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 Beaut McGregor went home to Pennsylvania to bury his mother and on a summer afternoon walked again on the streets of his native town.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading From the station he went at once to the empty bake-shop, above which he had lived with his mother but he did not stay there.
afternoonnounUS /ˈafternoon/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading Beaut McGregor went home to Pennsylvania to bury his mother and on a summer afternoon walked again on the streets of his native town.
againnounUS /again/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Beaut McGregor went home to Pennsylvania to bury his mother and on a summer afternoon walked again on the streets of his native town.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading For a moment he stood bag in hand listening to the voices of the miners' wives in the room above and then put the bag behind an empty box and hurried away.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Beaut McGregor went home to Pennsylvania to bury his mother and on a summer afternoon walked again on the streets of his native town.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading From the station he went at once to the empty bake-shop, above which he had lived with his mother but he did not stay there.
attending
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Their thin sharpness hurt something within him and he could not bear the thought of the equally thin sharp silence he knew would fall upon the women who were attending his mother's body in the room above when he came into the presence of the dead.
away
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For a moment he stood bag in hand listening to the voices of the miners' wives in the room above and then put the bag behind an empty box and hurried away.
bag
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For a moment he stood bag in hand listening to the voices of the miners' wives in the room above and then put the bag behind an empty box and hurried away.
bake-shop
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From the station he went at once to the empty bake-shop, above which he had lived with his mother but he did not stay there.
bear
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Their thin sharpness hurt something within him and he could not bear the thought of the equally thin sharp silence he knew would fall upon the women who were attending his mother's body in the room above when he came into the presence of the dead.
Beaut
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Beaut McGregor went home to Pennsylvania to bury his mother and on a summer afternoon walked again on the streets of his native town.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading For a moment he stood bag in hand listening to the voices of the miners' wives in the room above and then put the bag behind an empty box and hurried away.
bodynounUS /body/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Their thin sharpness hurt something within him and he could not bear the thought of the equally thin sharp silence he knew would fall upon the women who were attending his mother's body in the room above when he came into the presence of the dead.
box
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For a moment he stood bag in hand listening to the voices of the miners' wives in the room above and then put the bag behind an empty box and hurried away.
broke
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The voices of women broke the stillness of the room in which he stood.
bury
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Beaut McGregor went home to Pennsylvania to bury his mother and on a summer afternoon walked again on the streets of his native town.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading From the station he went at once to the empty bake-shop, above which he had lived with his mother but he did not stay there.
came
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Their thin sharpness hurt something within him and he could not bear the thought of the equally thin sharp silence he knew would fall upon the women who were attending his mother's body in the room above when he came into the presence of the dead.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Their thin sharpness hurt something within him and he could not bear the thought of the equally thin sharp silence he knew would fall upon the women who were attending his mother's body in the room above when he came into the presence of the dead.
deadnounUS /dead/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Their thin sharpness hurt something within him and he could not bear the thought of the equally thin sharp silence he knew would fall upon the women who were attending his mother's body in the room above when he came into the presence of the dead.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading From the station he went at once to the empty bake-shop, above which he had lived with his mother but he did not stay there.
empty
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From the station he went at once to the empty bake-shop, above which he had lived with his mother but he did not stay there.
equallynounUS /ˈequally/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading Their thin sharpness hurt something within him and he could not bear the thought of the equally thin sharp silence he knew would fall upon the women who were attending his mother's body in the room above when he came into the presence of the dead.
fall
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Their thin sharpness hurt something within him and he could not bear the thought of the equally thin sharp silence he knew would fall upon the women who were attending his mother's body in the room above when he came into the presence of the dead.
ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For a moment he stood bag in hand listening to the voices of the miners' wives in the room above and then put the bag behind an empty box and hurried away.
FromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading From the station he went at once to the empty bake-shop, above which he had lived with his mother but he did not stay there.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading From the station he went at once to the empty bake-shop, above which he had lived with his mother but he did not stay there.
hand
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For a moment he stood bag in hand listening to the voices of the miners' wives in the room above and then put the bag behind an empty box and hurried away.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading From the station he went at once to the empty bake-shop, above which he had lived with his mother but he did not stay there.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Their thin sharpness hurt something within him and he could not bear the thought of the equally thin sharp silence he knew would fall upon the women who were attending his mother's body in the room above when he came into the presence of the dead.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Beaut McGregor went home to Pennsylvania to bury his mother and on a summer afternoon walked again on the streets of his native town.
home
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Beaut McGregor went home to Pennsylvania to bury his mother and on a summer afternoon walked again on the streets of his native town.
hurried
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For a moment he stood bag in hand listening to the voices of the miners' wives in the room above and then put the bag behind an empty box and hurried away.
hurt
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Their thin sharpness hurt something within him and he could not bear the thought of the equally thin sharp silence he knew would fall upon the women who were attending his mother's body in the room above when he came into the presence of the dead.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading For a moment he stood bag in hand listening to the voices of the miners' wives in the room above and then put the bag behind an empty box and hurried away.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Their thin sharpness hurt something within him and he could not bear the thought of the equally thin sharp silence he knew would fall upon the women who were attending his mother's body in the room above when he came into the presence of the dead.
knew
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Their thin sharpness hurt something within him and he could not bear the thought of the equally thin sharp silence he knew would fall upon the women who were attending his mother's body in the room above when he came into the presence of the dead.
listening
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For a moment he stood bag in hand listening to the voices of the miners' wives in the room above and then put the bag behind an empty box and hurried away.
lived
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From the station he went at once to the empty bake-shop, above which he had lived with his mother but he did not stay there.
McGregor
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Beaut McGregor went home to Pennsylvania to bury his mother and on a summer afternoon walked again on the streets of his native town.
miners
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For a moment he stood bag in hand listening to the voices of the miners' wives in the room above and then put the bag behind an empty box and hurried away.
moment
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For a moment he stood bag in hand listening to the voices of the miners' wives in the room above and then put the bag behind an empty box and hurried away.
mother
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Beaut McGregor went home to Pennsylvania to bury his mother and on a summer afternoon walked again on the streets of his native town.
mother's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Their thin sharpness hurt something within him and he could not bear the thought of the equally thin sharp silence he knew would fall upon the women who were attending his mother's body in the room above when he came into the presence of the dead.
native
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Beaut McGregor went home to Pennsylvania to bury his mother and on a summer afternoon walked again on the streets of his native town.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading From the station he went at once to the empty bake-shop, above which he had lived with his mother but he did not stay there.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Beaut McGregor went home to Pennsylvania to bury his mother and on a summer afternoon walked again on the streets of his native town.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Beaut McGregor went home to Pennsylvania to bury his mother and on a summer afternoon walked again on the streets of his native town.
once
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From the station he went at once to the empty bake-shop, above which he had lived with his mother but he did not stay there.
Pennsylvania
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Beaut McGregor went home to Pennsylvania to bury his mother and on a summer afternoon walked again on the streets of his native town.
presence
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Their thin sharpness hurt something within him and he could not bear the thought of the equally thin sharp silence he knew would fall upon the women who were attending his mother's body in the room above when he came into the presence of the dead.
put
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For a moment he stood bag in hand listening to the voices of the miners' wives in the room above and then put the bag behind an empty box and hurried away.
room
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For a moment he stood bag in hand listening to the voices of the miners' wives in the room above and then put the bag behind an empty box and hurried away.
sharp
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Their thin sharpness hurt something within him and he could not bear the thought of the equally thin sharp silence he knew would fall upon the women who were attending his mother's body in the room above when he came into the presence of the dead.
sharpness
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Their thin sharpness hurt something within him and he could not bear the thought of the equally thin sharp silence he knew would fall upon the women who were attending his mother's body in the room above when he came into the presence of the dead.
silencenounUS /ˈsaɪ.ləns/
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading Their thin sharpness hurt something within him and he could not bear the thought of the equally thin sharp silence he knew would fall upon the women who were attending his mother's body in the room above when he came into the presence of the dead.
somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
a thing, without saying which
From this reading Their thin sharpness hurt something within him and he could not bear the thought of the equally thin sharp silence he knew would fall upon the women who were attending his mother's body in the room above when he came into the presence of the dead.
station
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From the station he went at once to the empty bake-shop, above which he had lived with his mother but he did not stay there.
stay
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From the station he went at once to the empty bake-shop, above which he had lived with his mother but he did not stay there.
stillness
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The voices of women broke the stillness of the room in which he stood.
stoodnounUS /stood/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading For a moment he stood bag in hand listening to the voices of the miners' wives in the room above and then put the bag behind an empty box and hurried away.
streets
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Beaut McGregor went home to Pennsylvania to bury his mother and on a summer afternoon walked again on the streets of his native town.
summer
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Beaut McGregor went home to Pennsylvania to bury his mother and on a summer afternoon walked again on the streets of his native town.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Beaut McGregor went home to Pennsylvania to bury his mother and on a summer afternoon walked again on the streets of his native town.
TheirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Their thin sharpness hurt something within him and he could not bear the thought of the equally thin sharp silence he knew would fall upon the women who were attending his mother's body in the room above when he came into the presence of the dead.
then
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For a moment he stood bag in hand listening to the voices of the miners' wives in the room above and then put the bag behind an empty box and hurried away.
there
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From the station he went at once to the empty bake-shop, above which he had lived with his mother but he did not stay there.
thinadjectiveUS /θɪn/
Having little thickness or extent.
From this reading Their thin sharpness hurt something within him and he could not bear the thought of the equally thin sharp silence he knew would fall upon the women who were attending his mother's body in the room above when he came into the presence of the dead.
thoughtnounUS /thought/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Their thin sharpness hurt something within him and he could not bear the thought of the equally thin sharp silence he knew would fall upon the women who were attending his mother's body in the room above when he came into the presence of the dead.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Beaut McGregor went home to Pennsylvania to bury his mother and on a summer afternoon walked again on the streets of his native town.
town
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Beaut McGregor went home to Pennsylvania to bury his mother and on a summer afternoon walked again on the streets of his native town.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Their thin sharpness hurt something within him and he could not bear the thought of the equally thin sharp silence he knew would fall upon the women who were attending his mother's body in the room above when he came into the presence of the dead.
voices
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For a moment he stood bag in hand listening to the voices of the miners' wives in the room above and then put the bag behind an empty box and hurried away.
walked
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Beaut McGregor went home to Pennsylvania to bury his mother and on a summer afternoon walked again on the streets of his native town.
wentnounUS /went/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Beaut McGregor went home to Pennsylvania to bury his mother and on a summer afternoon walked again on the streets of his native town.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Their thin sharpness hurt something within him and he could not bear the thought of the equally thin sharp silence he knew would fall upon the women who were attending his mother's body in the room above when he came into the presence of the dead.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading Their thin sharpness hurt something within him and he could not bear the thought of the equally thin sharp silence he knew would fall upon the women who were attending his mother's body in the room above when he came into the presence of the dead.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading From the station he went at once to the empty bake-shop, above which he had lived with his mother but he did not stay there.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading Their thin sharpness hurt something within him and he could not bear the thought of the equally thin sharp silence he knew would fall upon the women who were attending his mother's body in the room above when he came into the presence of the dead.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading From the station he went at once to the empty bake-shop, above which he had lived with his mother but he did not stay there.
withinprepositionUS /wɪˈðɪn/
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading Their thin sharpness hurt something within him and he could not bear the thought of the equally thin sharp silence he knew would fall upon the women who were attending his mother's body in the room above when he came into the presence of the dead.
wives
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For a moment he stood bag in hand listening to the voices of the miners' wives in the room above and then put the bag behind an empty box and hurried away.
women
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The voices of women broke the stillness of the room in which he stood.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Their thin sharpness hurt something within him and he could not bear the thought of the equally thin sharp silence he knew would fall upon the women who were attending his mother's body in the room above when he came into the presence of the dead.
