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 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 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 August is condiments. A condiment is added to food to enhance its flavour. The word has been used in English since the mid-fifteenth century and comes from the Latin ‘condire’ meaning ‘to pickle’. So far we’ve looked at the words mustard and ketchup. Today’s word is mayonnaise. Mayonnaise – also often called by its nickname mayo – is a thick creamy sauce made with egg yolks, oil, and either vinegar or lemon juice. This French word (which dates to 1806) has been used in English since 1815. It is probably a corruption of ‘mahonnaise’ and likely got its name fro...
May 4th the marked Star Wars Day and to celebrate we chose Star Wars as this month’s Word for Wednesday theme. The date of this commemorative celebration comes from the pun on the Star Wars catchphrase ‘May the Force be with you’. Though the first recorded use of ‘May the 4th be with you’ dates to 1979, the first organised commemorative event for Star Wars Day wasn’t until 2011 when an event was hosted at the Toronto Underground Cinema. Today, Star Wars Day is observed by fans all over the world. Over the last few weeks, we’ve looked at the words force, Jedi, and droid. Our final Star-Wars-them...
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...
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 ...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
The word election describes a formal vote that takes place in order to select someone for a political office or other position. From tomorrow until May 26th, all 28 Member States of the European Union will be holding elections to the European Parliament. You can find the full Spellzone dictionary definition of election here. Election is one of many examples that demonstrates how connected English is to other languages from Europe and the rest of the world. It first appeared in English around 1300 from the Anglo-French ‘eleccioun’, which in turn came from the Old French ‘elecion’ meaning ‘choice’ or ‘selection’. ‘Elecion&rsq...
What does each word mean? A hoard is a secret store of valuables or money. As a verb, the word refers to the act of gathering or saving supplies for future use. Click here for the full Spellzone dictionary definition of the word. Here is hoard used in some example sentences: While cleaning out his late mother’s house, he found a hoard of old coins. Some animals hoard food for the winter. Click here to find the Spellzone study lists related to the word hoard. The word horde refers to a large group of moving people like a crowd or a nomadic community. Click here for the full Spellzone dictionary definition of the word. Here is horde used in an example sent...
The Spellzone dictionary defines ‘phobia’ as: ‘an anxiety disorder characterized by extreme and irrational fear of simple things or social situations’. The word has been used in English since the 1780s, perhaps modelled on its use in French. It originally comes from the Greek ‘phobia’, from ‘phobos’ meaning ‘fear, panic, terror, outward show of fear, object of fear or terror’. Before this ‘phobia’ meant ‘flight’ and the word took on the meaning ‘fear’ from the idea of fleeing in panic or fright. Today we’re going to look at a list of different type of phobias – how many do you re...
When I began this week’s post, I felt sure ‘hazard’ would come from scientific origins – perhaps because I most associate the word with the yellow stickers that were affixed to dangerous equipment and chemicals in my school’s science labs. ‘Hazard’ was actually the name of a chance game played with dice and the word dates back to the fourteenth century. It comes from the French ‘hasard’ or ‘hasart’ which means ‘game of chance played with dice’ or ‘a throw of six in dice’. Though we are uncertain of the origins of this French game, one theory is that its name comes from the Spanish ‘hazar’...
There is much news coverage about the recent 'fracas' at the BBC between a certain presenter and a producer. According to Dictionary.com The word fracas originates from the French fracas "crash, sudden noise; tumult, bustle, fuss" (15c.) and the Italian fracasso "uproar, crash." It was used in English from 1727 to describe a noisy, disorderly disturbance or fight; riotous brawl. The use of this word in the BBC statement suggests that the more than words were used during the encounter and time will tell. Whatever the outcome, the fact that that this word has been promoted to celebrity status is wonderful and we look forward to it being used more often by comm...
The word 'Embarrassment' appears in a list of 50 common words that Britons struggle to spell in a study commissioned by the TV channel Nick Jr UK to celebrate the launch of the children’s literacy show 'Wallykazam!' Apparently more than half of British adults struggle to spell common words and 20% of the 2,000 questioned admitted to using Google to check correct spellings. 'Embarrassment' originates from the 1670's French 'embarrasser' (to block) and Italian 'imbarrazzo' (to bar). The use of the word to make someone feel awkward started in the 1820's. To help save you from future embarrassing spelling moments, here are the 50 wor...
The word for today is ‘referendum’. Used in 1847 with reference to Switzerland, from French or German, meaning "a submitting of a question to the voters as a whole" and the Latin referendum "that which must be referred". It is perhaps the most effective type of vote, yes or no. Tomorrow, the people of Scotland will vote to determine whether Scotland will remain part of The United Kingdom after a union of 307 years. The debate is viciously divisive, even tearing apart families, and recent polls have been incredibly close. The United Kingdom faces uncertainty, and if Scotland votes ‘Yes’ there will be massive change in the UK, which is de...
Last week we shared the first half of our twenty English words of Indian origin – click here to read it. Because Sanskrit is such an old language, Sanskrit words have entered the English language in a variety of ways. Some are direct loanwords, while others have travelled across the world, evolving as they move from language to language, before finally being adopted into English. This week we’re going to take a look at ten more words – scroll down to find out more! Dinghy "a small boat of shallow draft, with cross thwarts for seats and rowlocks for oars with which it is propelled" The Hindi word ‘dingi’ means ‘small boat’. ...
Over the next two posts, we’re going to take a look at twenty English words which originate from Indian languages. Sanskrit words have entered the English language in a variety of ways. Some are direct loanwords, while others have travelled across the world, evolving as they move from language to language, before finally being adopted into English. Scroll down to find out more! Aubergine “egg-shaped vegetable having a shiny skin typically dark purple, but occasionally white or yellow” This word is originally from the Sanskrit ‘vatigagama’, and entered English via the Persian ‘badin-gam’, the Arabic ‘alberginera’, the French ...
An onomatopoeic word imitates the sound of the action or thing it describes. The words we use to describe the sounds animals make, for instance, are examples of onomatopoeia: chirp, hiss, meow, oink, squeak, etc. Onomatopoeic words are also often used to describe collisions (crash, bang, wallop!); voice-related sounds (grunt, giggle, guffaw, rasp, wheeze, etc.); and water-related sounds (drip, gush, trickle, pitter-patter, etc.). Here are ten examples of onomatopoeia! Bumblebee – The obvious onomatopoeic word associated with bumblebees is ‘buzz’, but the name of the creature itself is onomatopoeic too. ‘Bumblebee’ dates back to the 1520s and replaced...
Here is another delightful word for you this week and with the predictably dismal autumnal weather in England, one that I have found myself using much more than I would prefer. Although the word itself is relatively new, the invention itself has existed for well over three thousand years. The invention can be traced to Ancient China, but there is also evidence of usage in Egypt and India from around the same time. Once designed as a sunshade, the Umbrella now almost exclusively serves to protect us from the rain. However, the name remains the same: Umbrella is a 16th century word derived from the Latin ‘umbra’ or ‘shade’. Historically there have been associat...
In this week’s blog, I’ve decided to celebrate a game that, embarrassingly, is new to me this summer. I mean, I’ve been around almost two decades and have still only played it twice – winning once and losing once. Admittedly, my victory was against an eleven-year-old child, who, to be honest, probably let me win. The game is a classic case of ‘simple to learn, difficult to master’. In fact, the world tournament dishes out prizes of between one and two million dollars annually. Of course I’m referring to one of the world’s most popular and intricate games: Chess. Chess has been around since the 6th century but the modern rules first evolve...
Today we’re going to zoom out from specifically looking at the United States of America to taking a look at some English language words that have been borrowed from the indigenous languages of the Americas as a whole, from Alaska and Greenland to the southernmost tip of South America. Many of these words describe plants or animals that are from the Americas, whilst others may describe aspects or objects from Native American or First Nations day-to-day life (such as wigwams and igloos). In this post, though, we hope to look at some words whose origins might surprise you! Anorak When you think of British items of clothing, you probably think of wellies and anoraks long before you th...
Thursday of this week marks World Refugee Day, established to 'honour the courage and strength of men, women and children who are forced to flee their homes under threat of persecution, conflict and violence.' It also helps to raise awareness of the refugee situation around the world. The day is celebrated on the 20th of June to coincide with the older Africa Refugee Day, a cause that is also widely celebrated. The term refugee means literally, one who flees in search of refuge. It comes from the French refugié, the past participle of refugier (to take shelter, protect). Originally, the term was synonymous with asylum seeker until the First World War where civilians fleeing...
Following the inevitably short-lived spell of wonderful weather we had in the UK this Bank Holiday, it seems only fitting that this week’s blog is weather-related! Just one slight twist, instead of looking into one just word, we’ll be looking into four… The seasons: four cyclic subdivisions of our calendar year that mark shifts in hours of sunlight, the weather and nature. But why the names 'spring', 'summer', 'autumn' and 'winter'? In the 14th century, what we now know as 'spring' was called 'springing-time', presumably a reference to the blossoming of plant life; the spring of the leaf. Through the centuries, the ...
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