Spellzone covers both American English and British English spellings. Learn more in Unit 36. Here is a list of all the articles in our American English vs. British English series: American English vs British English: 6 Key Spelling Differences Flavor or Flavour? Realize or realise? A quick guide to the differences between American English and British English spelling. 60 American English Words and their British English Counterparts A list of common words in American English and British English. 60 More American English Words and their British English Counterparts More common words in American English and British English. American...
Happy New Year! Did you know that you can adapt any word list on Spellzone? Each one can also be used in a variety of online and offline activities. Words ending in 'dle' Our spelling pattern for January is words ending in 'dle'. In these words, the /d l/ sound at the end of a word is usually spelled 'dle'. Practise this spelling pattern in Unit 26 - Word endings: -le, and exceptions e.g. -al, -el, -ol. Birds On the Vocabulary Lists tab we have over a hundred lists of words based around different subject areas. How many of these birdy words can you spell? Have you tried tran...
dinky – sweetly small and neat in British English, small and insignificant in American English We ate at that dinky café on the corner. He lives in a dinky apartment on the other side of town. diminutive – extremely or unusually small She saw a diminutive figure in the distance. little – small in size (used both affectionately and condescendingly) They live in an adorable little cottage in the country. Their cottage is so little. mini, miniature – a small version of something I’m wearing a mini skirt tonight. Do you like my miniature doll’s house? miniscule &n...
Happy Thanksgiving to all our readers in the USA! Today, we are sharing a 10 Words blog post with a twist. Here are ten ways to express gratitude in English: Thanks – a shortening of ‘thank you’ Thanks for you help. Cheers – an informal way of expressing gratitude or well wishes in British English ‘Cheers mate,’ she said when her friend lent her a book. Ta – an informal way of saying ‘thank you’ in British English ‘Ta,’ said the shopkeeper when the woman handed over her payment. Thank you very much – a more formal and more effusive way of expre...
arctic – extremely cold, like in arctic regions The weather channel says we can expect arctic conditions next week. biting – causing a sharply painful or stinging sensation; used especially of cold The wind was biting. bitter – causing a sharply painful or stinging sensation; used especially of cold We walked through a bitter storm. chilly – lacking warmth of feeling I look forward to the chilly Autumn weather because I love wearing cosy jumpers. cool – neither warm nor very cold; giving relief from heat The cool breeze was extremely welcome on the hot day. crisp – pleasantly ...
Not long until Halloween! Here are 10 different ways to say something is scary: bloodcurdling – extremely alarming The banshee gave a bloodcurdling shriek. chilling – terror provoking There was a chilling scream and then silence returned to the graveyard. creepy – causing the sensation that there are things crawling on your skin We heard creepy music coming from the basement, but when we checked there was no one there. eerie – suggestive of the supernatural, strange and frightening An eerie silence descended over the house. frightening – causing t...
drained – very tired, emptied of energy We were drained after our first week back at school. drowsy – half asleep My medication makes me drowsy. exhausted – extremely tired, depleted of energy We were exhausted after our day at the beach. fatigued – extremely tired, drained of energy I was fatigued after our long drive. jet-lagged – extremely tired due to flying from one time zone to another It took me a week to stop feeling jet-lagged after our holiday to America. knackered – very tired I don’t know about you, but I’m knackered after that ...
Whether you love or hate this August heat, here are 10 words to help you describe it. blistering – (figuratively) hot enough to raise blisters I can’t work in this blistering heat. boiling (figuratively) hot enough to change something from a liquid to a gas I was boiling so I took off my cardigan. humid – containing or characterised by a great deal of water vapour It was a humid day and she was dripping with sweat. piping – extremely hot Despite the piping hot weather, he stayed indoors. roasting – (figuratively) hot enough to cook You must be roasting with that c...
Last week we looked at the origins of the word language and today we’re going to continue on that theme with the word idiom. Idioms are an expressive way of using language. They are combinations of word which have a figurative meaning that is separate for the actual definitions of the words used. Here are some examples of idioms and what they mean: 1) fly on the wall an unnoticed witness I’d love to be a fly on the wall when she finally tells them the truth. 2) storm in a teacup a small occurrence exaggerated out of proportion All this outrage seems like a storm in a teacu...
There are an estimated 6000 languages spoken around the world and 43% are endangered. In February 2000, the first International Mother Language Day was marked and it has been observed every year since. This year the event takes place on February 21. Here is what the UN writes about the day on their website: ‘Languages are the most powerful instruments of preserving and developing our tangible and intangible heritage. All moves to promote the dissemination of mother tongues will serve not only to 'encourage linguistic diversity and multilingual education but also to develop fuller awareness of linguistic and cultural traditions throughout the world and to inspire so...
One of the reasons English is so difficult to learn is because it is a language full of idioms. An idiom is a combination of words that has a figurative meaning separate from the actual definitions of the words used. There are an estimated 25,000 idioms in the English language. Here in Britain, the influence of the American film and television industry has led to many so-called ‘Americanisms’ being adopted into day-to-day language. It is not uncommon for a Brit to metaphorically talk about ‘touching base’ or ‘striking out’ without ever actually having seen a ball game. Today, to end our month dedicated to American language, we’re going to take a l...
Coffee is a morning ritual for many, a source of comfort for others, and for most an invaluable tool to get us through a long day at the office. However you look at it, the familiar inky beverage has become one of the world’s favourite drinks. It’s a Word for Wednesday that many of us will use on a daily basis (I know I do!) but where does it come from and why is it so remarkably similar almost in every language? Despite preconceptions we might have of coffee (think Italian ‘espresso’, or a big American ‘cup of Joe’) coffee, like alcohol comes from the Arabic tradition. The best coffee is considered to come from the Arabica bean, native to the Yemen ...
It’s midweek, that means it’s time for ‘A Word for Wednesday’. This week, we’ve chosen a word that has become commonplace in British culture, yet whose origin is often confused: ‘Gossip’. We are well aware of what the word ‘Gossip’ has come to mean. The general public’s fixation with the lives of celebrities has never been more apparent. We are bombarded daily across the media with often personal reports on the lives of others and these make alarmingly popular topics of conversation. How many times a week are we presented with insights into the private lives of celebrities such as Justin Bieber, Victoria Beckham or even the Royal...
American vs. British English
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English Idioms Explained
English Literature
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