and examples include the Earl of Sandwich (sandwiches), the Duke of Wellington (wellington boots), and Don Quixote (quixotic). Eponym comes from the Greek epi- meaning ‘upon’ or ‘called after’ and the Aeolic dialect -onyma meaning ‘name’. ‘Onyma’ comes from the PIE root ‘no-men’ meaning ‘name’. So far we’ve looked at the words August and hoover. This...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for August is eponymous words. An eponymous word is a word that is named after a person or fictional character. These people or characters are known as eponyms and examples include the Earl of Sandwich (sandwiches), the Duke of Wellington (wellington boots), and Don Quixote (quixotic). Eponym comes from the Greek epi- meaning ‘upon’ or ‘called after’ and the Aeolic dialect -onyma meaning ‘name’. ‘Onyma’ comes from the PIE root ‘no-men’ meaning ‘name’. Last week we looked at the word August and this week’s e...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for August is eponymous words. An eponymous word is a word that is named after a person or fictional character. These people or characters are known as eponyms and examples include the Earl of Sandwich (sandwiches), the Duke of Wellington (wellington boots), and Don Quixote (quixotic). Eponym comes from the Greek epi- meaning ‘upon’ or ‘called after’ and the Aeolic dialect -onyma meaning ‘name’. ‘Onyma’ comes from the PIE root ‘no-men’ meaning ‘name’. Did you know that August is an eponymous word? What better choice to kick off this month’s theme than with the name ...
Our July Word for Wednesday theme is flowers. The word flower entered English around 1200 as ‘flour’ (with spelling variants including ‘flur’, ‘flor’, ‘floer’, ‘flor’, ‘floyer’, and ‘flowre’). It comes from the Old French ‘flor’, from the Latin ‘florem’. The word was used in reference to both blooms and grain until the late fourteenth century, after which the spellings ‘flower’ and ‘flour’ were used to differentiate between the two. So far we’ve looked at the words delphinium, lily&nb...
Our July Word for Wednesday theme is flowers. The word flower entered English around 1200 as ‘flour’ (with spelling variants including ‘flur’, ‘flor’, ‘floer’, ‘flor’, ‘floyer’, and ‘flowre’). It comes from the Old French ‘flor’, from the Latin ‘florem’. The word was used in reference to both blooms and grain until the late fourteenth century, after which the spellings ‘flower’ and ‘flour’ were used to differentiate between the two. So far we’ve looked at the words delphinium and lily. This wee...
Our July Word for Wednesday theme is flowers. The word flower entered English around 1200 as ‘flour’ (with spelling variants including ‘flur’, ‘flor’, ‘floer’, ‘flor’, ‘floyer’, and ‘flowre’). It comes from the Old French ‘flor’, from the Latin ‘florem’. The word was used in reference to both blooms and grain until the late fourteenth century, after which the spellings ‘flower’ and ‘flour’ were used to differentiate between the two. Last week we looked at the word delphinium. Today’s flower is ...
For our July Word for Wednesday theme, we’ve decided to return to flowers. The word flower entered English around 1200 as ‘flour’ (with spelling variants including ‘flur’, ‘flor’, ‘floer’, ‘flor’, ‘floyer’, and ‘flowre’). It comes from the Old French ‘flor’, from the Latin ‘florem’. The word was used in reference to both blooms and grain until the late fourteenth century, after which the spellings ‘flower’ and ‘flour’ were used to differentiate between the two. Our first flower-themed word this month is delphinium. Delphinium...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for June is coffee. Coffee is made by roasting and grinding coffee beans and creating an infusion. The word coffee entered English around 1600 via the Dutch ‘koffie’, which comes from the Turkish ‘kahveh', from the Arabic ‘qahwah’. So far we’ve looked at the words espresso, cappuccino, macchiato, and latte. Our final word of the month is Americano. An Americano is made by adding hot water to espresso, and the word is simply Italian for ‘American coffee’. One popular theory behind the origin of the Americano ...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for June is coffee. Coffee is made by roasting and grinding coffee beans and creating an infusion. The word coffee entered English around 1600 via the Dutch ‘koffie’, which comes from the Turkish ‘kahveh', from the Arabic ‘qahwah’. So far we’ve looked at the words espresso, cappuccino, and macchiato. Today’s word is latte. Latte literally means ‘milk coffee’ and refers to an espresso served with hot milk. The word comes from the Latin ‘lac’ meaning ‘milk’. ...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for June is coffee. Coffee is made by roasting and grinding coffee beans and creating an infusion. The word coffee entered English around 1600 via the Dutch ‘koffie’, which comes from the Turkish ‘kahveh', from the Arabic ‘qahwah’. So far we’ve looked at the words espresso and cappuccino. Today’s word is macchiato. A macchiato is an espresso with a small amount of milk added to it. In Italian, the word means ‘stained’ or ‘spotted’ and it was first used in reference to coffee when baristas needed to differentiate between esp...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for June is coffee. Coffee is made by roasting and grinding coffee beans and creating an infusion. The word coffee entered English around 1600 via the Dutch ‘koffie’, which comes from the Turkish ‘kahveh', from the Arabic ‘qahwah’. Last week we looked at the word espresso and today’s word is cappuccino. A cappuccino is made by topping an espresso with hot frothed milk. In Italian, the word cappuccino is the diminutive of ‘cappuccio’ meaning ‘hood’ (from the Latin ‘caputium’ – where we also get the word ‘cap&rsqu...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for June is coffee. Coffee is made by roasting and grinding coffee beans and creating an infusion. The word coffee entered English around 1600 via the Dutch ‘koffie’, which comes from the Turkish ‘kahveh', from the Arabic ‘qahwah’. Our first coffee-themed word this month is espresso. An espresso is a shot of coffee made by forcing steam through finely ground coffee beans. It is served in a small (2-3 oz) cup. The word comes from the Latin ‘exprimere’ meaning ‘press out' or 'squeeze out’. ...
New Class League Tables! Is your class in the top hundred on Spellzone? Find our new Class League Table, as well as the School League Table and the Student League Table on your Admin Homepage if you’re a teacher or on the My Spellzone page if you’re a student. Read more about league tables here. Closed Leagues Now Available Would you like to organise a closed league for the schools in your LEA or Academy Trust? Contact us and we will set one up for you. Once set up, your new league table will appear on your Admin Homepage if you’re a teacher or on the My Spellzone page if you’re a student. Have you added an Avatar to your...
In February, we are continuing with the Word for Wednesday theme of colours. The word colour entered English via Old French and comes from the Latin ‘color’, from the Old Latin ‘colos’ meaning ‘a covering’, from the PIE root ‘kel-’ meaning ‘to conceal’. The word has been used in reference to skin colour since the early-thirteenth century and in reference to pigments and dye since the fourteenth century. The spelling colour became the common English spelling from the fourteenth century, but a classical correction made color an alternative from the fifteenth...
In February, we are continuing with the Word for Wednesday theme of colours. The word colour entered English via Old French and comes from the Latin ‘color’, from the Old Latin ‘colos’ meaning ‘a covering’, from the PIE root ‘kel-’ meaning ‘to conceal’. The word has been used in reference to skin colour since the early-thirteenth century and in reference to pigments and dye since the fourteenth century. The spelling colour became the common English spelling from the fourteenth century, but a classical correction made color an alternative from the fifteenth...
In February, we are continuing with the Word for Wednesday theme of colours. The word colour entered English via Old French and comes from the Latin ‘color’, from the Old Latin ‘colos’ meaning ‘a covering’, from the PIE root ‘kel-’ meaning ‘to conceal’. The word has been used in reference to skin colour since the early-thirteenth century and in reference to pigments and dye since the fourteenth century. The spelling colour became the common English spelling from the fourteenth century, but a classical correction made color an alternative from the fifteenth...
In February, we are continuing with the Word for Wednesday theme of colours. The word colour entered English via Old French and comes from the Latin ‘color’, from the Old Latin ‘colos’ meaning ‘a covering’, from the PIE root ‘kel-’ meaning ‘to conceal’. The word has been used in reference to skin colour since the early-thirteenth century and in reference to pigments and dye since the fourteenth century. The spelling colour became the common English spelling from the fourteenth century, but a classical correction made color an alternative from the fifteenth...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for January is colours. The word colour entered English via Old French and comes from the Latin ‘color’, from the Old Latin ‘colos’ meaning ‘a covering’, from the PIE root ‘kel-’ meaning ‘to conceal’. The word has been used in reference to skin colour since the early-thirteenth century and in reference to pigments and dye since the fourteenth century. The spelling colour became the common English spelling from the fourteenth century, but a classical correction made color an alternative from the fifteenth century. Color&nbs...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for January is colours. The word colour entered English via Old French and comes from the Latin ‘color’, from the Old Latin ‘colos’ meaning ‘a covering’, from the PIE root ‘kel-’ meaning ‘to conceal’. The word has been used in reference to skin colour since the early-thirteenth century and in reference to pigments and dye since the fourteenth century. The spelling colour became the common English spelling from the fourteenth century, but a classical correction made color an alternative from the fifteenth century. Color&nbs...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for January is colours. The word colour entered English via Old French and comes from the Latin ‘color’, from the Old Latin ‘colos’ meaning ‘a covering’, from the PIE root ‘kel-’ meaning ‘to conceal’. The word has been used in reference to skin colour since the early-thirteenth century and in reference to pigments and dye since the fourteenth century. The spelling colour became the common English spelling from the fourteenth century, but a classical correction made color an alternative from the fifteenth century. Color&nbs...
Happy New Year! Our Word for Wednesday theme for January is colours. The word colour entered English via Old French and comes from the Latin ‘color’, from the Old Latin ‘colos’ meaning ‘a covering’, from the PIE root ‘kel-’ meaning ‘to conceal’. The word has been used in reference to skin colour since the early-thirteenth century and in reference to pigments and dye since the fourteenth century. The spelling colour became the common English spelling from the fourteenth century, but a classical correction made color an alternative from the fifteenth century. Color is now the common American English spelling...
December’s Word for Wednesday theme is festive food and drink. So far we’ve looked at mulled wine, mince pies, eggnog, and Brussels sprouts. Our final festive drink of the month is sherry. Sherry is a dry to sweet amber wine from the Jerez region of southern Spain. It is usually drunk as an aperitif. The word dates to around 1600 when it was used as a mistaken singular form of the word 'sherris' (which dates to the 1530s). 'Sherris' comes from the Spanish ‘vino de Xeres’ meaning ‘wine from Xeres’. Today, this Andalusian town where sherry is made is known as Jerez. You can lea...
December’s Word for Wednesday theme is festive food and drink. So far we’ve looked at mulled wine, mince pies, and eggnog. Today’s festive food is the Brussels sprout. This Christmas dinner vegetable is often debated – some people love Brussels sprouts, others can’t stand them. A Brussels sprout is a small green cabbage-like bud that grows on a stalk. The word dates to 1740, though the first written description of this type of vegetable dates to the 1580s. Brussels sprouts have long been associated with Flanders, specifically Brussels, in Belgium. The name Brussels is of Germanic origin and comes from ‘brocca&r...
December’s Word for Wednesday theme is festive food and drink. So far we’ve looked at mulled wine and mince pies. The festive drink we have chosen to look at today is eggnog. Traditionally served in North America during the Christmas season, eggnog is a punch made of an alcoholic liquor mixed with egg and sweetened milk or cream. Sometimes it is flavoured with spices such as cinnamon or nutmeg. Other historic names of this drink include ‘egg milk punch’ and ‘milk punch’. Eggnog has been used in American English since around 1775. The word ‘egg’ dates to the mid-fourteenth century and comes from Old Norse. The word ...
December’s Word for Wednesday theme is festive food and drink. Last week we looked at mulled wine and today’s chosen treat is mince pies. Whether you love them or hate them, there’s no doubt that the mince pie is a Christmas staple here in the UK. A mince pie is a round sweet pie that is filled with mincemeat (a mixture of dried fruits, fat, and spices). Originally mince pies would have contained meat, but today they are usually made without. Although early versions of this pie often went by other names – 'mutton pie', 'Christmas pie', 'shrid pie' – the name mince pie dates to around 1600. The word mincemea...
Happy December! This month’s Word for Wednesday theme is festive food and drink. Our first choice of the month is a seasonal favourite—mulled wine. Mulled wine is wine that is heated with sugar, spices, and often citrus fruit. Other popular mulled drinks include mulled cider, mulled apple juice, and hot toddy. The word ‘mull’ has been used to describe the process of heating a drink with sweeteners and spices since the 1600s. While the origin of this word is unknown, there may be a link with the Dutch word ‘mol’ which was used to describe a sweet beer. ‘Mull’ has also been used in English to mean ‘...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for November is vegetables. A vegetable is a plant or part of a plant that is used for food. The word dates to the mid-fifteenth century when it meant 'non-animal life’ and was used to describe any type of plant. It has been used in reference to plants specifically grown for food since 1767. So far we’ve looked at the vegetables cabbage, potato, and courgette. Today’s word is tomato. The first thing to note about the tomato is that it’s not technically a vegetable—it’s a fruit. As we explained at the start of this post a vegetable is a plant or part of a plant used for food. A fruit is...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for November is vegetables. A vegetable is a plant or part of a plant that is used for food. The word dates to the mid-fifteenth century when it meant 'non-animal life’ and was used to describe any type of plant. It has been used in reference to plants specifically grown for food since 1767. So far we’ve looked at the words cabbage and potato. This week we’ve chosen two words that are used to refer to the same vegetable—courgette and zucchini. Both words describe a dark green cucumber-shaped squash that is typically eaten when small. The same vegetable left to mature is often called a marrow. Cour...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for November is vegetables. A vegetable is a plant or part of a plant that is used for food. The word dates to the mid-fifteenth century when it meant 'non-animal life’ and was used to describe any type of plant. It has been used in reference to plants specifically grown for food since 1767. Last week we looked at the word cabbage and this week’s word is potato. A potato is a root vegetable native to South America with starchy edible tubers and poisonous vines. It is widely cultivated as a garden vegetable. The word entered English in the 1560s and was used to describe the vegetable we call sweet potato today...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for November is vegetables! A vegetable is a plant or part of a plant that is used for food. The word dates to the mid-fifteenth century when it meant 'non-animal life’ and was used to describe any type of plant. It has been used in reference to plants specifically grown for food since 1767. Our first word of the month is cabbage. A cabbage is a vegetable with large thick green or purple leaves that grow around a spherical heart. The word dates to the mid-fifteenth century and comes from the Old French ‘cabace’ which means ‘head’ and is a diminutive of the Latin word ‘caput’. Cabbages are likely n...
It’s time for our last Word for Wednesday post in October! This month’s blog posts have been themed around all things spooky and scary. So far, we’ve looked at the origins of the words ghost, werewolf, and vampire. Today’s word is technically the name of a character from a book. Frankenstein was written in 1818 by English author Mary Shelley. The story is about a scientist called Victor Frankenstein who, in an unusual experiment, creates a monstrous living creature out of old body parts. Here is how the creature is described in the book: “His limbs were in proportion, and I had selected his features as beautiful. Beautifu...
It’s ten days until Halloween and our October Word for Wednesday theme is all things spooky and scary. Have you had a chance to try out our Spooky Spelling game? Click here for five spooky spelling lists to play the game with. So far this month we’ve looked at the words ghost and werewolf. Today’s scary word is vampire! From Dracula to Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Twilight, there’s no doubt that the vampiric figure is popular when it comes to scary stories. The word is used to describe a corpse that rises at night to drink the blood of the living. Folk tales about vampires exist all over the world and details from how to create a vampire to how ...
Halloween is going to be different this year, but we’re still excited to celebrate all things spooky and scary in this month’s Word for Wednesday articles. Last week we looked at the word ghost and today’s word is werewolf. So what exactly is a werewolf? Sometimes referred to as a man-wolf or a lycanthrope, the werewolf suffers an affliction which forces it to change from a human to a wolf or wolf-like creature at the full moon. A human usually becomes contaminated after being bitten or scratched by another werewolf. The werewolf crops up in stories across Europe and evil shapeshifters appear in mythology from all over the world. Humans...
With Halloween at the end of the month, our Word for Wednesday theme for October is all things spooky and scary. The first word this month is ghost. A ghost is a spirit of a dead person that appears to the living, often as an image of what they looked like when they were alive. More recently the word has been used as a verb to describe the act of writing someone else’s work for them and, in an online dating context, the act of disappearing from a relationship by suddenly ending all communication. You can read about other words which have changed in meaning thanks to the internet and technology here. Ghost comes from the Old English ‘gast’ which meant ‘good or...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for September is stationery. Stationery comes from the Latin ‘stationarius’ which means ‘tradesman who sells from a station or shop’. The word was first used to describe ‘the articles sold by a stationer’ in 1727. So far we have looked at the words pencil, pen, ruler, and sharpener, and today's stationery-themed word is stapler. A stapler is a machine that inserts staples into sheets of paper in order to fasten them together. The word dates to 1949 and comes from ‘staple’ which as a verb dates to the late fourteenth century and as a noun d...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for September is stationery. Stationery comes from the Latin ‘stationarius’ which means ‘tradesman who sells from a station or shop’. The word was first used to describe ‘the articles sold by a stationer’ in 1727. So far we have looked at the words pencil, pen, and ruler, and today's stationery-themed word is sharpener. The word sharpener refers to any implement that is used to make something sharper. While the term sharpener dates to the 1630s, the term pencil sharpener is from 1854. Both words come from word ‘sharpen’ which dates to the 1520s...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for September is stationery. Stationery comes from the Latin ‘stationarius’ which means ‘tradesman who sells from a station or shop’. The word was first used to describe ‘the articles sold by a stationer’ in 1727. So far we have looked at the words pencil and pen, and today's stationery-themed word is ruler. A ruler is a strip, usually made of wood, metal, or plastic, which is used for drawing straight lines and measuring lengths. Rulers are marked at varying intervals to indicate units of measurement like inches or centimetres. The word dates to around 1400 and com...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for September is stationery. Stationery comes from the Latin ‘stationarius’ which means ‘tradesman who sells from a station or shop’. The word was first used to describe ‘the articles sold by a stationer’ in 1727. Last week we looked at the word pencil, and today's stationery-themed word is pen. A pen is writing implement with a point from which ink flows, Although you might expect pen to have the same word root as pencil, it actually comes from the Old French ‘pene’ meaning ‘quill pen’ or ‘feather’, which in turn comes from the L...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for September is stationery. Stationery comes from the Latin ‘stationarius’ which means ‘tradesman who sells from a station or shop’. The word was first used to describe ‘the articles sold by a stationer’ in 1727. Our first stationery-themed word is pencil. A pencil is a thin cylindrical pointed writing implement. The word entered English in the mid-fourteenth century as ‘pencel’ and was used to describe a type of fine brush made of camel hair which was used by artists. ‘Pencel’ comes from the Old French ‘pincel’ which comes from the Latin ‘pencillus&r...
We kicked off August by returning to our 10 Words feature where we looked at alternatives for the word hot. Whether you love or hate summer weather, this blog post will help you describe it. In this month’s Commonly Confused Words post we looked at the words flower and flour. Do you know when to use which word? In our Idioms article we looked at figurative expressions about flowers. We also shared a list of all our Idioms articles from over the years. We continued with the flower theme in July’s Word for Wednesday posts. We looked at a flower that opens at dawn and closes at dusk, flowers named for their resembl...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for August is flowers. The word flower entered English around 1200 as ‘flour’ (with spelling variants including ‘flur’, ‘flor’, ‘floer’, ‘flor’, ‘floyer’, and ‘flowre’). It comes from the Old French ‘flor’, from the Latin ‘florem’. The word was used in reference to both blooms and grain until the late fourteenth century, after which the spellings ‘flower’ and ‘flour’ were used to differentiate between the two. So far we’ve looked at the words daisy, tulip, and carnation—our final...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for August is flowers. The word flower entered English around 1200 as ‘flour’ (with spelling variants including ‘flur’, ‘flor’, ‘floer’, ‘flor’, ‘floyer’, and ‘flowre’). It comes from the Old French ‘flor’, from the Latin ‘florem’. The word was used in reference to both blooms and grain until the late fourteenth century, after which the spellings ‘flower’ and ‘flour’ were used to differentiate between the two. So far we’ve looked at the words daisy and tulip—today’s word is carnation...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for August is flowers. The word flower entered English around 1200 as ‘flour’ (with spelling variants including ‘flur’, ‘flor’, ‘floer’, ‘flor’, ‘floyer’, and ‘flowre’). It comes from the Old French ‘flor’, from the Latin ‘florem’. The word was used in reference to both blooms and grain until the late fourteenth century, after which the spellings ‘flower’ and ‘flour’ were used to differentiate between the two. Last week we looked at the word daisy, and today’s word is tulip. A tulip is ...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for August is flowers. The word flower entered English around 1200 as ‘flour’ (with spelling variants including ‘flur’, ‘flor’, ‘floer’, ‘flor’, ‘floyer’, and ‘flowre’). It comes from the Old French ‘flor’, from the Latin ‘florem’. The word was used in reference to both blooms and grain until the late fourteenth century, after which the spellings ‘flower’ and ‘flour’ were used to differentiate between the two. For our first flower, we’ve decided to look at the word daisy. A daisy is a common European ...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for July is fruit. The word fruit dates back to the late-twelfth century when it was used to mean ‘any vegetable product useful to humans or animals’. It entered English via Old French and comes from the Latin ‘fructus’ meaning ‘an enjoyment, delight, or satisfaction’ as well as ‘proceeds, produce, fruit, and crops’. The word took on its modern meaning in the early thirteenth century. So far we’ve looked at the words banana, pineapple, plum, and pomegranate —today’s word is cherry. A cherry is a small round fruit with a si...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for July is fruit. The word fruit dates back to the late-twelfth century when it was used to mean ‘any vegetable product useful to humans or animals’. It entered English via Old French and comes from the Latin ‘fructus’ meaning ‘an enjoyment, delight, or satisfaction’ as well as ‘proceeds, produce, fruit, and crops’. The word took on its modern meaning in the early thirteenth century. So far we’ve looked at the words banana, pineapple, and plum. Today’s word is pomegranate. A pomegranate is a type of fruit known for its juicy red pulp and many tiny ...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for July is fruit. The word fruit dates back to the late-twelfth century when it was used to mean ‘any vegetable product useful to humans or animals’. It entered English via Old French and comes from the Latin ‘fructus’ meaning ‘an enjoyment, delight, or satisfaction’ as well as ‘proceeds, produce, fruit, and crops’. The word took on its modern meaning in the early thirteenth century. So far we’ve looked at the words banana and pineapple, —today’s word is plum. A plum is an oval fruit with smooth skin and a single hard s...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for July is fruit. The word fruit dates back to the late-twelfth century when it was used to mean ‘any vegetable product useful to humans or animals’. It entered English via Old French and comes from the Latin ‘fructus’ meaning ‘an enjoyment, delight, or satisfaction’ as well as ‘proceeds, produce, fruit, and crops’. The word took on its modern meaning in the early thirteenth century. So far we’ve looked at the word banana, and today’s word is pineapple. A pineapple is a large sweet fleshy tropical fruit with a tuft of stiff pointed leaves. What&rsqu...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for July is fruit. The word fruit dates back to the late-twelfth century when it was used to mean ‘any vegetable product useful to humans or animals’. It entered English via Old French and comes from the Latin ‘fructus’ meaning ‘an enjoyment, delight, or satisfaction’ as well as ‘proceeds, produce, fruit, and crops’. The word took on its modern meaning in the early thirteenth century. Our first fruit-themed word is banana. A banana is a long curved fruit which grows in clusters. It is green when growing and turns yellow as it ripens. The fruit is known for its soft sweet flesh. Ba...
It’s time for our final sports-themed Word for Wednesday article. The Spellzone dictionary defines sport as ‘an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition’. The word dates to the early-fifteenth century when it meant ‘pleasant pastime’. Sport was a shortening of the Anglo-French ‘disport’ meaning ‘activity that offers amusement or reaction’. So far, we’ve looked at the words badminton, tennis, and hockey. Our chosen word today is lacrosse. Lacrosse is based on games played within many North American Indigenous communities and is the oldest organised sport playe...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for June is sports. The Spellzone dictionary defines sport as ‘an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition’. The word dates to the early-fifteenth century when it meant ‘pleasant pastime’. Sport was a shortening of the Anglo-French ‘disport’ meaning ‘activity that offers amusement or reaction’. So far we’ve looked at the words badminton and tennis and today’s word of the week is hockey. Hockey is a game in which two opposing teams use curved sticks to drive a ball into the opponents’ net. The ...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for June is sports. The Spellzone dictionary defines sport as ‘an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition’. The word dates to the early-fifteenth century when it meant ‘pleasant pastime’. Sport was a shortening of the Anglo-French ‘disport’ meaning ‘activity that offers amusement or reaction’. Last we looked at the word badminton, and today’s word of the week is tennis. Tennis is a game played with rackets by two or four players who hit a ball back and forth over a net that divides the court. The word tennis entered...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for June is sports. The Spellzone dictionary defines sport as ‘an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition’. The word dates to the early-fifteenth century when it meant ‘pleasant pastime’. Sport was a shortening of the Anglo-French ‘disport’ meaning ‘activity that offers amusement or reaction’. Our first sports-themed word of the month is badminton. Badminton is a court-based game in which players use light long-handled rackets to volley a shuttlecock over a net. While people also play on indoor courts (so that the game is not affected by wind conditions), badminton is ...
For the month of May, we have chosen musical instruments as the theme for our Word for Wednesday posts. The word music entered English in the thirteenth century as ‘musike’ via the Old French ‘musique’ and the Latin ‘musica’ meaning ‘music or poetry’. ‘Musica’ is from the Greek ‘mousikē’ which means ‘art of the muses’. So far in our exploration into where musical instruments get their names from, we’ve looked at the words piano, guitar, and drum. The final musical instrument in our series is the saxophone. A saxophone is a met...
For the month of May, we have chosen musical instruments as the theme for our Word for Wednesday posts. The word music entered English in the thirteenth century as ‘musike’ via the Old French ‘musique’ and the Latin ‘musica’ meaning ‘music or poetry’. ‘Musica’ is from the Greek ‘mousikē’ which means ‘art of the muses’. So far in our exploration into where musical instruments get their names from, we’ve looked at the words piano and guitar. Today’s word is drum. A drum is a percussion instrument which usually consists of a hollow cy...
For the month of May, we have chosen musical instruments as the theme for our Word for Wednesday posts. The word music entered English in the thirteenth century as ‘musike’ via the Old French ‘musique’ and the Latin ‘musica’ meaning ‘music or poetry’. ‘Musica’ is from the Greek ‘mousikē’ which means ‘art of the muses’. Last week we looked at the word piano and today we will be looking at the word guitar. A guitar is a stringed instrument with curved sides and a fretted fingerboard. It usually has six or twelve strings which are plucked or strummed (...
For the month of May, we have chosen musical instruments as the theme for our Word for Wednesday posts. The word music entered English in the thirteenth century as ‘musike’ via the Old French ‘musique’ and the Latin ‘musica’ meaning ‘music or poetry’. ‘Musica’ is from the Greek ‘mousikē’ which means ‘art of the muses’. The first instrument we’ve chosen to look at is piano. A piano is the keyboard instrument which is played by depressing keys that cause hammers to strike tuned strings in order to make sounds. In music, the word also means soft or quiet. The w...
Our chosen theme for April's Word for Wednesday posts is animals. So far we’ve looked at rhinoceros, ostrich, and python. The word animal has been used in English to describe sentient living creatures since the early fourteenth century, before which the word beast was more common. It comes from the Latin 'animale' meaning ‘being which breathes’, from ‘anima’ which means ‘breath’ or ‘soul’. So far we’ve looked at the word origins of rhinoceros, ostrich, python, and flamingo. For our final animal-themed Word for Wednesday post, our chosen w...
Our chosen theme for April's Word for Wednesday posts is animals. So far we’ve looked at rhinoceros, ostrich, and python. The word animal has been used in English to describe sentient living creatures since the early fourteenth century, before which the word beast was more common. It comes from the Latin 'animale' meaning ‘being which breathes’, from ‘anima’ which means ‘breath’ or ‘soul’. This week we’ve got another bird word for you – flamingo. These iconic wading birds are known for their bright pink or scarlet plumage, long legs, and neck....
Our chosen theme for April's Word for Wednesday posts is animals. The word animal has been used in English to describe sentient living creatures since the early fourteenth century, before which the word beast was more common. It comes from the Latin 'animale' meaning ‘being which breathes’, from ‘anima’ which means ‘breath’ or ‘soul’. So far we’ve looked at the rhinoceros and the ostrich. Today’s animal is the python. A python is a large non-venomous snake known for killing its prey by constriction and asphyxiation. Pythons have flecked skin and long for...
Our chosen theme for April's Word for Wednesday posts is animals. The word animal has been used in English to describe sentient living creatures since the early fourteenth century, before which the word beast was more common. It comes from the Latin 'animale' meaning ‘being which breathes’, from ‘anima’ which means ‘breath’ or ‘soul’. Last week, we explored the origins of the word rhinoceros and this week’s animal is rather different looking. Today, our chosen word is ostrich. Ostriches are the largest living birds, known for their speed, long necks, and two-toed feet. Today, wild ostriches...
Our chosen theme for April's Word for Wednesday posts is animals. The word animal has been used in English to describe sentient living creatures since the early fourteenth century, before which the word beast was more common. It comes from the Latin 'animale' meaning ‘being which breathes’, from ‘anima’ which means ‘breath’ or ‘soul’. Over the next few weeks, we will look at a range of animals and the origins of their names. Starting with…rhinoceros! Native to Africa and southern Asia, the rhinoceros is a large mammal known for the one or two horns on its nose. It is heavily built and has thick fold...
What does each word mean? The word curb is a verb used to describe the act of restraining or restricting something. As a noun, the word can also describe the restraint or restriction itself. In American English, curb also refers to the edge between a sidewalk (pavement) and a road. Click here for the full Spellzone dictionary definition of the word. Here is curb used in some example sentences: He needs to learn how to curb his temper. In England, there are curbs on watching television without a license. Click here to create a Spellzone vocabulary list including the word curb. In British English, the word kerb describes the raised edge that separates a road from the p...
English is a tricky language to learn and one of the things that makes it so difficult is that it’s full of words that sound the same but have different meanings or spellings. These words are called homophones. In the past, we’ve looked at many pairs and groups of homophones in our Commonly Confused Words series. This week we’re sharing tips for handling homophones – scroll down to make sure you never mix up your meanings again! Use homophones in the same sentence to show their different meanings. For example: Although we had a ball dancing the night away at the summer ball, we were so tired the next day we had to miss our football practi...
The key to remembering how to spell words with silent letters is, unfortunately, the same as that for remembering all spellings: practise, practise, practise! Here are Spellzone, we know that the ‘Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check’ method of learning and testing spelling provides results, and here are some of our other top spelling tips. Some silent letters were pronounced hundred years ago, but over the years, because the words were difficult to say, some of the sounds died out. Get into the habit of pronouncing silent letters in your head whenever you think of the word. When taking a Spellzone Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check test, click on the loudspeaker icon to hear...
The recent wonderful rainbows have made us wonder – where do we get our names for the colours from? The word ‘rainbow’ originates from the Old English ‘renboga’ – ‘regn’ meaning ‘rain’ and ‘boga’ meaning ‘bow’. Imagine the arch shape an arrow might make when flying through the air, or the way your body curves when you bow down – both meanings of ‘bow’ descend from the Proto-Germanic ‘bugan’. Another Old English word for rainbow is ‘scurboga’ meaning ‘shower bow’. Like ‘rainbow’, ‘red’ also comes from Proto Germanic roots. The ...
In this week’s Word for Wednesday, we’ll be debunking a popular urban myth. Originating in Scotland in the middle ages, the game of Golf has risen to worldwide popularity. Despite all the associations of pomp and grandeur, Golf is becoming an increasingly accessible sport. One thing that doesn’t help these associations is the common misconception that Golf is an acronym; a rather misogynistic one too… The legend lingers that golf is an acronym for Gentlemen Only Ladies Forbidden. In fact, the real etymology is likely to be much more straightforward. One potential origin is the Scottish word ‘goult’ meaning ’to strike’. Also, the Dutch ‘kolf’ for ‘club’ is another possible relative. ...
Yesterday was World Day for Cultural Diversity; a relatively new cause adopted by UNESCO just over a decade ago. But what is Cultural Diversity Day? The United Nations describe the campaign on their Facebook page: ‘This Day raises awareness on the richness of world cultures and the opportunities that cultural diversity can bring to societies.’ I think it is a great incentive to explore the output of other cultures, from music, food and film to their literature, traditions and languages. So, if you have a spare moment this week, why not endeavour to understand another culture a little bit more? I recently discovered the music of a band named Baka Beyond. They manage to bl...
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