What does each word mean? A sleigh is a vehicle on runners which is pulled by horses or dogs over snow. As a verb, the word describes the act of riding in a sleigh. Here is sleigh used in some example sentences: Santa Claus delivers presents in a flying sleigh pulled by reindeer. Do you hear the sleigh bells jingling? We sleighed through the snow. Slay means destroy or kill. Here is slay used in some an example sentence: The show about a teenager who slays vampire. Where does each word come from? The word sleigh dates to 1703 and comes from Dutch the ‘slee’, which is a shortened versio...
What does each word mean? A berry is a type of small fruit often used in making desserts, jams and jellies, and preserves. Examples of berries include blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries. Here is berry used in some example sentences: I like berry-flavoured ice cream. We made a Christmas wreath with holly leaves and berries. Would you like some strawberry cake? If you bury something, it means you hide it from sight by covering it with something else, for example earth. Here is bury used in some example sentences: To keep warm and cosy. I bury myself under a pile of blankets. We bury the secret treasure in the garden....
What does each word mean? Meat refers to the flesh of animals (including fishes and birds and snails) when it is consumed as food. The word is also sometimes used figuratively to describe: a) the inner and usually edible part of a seed, grain, nut, or fruit, b) the most essential or most vital part of an idea or experience. Here is meat used in an example sentence: We are cooking meat and vegetables on the BBQ. Which meat do you prefer: chicken or pork? Extract the meat from the pumpkin before you carve it. Let’s get into the meat of this discussion. The verb meet describes the act of coming together. The word is also use...
What does each word mean? The word suite can be used to describe a musical composition made up of several movements, a series of connected rooms used as a living space in a hotel, and a set of matching furniture. Here is suite used in some example sentences: This Christmas, the orchestra will play The Nutcracker Suite. They were staying in the penthouse suite in a very expensive hotel. Will you buy a three-piece suite for your living room? Look up suite in the Spellzone dictionary. If something is sweet, it means it tastes like sugar or is pleasing to hear, see, or smell. Sweet is also the British English word for ...
What does each word mean? Which is a question word used to ask what thing is being referred to out of a group of (assumed or explicit) options. Here is which used in some example sentences: Which way are we going? Which shoe do you like best? Which spelling is correct? Look up which in the Spellzone dictionary. A witch is a supernatural being who practises sorcery or magic known as witchcraft. Here is witch used in some example sentences: I want to dress up at a witch for Halloween. In medieval and early modern Europe, witches were thought commune with the devil and use supernatural powers to har...
What does each word mean? A creak is a squeaking sound like the one made by a stair. Here is creak used in some example sentences: Watch out for the creaking stair. We heard an ominous creak. The rocking chair creaked but no one was sitting in it. Look up creak in the Spellzone dictionary. A creek is a stream of water that is smaller than a river. Here is creek used in some example sentences: The bubbling creek was peaceful to listen to. They live on the other side of the creek. The creek connects to the river. Look up creek in the Spellzone dictionary. Where does each word come from? The word...
What does each word mean? A pair is a set of two. If you pair two things, it means you put them together. Here is pair used in some example sentences: They bride and groom make a wonderful pair. I need to pack a spare pair of socks. Can you pair the knives with the forks? Look up pair in the Spellzone dictionary. If you pare something, it means you trim it. Here is pare used in some example sentences: He pared down the overgrown plant. This essay is too long – you need to pare down some words. Use a knife to pare away the skin from the pear. Look up pare in the Spellzone dictionary...
What does each word mean? If someone is right about something (rather than wrong), it means they are correct about it. If something is to the right (rather than the left), it means it is on the south side of something that is facing east. If someone has the right to something, it means they are entitled to it. Here is right used in some example sentences: I got all the answers right in the spelling test. The plates are in the cupboard on the right. We have the right to vote. Look up right in the Spellzone dictionary. A rite is a ceremony or observance which is often relgious in nature. Here is rite used in some ...
What does each word mean? A sea is a large body of salt water that surrounds land masses. The word is sometimes used figuratively to mean a large mass of something. Here is sea used in some example sentences: I love to swim in the sea. The story is about someone who sailed the seven seas. It was hard to see the art through the sea of phones trying to take a picture of it. Look up sea in the Spellzone dictionary. If you see something, it means you perceive it by sight. The word is also used to describe the act of imagining something with your mind’s eye. Here is see used in some example sentences: Can you see the sw...
What does each word mean? If something is real, it means it can be treated as fact – it is not imaginary. Real estate is a term used to describe property. Here is real used in some example sentences: At the end of the story, the puppet turned into a real boy. I believe ghosts are real. Was King Arthur a real person? She has a real estate empire. Look up real in the Spellzone dictionary. A reel is a cylinder onto which flexible materials can be wound, for example: film, fishing wire, thread, and tape. The word reel can be used as a verb to describe the act of winding something in (like a fishing line). On Instagram, the socia...
What does each word mean? In the Middle Ages, a knight was someone who trained in arms and chivalry and served his King or Lord. Today, in Great Britain, men are awarded knighthoods by the monarch as an honour for contributions to their fields. A knight is also a chess piece that is shaped like a horse. Here is knight used in some example sentences: Have you read Sir Gawain and the Green Knight? He was given a knighthood for services to education. She would have to sacrifice her knight in order to win the game. Look up knight in the Spellzone dictionary. Night is the time between sunset and sunrise when...
What does each word mean? A fair is a travelling or periodic exhibition of stalls, rides, or games. As an adjective, fair is used to describe something that is free of favouritism, cheating, or bias. The word can also be used to describe good weather, something that has a reasonable chance of happening, and skin and hair that is light-coloured. Here is fair used in some example sentences: There’s a Ferris wheel at the funfair. The farmer sold her cheeses at the fair. Make sure you play in a fair way. It was a fair winter’s day. They thought they had a fair chance of winning The waiter had fair hair. ...
What does each word mean? Been is the past participle form of the verb to be. For example, Present tense: I am. I am at school. Past tense: I was. I was at school. Past participle: I have been. I have been at school. Click here for the full Spellzone dictionary definition of the word been. Gone is the past participle form of the verb to go. For example, Present tense: I go. I go to school. Past tense: I went. I went to school. Past participle: I have gone. I have gone to school. Click here for the full Spellzone...
What does each word mean? The shore is the land that runs along the edge of a body of water. Here is shore used in some example sentences: We walked along the shore until we reached the pier. The seals played on the shore. Click here for the full Spellzone dictionary definition of the word shore. If you are sure about something, it means you are confident or certain about it. Here is sure used in some example sentences: .I’m sure it is going to rain. Are you sure you can help me? Click here for the full Spellzone dictionary definition of the word sur...
What does each word mean? The word board is used to describe a committee with supervisory powers or a long thin piece of wood (or other hard material) used for various purposes. The word is also sometimes used to describe a vertical surface which is used to display information on. If you board something, it means you get on it. If you board somewhere, it means you stay there. Here is board used in some example sentences: The board decided to terminate the project. The floor was made from interlocking boards. The cheese was served on a board. Can you see the board from the back of the classroom? We will board the ferry at midday.&...
Maybe is an adverb meaning ‘perhaps’ or ‘possibly’. Here is maybe used in some example sentences: Maybe it’ll rain tomorrow. Maybe we’ll go on holiday next year. Maybe I’ll win the next game. Together, the words may and be are used to express how possible it is for something to exist or happen. Here is may be used in some example sentences: We may be late for the party. That may be true. We may be waiting for a long time. How do I know whether to use ‘maybe’ or ‘may be’? Try using the word perhaps in your sentence instead. Le...
What does each word mean? The palate is the upper surface of the mouth that separates the oral and nasal cavities. The word is also used to describe the ability to distinguish between different flavours. Click here for the full Spellzone dictionary definition of the word. Here is palate used in some example sentences: The palate is sometimes called the roof of the mouth. She loved wine and had a sophisticated palate. A palette is a group of colours used for a particular project or by a particular artist or school of art. The word also describes a board on which artists mix paints. Click here for the full Spellzone dictionary defi...
We began the month with the part two of our post words that have evolved in meaning thanks to the internet and technology. Can you think of any more? For our Commonly Confused Words blog post, we looked at the difference between loan and lone. Do you know when to use which word? Click here for tips and tricks to help you tell them apart. There are an estimated 25,000 idioms in the English language and many of them are ways of talking about human emotion. In the past we’ve shared alternate words for happy, and this month we looked at idioms and expressions about joy. Our Word for Wednesday theme for May was musical instruments. Who was the saxophone named...
What does each word mean? A loan is something that is lent to someone with the expectation that it will be paid back with interest. The word can also be used to describe the act of lending. Click here for the full Spellzone dictionary definition of the word. Here is loan used in some example sentences: She applied for a student loan. The bank loaned them money for a mortgage. Lone is an adjective used to describe someone or something that is solitary or single. Click here for the full Spellzone dictionary definition of the word. Here is lone used in some example sentences: The lone cloud m...
One of the most alarmingly persistent grammatical errors in the English language is the incorrect use of the words there, their and they’re. We’ve all asked that age-old question: ‘Is it there, their or they’re?’ So why is it that this mistake is so commonly made and how can we learn to master these pesky spellings and help resolve this issue for good? There, their and there are a certain type of homophone known as heterographs. This means they sound the same but both their spellings and their meanings are different. Since their meanings are different, when one is used in the incorrect context, the sentence actually fails to make sense. Here is a commo...
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