Chapter XII of Jonah's Luck, “The Strange Word,” is here in full — 305 sentences across 61 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter XII
Chapter XII of Jonah's Luck, “The Strange Word,” is here in full — 305 sentences across 61 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
As soon as the noise of the second knock died away sufficiently to permit speech, Elspeth raised her voice crossly, with a glance round to see that nothing telltale was about. "All right! All right," she said in angry tones, and opening the door. "Who is there? What do you want?
Chapter XII of Jonah's Luck, “The Strange Word,” is here in full — 305 sentences across 61 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/61 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.
deliver a sharp blow or push
From this reading “As soon as the noise of the second knock died away sufficiently to permit speech, Elspeth raised her voice crossly, with a glance round to see that nothing telltale was about.”
sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
From this reading “As soon as the noise of the second knock died away sufficiently to permit speech, Elspeth raised her voice crossly, with a glance round to see that nothing telltale was about.”
an open or empty space in or between things
From this reading “All right," she said in angry tones, and opening the door.”
a legal document giving official permission to do something
From this reading “As soon as the noise of the second knock died away sufficiently to permit speech, Elspeth raised her voice crossly, with a glance round to see that nothing telltale was about.”
the act of delivering a formal spoken communication to an audience
From this reading “As soon as the noise of the second knock died away sufficiently to permit speech, Elspeth raised her voice crossly, with a glance round to see that nothing telltale was about.”
to a sufficient degree
From this reading “As soon as the noise of the second knock died away sufficiently to permit speech, Elspeth raised her voice crossly, with a glance round to see that nothing telltale was about.”
disclosing unintentionally something concealed
From this reading “As soon as the noise of the second knock died away sufficiently to permit speech, Elspeth raised her voice crossly, with a glance round to see that nothing telltale was about.”
plural of “tone” — the quality of a person's voice
From this reading “All right," she said in angry tones, and opening the door.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
become less in amount or intensity
In this reading “As soon as the noise of the second knock died away sufficiently to permit speech, Elspeth raised her voice crossly, with a glance round to see that nothing telltale was about.”
In this reading “All right," she said in angry tones, and opening the door.”
In this reading “As soon as the noise of the second knock died away sufficiently to permit speech, Elspeth raised her voice crossly, with a glance round to see that nothing telltale was about.”
Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.
Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading As soon as the noise of the second knock died away sufficiently to permit speech, Elspeth raised her voice crossly, with a glance round to see that nothing telltale was about.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading As soon as the noise of the second knock died away sufficiently to permit speech, Elspeth raised her voice crossly, with a glance round to see that nothing telltale was about.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading "All right!
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading All right," she said in angry tones, and opening the door.
feeling or showing anger
From this reading All right," she said in angry tones, and opening the door.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As soon as the noise of the second knock died away sufficiently to permit speech, Elspeth raised her voice crossly, with a glance round to see that nothing telltale was about.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading As soon as the noise of the second knock died away sufficiently to permit speech, Elspeth raised her voice crossly, with a glance round to see that nothing telltale was about.
in an ill-natured manner
From this reading As soon as the noise of the second knock died away sufficiently to permit speech, Elspeth raised her voice crossly, with a glance round to see that nothing telltale was about.
past form of “die” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading As soon as the noise of the second knock died away sufficiently to permit speech, Elspeth raised her voice crossly, with a glance round to see that nothing telltale was about.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading What do you want?
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading All right," she said in angry tones, and opening the door.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As soon as the noise of the second knock died away sufficiently to permit speech, Elspeth raised her voice crossly, with a glance round to see that nothing telltale was about.
throw a glance at; take a brief look at
From this reading As soon as the noise of the second knock died away sufficiently to permit speech, Elspeth raised her voice crossly, with a glance round to see that nothing telltale was about.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading As soon as the noise of the second knock died away sufficiently to permit speech, Elspeth raised her voice crossly, with a glance round to see that nothing telltale was about.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading All right," she said in angry tones, and opening the door.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Who is there?
deliver a sharp blow or push
From this reading As soon as the noise of the second knock died away sufficiently to permit speech, Elspeth raised her voice crossly, with a glance round to see that nothing telltale was about.
sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
From this reading As soon as the noise of the second knock died away sufficiently to permit speech, Elspeth raised her voice crossly, with a glance round to see that nothing telltale was about.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading As soon as the noise of the second knock died away sufficiently to permit speech, Elspeth raised her voice crossly, with a glance round to see that nothing telltale was about.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading As soon as the noise of the second knock died away sufficiently to permit speech, Elspeth raised her voice crossly, with a glance round to see that nothing telltale was about.
an open or empty space in or between things
From this reading All right," she said in angry tones, and opening the door.
a legal document giving official permission to do something
From this reading As soon as the noise of the second knock died away sufficiently to permit speech, Elspeth raised her voice crossly, with a glance round to see that nothing telltale was about.
located or moved above the surround or above the normal position
From this reading As soon as the noise of the second knock died away sufficiently to permit speech, Elspeth raised her voice crossly, with a glance round to see that nothing telltale was about.
precisely, exactly
From this reading "All right!
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading As soon as the noise of the second knock died away sufficiently to permit speech, Elspeth raised her voice crossly, with a glance round to see that nothing telltale was about.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading All right," she said in angry tones, and opening the door.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading As soon as the noise of the second knock died away sufficiently to permit speech, Elspeth raised her voice crossly, with a glance round to see that nothing telltale was about.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading As soon as the noise of the second knock died away sufficiently to permit speech, Elspeth raised her voice crossly, with a glance round to see that nothing telltale was about.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading All right," she said in angry tones, and opening the door.
in the near future
From this reading As soon as the noise of the second knock died away sufficiently to permit speech, Elspeth raised her voice crossly, with a glance round to see that nothing telltale was about.
the act of delivering a formal spoken communication to an audience
From this reading As soon as the noise of the second knock died away sufficiently to permit speech, Elspeth raised her voice crossly, with a glance round to see that nothing telltale was about.
to a sufficient degree
From this reading As soon as the noise of the second knock died away sufficiently to permit speech, Elspeth raised her voice crossly, with a glance round to see that nothing telltale was about.
disclosing unintentionally something concealed
From this reading As soon as the noise of the second knock died away sufficiently to permit speech, Elspeth raised her voice crossly, with a glance round to see that nothing telltale was about.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading As soon as the noise of the second knock died away sufficiently to permit speech, Elspeth raised her voice crossly, with a glance round to see that nothing telltale was about.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading As soon as the noise of the second knock died away sufficiently to permit speech, Elspeth raised her voice crossly, with a glance round to see that nothing telltale was about.
in or at that place or location
From this reading "Who is there?
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading As soon as the noise of the second knock died away sufficiently to permit speech, Elspeth raised her voice crossly, with a glance round to see that nothing telltale was about.
plural of “tone” — the quality of a person's voice
From this reading All right," she said in angry tones, and opening the door.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading As soon as the noise of the second knock died away sufficiently to permit speech, Elspeth raised her voice crossly, with a glance round to see that nothing telltale was about.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading What do you want?
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading As soon as the noise of the second knock died away sufficiently to permit speech, Elspeth raised her voice crossly, with a glance round to see that nothing telltale was about.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What do you want?
which person or people
From this reading "Who is there?
in the company of; together with
From this reading As soon as the noise of the second knock died away sufficiently to permit speech, Elspeth raised her voice crossly, with a glance round to see that nothing telltale was about.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading What do you want?
Chapter 12 of Jonah's Luck by Fergus Hume holds 305 sentences, grouped into 61 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
Chapter 12 holds 305 sentences of Jonah's Luck, unabridged, divided into 61 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of Jonah's Luck by Fergus Hume exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 305 sentences, grouped into 61 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.
Work through the 61 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 61 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 12 can be played aloud in United States English.
Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.
Common questions about reading Jonah's Luck by Fergus Hume on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6342 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #56385 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #56385, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 528 minutes of reading across 1269 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Jonah's Luck section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 27 chapters of Jonah's Luck to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in Jonah's Luck, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
