Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The commonest dream of my early childhood was something like this: It seemed that I was very small and that I lay curled up in a sort of nest of twigs and boughs.
always
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But always, while so lying in the nest, I was mastered as of tremendous space beneath me.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The commonest dream of my early childhood was something like this: It seemed that I was very small and that I lay curled up in a sort of nest of twigs and boughs.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading But always, while so lying in the nest, I was mastered as of tremendous space beneath me.
back
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sometimes I was lying on my back.
beneathprepositionUS /bɪˈniːθ/
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading But always, while so lying in the nest, I was mastered as of tremendous space beneath me.
boughs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The commonest dream of my early childhood was something like this: It seemed that I was very small and that I lay curled up in a sort of nest of twigs and boughs.
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But always, while so lying in the nest, I was mastered as of tremendous space beneath me.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading In this position it seemed that I spent many hours, watching the play of sunlight on the foliage and the stirring of the leaves by the wind.
childhood
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The commonest dream of my early childhood was something like this: It seemed that I was very small and that I lay curled up in a sort of nest of twigs and boughs.
commonest
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The commonest dream of my early childhood was something like this: It seemed that I was very small and that I lay curled up in a sort of nest of twigs and boughs.
curled
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The commonest dream of my early childhood was something like this: It seemed that I was very small and that I lay curled up in a sort of nest of twigs and boughs.
dreamnounUS /driːm/
A series of thoughts, images, or emotions during sleep.
From this reading The commonest dream of my early childhood was something like this: It seemed that I was very small and that I lay curled up in a sort of nest of twigs and boughs.
early
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The commonest dream of my early childhood was something like this: It seemed that I was very small and that I lay curled up in a sort of nest of twigs and boughs.
foliage
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In this position it seemed that I spent many hours, watching the play of sunlight on the foliage and the stirring of the leaves by the wind.
forth
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Often the nest itself moved back and forth when the wind was strong.
hours
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In this position it seemed that I spent many hours, watching the play of sunlight on the foliage and the stirring of the leaves by the wind.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading The commonest dream of my early childhood was something like this: It seemed that I was very small and that I lay curled up in a sort of nest of twigs and boughs.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The commonest dream of my early childhood was something like this: It seemed that I was very small and that I lay curled up in a sort of nest of twigs and boughs.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The commonest dream of my early childhood was something like this: It seemed that I was very small and that I lay curled up in a sort of nest of twigs and boughs.
itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading Often the nest itself moved back and forth when the wind was strong.
lay
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The commonest dream of my early childhood was something like this: It seemed that I was very small and that I lay curled up in a sort of nest of twigs and boughs.
leaves
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In this position it seemed that I spent many hours, watching the play of sunlight on the foliage and the stirring of the leaves by the wind.
like
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The commonest dream of my early childhood was something like this: It seemed that I was very small and that I lay curled up in a sort of nest of twigs and boughs.
lying
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sometimes I was lying on my back.
many
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In this position it seemed that I spent many hours, watching the play of sunlight on the foliage and the stirring of the leaves by the wind.
mastered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But always, while so lying in the nest, I was mastered as of tremendous space beneath me.
mepronounUS /miː/
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading But always, while so lying in the nest, I was mastered as of tremendous space beneath me.
moved
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Often the nest itself moved back and forth when the wind was strong.
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading The commonest dream of my early childhood was something like this: It seemed that I was very small and that I lay curled up in a sort of nest of twigs and boughs.
nest
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The commonest dream of my early childhood was something like this: It seemed that I was very small and that I lay curled up in a sort of nest of twigs and boughs.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The commonest dream of my early childhood was something like this: It seemed that I was very small and that I lay curled up in a sort of nest of twigs and boughs.
Often
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Often the nest itself moved back and forth when the wind was strong.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Sometimes I was lying on my back.
play
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In this position it seemed that I spent many hours, watching the play of sunlight on the foliage and the stirring of the leaves by the wind.
position
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In this position it seemed that I spent many hours, watching the play of sunlight on the foliage and the stirring of the leaves by the wind.
seemednounUS /seemed/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The commonest dream of my early childhood was something like this: It seemed that I was very small and that I lay curled up in a sort of nest of twigs and boughs.
small
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The commonest dream of my early childhood was something like this: It seemed that I was very small and that I lay curled up in a sort of nest of twigs and boughs.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading But always, while so lying in the nest, I was mastered as of tremendous space beneath me.
somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
a thing, without saying which
From this reading The commonest dream of my early childhood was something like this: It seemed that I was very small and that I lay curled up in a sort of nest of twigs and boughs.
Sometimes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sometimes I was lying on my back.
sort
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The commonest dream of my early childhood was something like this: It seemed that I was very small and that I lay curled up in a sort of nest of twigs and boughs.
space
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But always, while so lying in the nest, I was mastered as of tremendous space beneath me.
spent
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In this position it seemed that I spent many hours, watching the play of sunlight on the foliage and the stirring of the leaves by the wind.
stirring
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In this position it seemed that I spent many hours, watching the play of sunlight on the foliage and the stirring of the leaves by the wind.
strong
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Often the nest itself moved back and forth when the wind was strong.
sunlight
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In this position it seemed that I spent many hours, watching the play of sunlight on the foliage and the stirring of the leaves by the wind.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The commonest dream of my early childhood was something like this: It seemed that I was very small and that I lay curled up in a sort of nest of twigs and boughs.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The commonest dream of my early childhood was something like this: It seemed that I was very small and that I lay curled up in a sort of nest of twigs and boughs.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading The commonest dream of my early childhood was something like this: It seemed that I was very small and that I lay curled up in a sort of nest of twigs and boughs.
tremendous
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But always, while so lying in the nest, I was mastered as of tremendous space beneath me.
twigs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The commonest dream of my early childhood was something like this: It seemed that I was very small and that I lay curled up in a sort of nest of twigs and boughs.
up
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The commonest dream of my early childhood was something like this: It seemed that I was very small and that I lay curled up in a sort of nest of twigs and boughs.
very
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The commonest dream of my early childhood was something like this: It seemed that I was very small and that I lay curled up in a sort of nest of twigs and boughs.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The commonest dream of my early childhood was something like this: It seemed that I was very small and that I lay curled up in a sort of nest of twigs and boughs.
watching
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In this position it seemed that I spent many hours, watching the play of sunlight on the foliage and the stirring of the leaves by the wind.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading Often the nest itself moved back and forth when the wind was strong.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading But always, while so lying in the nest, I was mastered as of tremendous space beneath me.
windnounUS /wind/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading In this position it seemed that I spent many hours, watching the play of sunlight on the foliage and the stirring of the leaves by the wind.
