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 When her husband had set forth, Amy seated herself in the study and took up a new library volume as if to read.
always
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From this reading But she had no real intention of doing so; it was always disagreeable to her to sit in the manner of one totally unoccupied, with hands on lap, and even when she consciously gave herself up to musing an open book was generally before her.
Amy
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From this reading When her husband had set forth, Amy seated herself in the study and took up a new library volume as if to read.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading But she had no real intention of doing so; it was always disagreeable to her to sit in the manner of one totally unoccupied, with hands on lap, and even when she consciously gave herself up to musing an open book was generally before her.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading When her husband had set forth, Amy seated herself in the study and took up a new library volume as if to read.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading When her husband had set forth, Amy seated herself in the study and took up a new library volume as if to read.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading How often she had given her husband a thrill of exquisite pleasure by pointing to some merit or defect of which the common reader would be totally insensible!
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading But she had no real intention of doing so; it was always disagreeable to her to sit in the manner of one totally unoccupied, with hands on lap, and even when she consciously gave herself up to musing an open book was generally before her.
birth
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From this reading She did not, in truth, read much nowadays; since the birth of her child she had seemed to care less than before for disinterested study.
book
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From this reading But she had no real intention of doing so; it was always disagreeable to her to sit in the manner of one totally unoccupied, with hands on lap, and even when she consciously gave herself up to musing an open book was generally before her.
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But she had no real intention of doing so; it was always disagreeable to her to sit in the manner of one totally unoccupied, with hands on lap, and even when she consciously gave herself up to musing an open book was generally before her.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading How often she had given her husband a thrill of exquisite pleasure by pointing to some merit or defect of which the common reader would be totally insensible!
came
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From this reading If a new novel that had succeeded came into her hands she perused it in a very practical spirit, commenting to Reardon on the features of the work which had made it popular; formerly, she would have thought much more of its purely literary merits, for which her eye was very keen.
care
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From this reading She did not, in truth, read much nowadays; since the birth of her child she had seemed to care less than before for disinterested study.
child
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From this reading She did not, in truth, read much nowadays; since the birth of her child she had seemed to care less than before for disinterested study.
commenting
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From this reading If a new novel that had succeeded came into her hands she perused it in a very practical spirit, commenting to Reardon on the features of the work which had made it popular; formerly, she would have thought much more of its purely literary merits, for which her eye was very keen.
common
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From this reading How often she had given her husband a thrill of exquisite pleasure by pointing to some merit or defect of which the common reader would be totally insensible!
consciously
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From this reading But she had no real intention of doing so; it was always disagreeable to her to sit in the manner of one totally unoccupied, with hands on lap, and even when she consciously gave herself up to musing an open book was generally before her.
defect
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From this reading How often she had given her husband a thrill of exquisite pleasure by pointing to some merit or defect of which the common reader would be totally insensible!
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading She did not, in truth, read much nowadays; since the birth of her child she had seemed to care less than before for disinterested study.
disagreeable
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From this reading But she had no real intention of doing so; it was always disagreeable to her to sit in the manner of one totally unoccupied, with hands on lap, and even when she consciously gave herself up to musing an open book was generally before her.
disinterested
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From this reading She did not, in truth, read much nowadays; since the birth of her child she had seemed to care less than before for disinterested study.
doing
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From this reading But she had no real intention of doing so; it was always disagreeable to her to sit in the manner of one totally unoccupied, with hands on lap, and even when she consciously gave herself up to musing an open book was generally before her.
evennounUS /even/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading But she had no real intention of doing so; it was always disagreeable to her to sit in the manner of one totally unoccupied, with hands on lap, and even when she consciously gave herself up to musing an open book was generally before her.
exquisite
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From this reading How often she had given her husband a thrill of exquisite pleasure by pointing to some merit or defect of which the common reader would be totally insensible!
eye
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From this reading If a new novel that had succeeded came into her hands she perused it in a very practical spirit, commenting to Reardon on the features of the work which had made it popular; formerly, she would have thought much more of its purely literary merits, for which her eye was very keen.
features
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If a new novel that had succeeded came into her hands she perused it in a very practical spirit, commenting to Reardon on the features of the work which had made it popular; formerly, she would have thought much more of its purely literary merits, for which her eye was very keen.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading She did not, in truth, read much nowadays; since the birth of her child she had seemed to care less than before for disinterested study.
formerly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If a new novel that had succeeded came into her hands she perused it in a very practical spirit, commenting to Reardon on the features of the work which had made it popular; formerly, she would have thought much more of its purely literary merits, for which her eye was very keen.
forth
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From this reading When her husband had set forth, Amy seated herself in the study and took up a new library volume as if to read.
gave
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From this reading But she had no real intention of doing so; it was always disagreeable to her to sit in the manner of one totally unoccupied, with hands on lap, and even when she consciously gave herself up to musing an open book was generally before her.
generally
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From this reading But she had no real intention of doing so; it was always disagreeable to her to sit in the manner of one totally unoccupied, with hands on lap, and even when she consciously gave herself up to musing an open book was generally before her.
given
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From this reading How often she had given her husband a thrill of exquisite pleasure by pointing to some merit or defect of which the common reader would be totally insensible!
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading When her husband had set forth, Amy seated herself in the study and took up a new library volume as if to read.
handsplural nounUS /hændz/
members of a ship’s crew
From this reading But she had no real intention of doing so; it was always disagreeable to her to sit in the manner of one totally unoccupied, with hands on lap, and even when she consciously gave herself up to musing an open book was generally before her.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading If a new novel that had succeeded came into her hands she perused it in a very practical spirit, commenting to Reardon on the features of the work which had made it popular; formerly, she would have thought much more of its purely literary merits, for which her eye was very keen.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading When her husband had set forth, Amy seated herself in the study and took up a new library volume as if to read.
herselfpronounUS /hərˈself/
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading When her husband had set forth, Amy seated herself in the study and took up a new library volume as if to read.
How
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From this reading How often she had given her husband a thrill of exquisite pleasure by pointing to some merit or defect of which the common reader would be totally insensible!
husband
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When her husband had set forth, Amy seated herself in the study and took up a new library volume as if to read.
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading When her husband had set forth, Amy seated herself in the study and took up a new library volume as if to read.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading When her husband had set forth, Amy seated herself in the study and took up a new library volume as if to read.
insensible
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From this reading How often she had given her husband a thrill of exquisite pleasure by pointing to some merit or defect of which the common reader would be totally insensible!
intention
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From this reading But she had no real intention of doing so; it was always disagreeable to her to sit in the manner of one totally unoccupied, with hands on lap, and even when she consciously gave herself up to musing an open book was generally before her.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading If a new novel that had succeeded came into her hands she perused it in a very practical spirit, commenting to Reardon on the features of the work which had made it popular; formerly, she would have thought much more of its purely literary merits, for which her eye was very keen.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading But she had no real intention of doing so; it was always disagreeable to her to sit in the manner of one totally unoccupied, with hands on lap, and even when she consciously gave herself up to musing an open book was generally before her.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading If a new novel that had succeeded came into her hands she perused it in a very practical spirit, commenting to Reardon on the features of the work which had made it popular; formerly, she would have thought much more of its purely literary merits, for which her eye was very keen.
keen
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If a new novel that had succeeded came into her hands she perused it in a very practical spirit, commenting to Reardon on the features of the work which had made it popular; formerly, she would have thought much more of its purely literary merits, for which her eye was very keen.
lap
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From this reading But she had no real intention of doing so; it was always disagreeable to her to sit in the manner of one totally unoccupied, with hands on lap, and even when she consciously gave herself up to musing an open book was generally before her.
less
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She did not, in truth, read much nowadays; since the birth of her child she had seemed to care less than before for disinterested study.
library
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When her husband had set forth, Amy seated herself in the study and took up a new library volume as if to read.
literary
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If a new novel that had succeeded came into her hands she perused it in a very practical spirit, commenting to Reardon on the features of the work which had made it popular; formerly, she would have thought much more of its purely literary merits, for which her eye was very keen.
made
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From this reading If a new novel that had succeeded came into her hands she perused it in a very practical spirit, commenting to Reardon on the features of the work which had made it popular; formerly, she would have thought much more of its purely literary merits, for which her eye was very keen.
manner
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From this reading But she had no real intention of doing so; it was always disagreeable to her to sit in the manner of one totally unoccupied, with hands on lap, and even when she consciously gave herself up to musing an open book was generally before her.
merit
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How often she had given her husband a thrill of exquisite pleasure by pointing to some merit or defect of which the common reader would be totally insensible!
merits
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If a new novel that had succeeded came into her hands she perused it in a very practical spirit, commenting to Reardon on the features of the work which had made it popular; formerly, she would have thought much more of its purely literary merits, for which her eye was very keen.
more
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If a new novel that had succeeded came into her hands she perused it in a very practical spirit, commenting to Reardon on the features of the work which had made it popular; formerly, she would have thought much more of its purely literary merits, for which her eye was very keen.
much
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She did not, in truth, read much nowadays; since the birth of her child she had seemed to care less than before for disinterested study.
musing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But she had no real intention of doing so; it was always disagreeable to her to sit in the manner of one totally unoccupied, with hands on lap, and even when she consciously gave herself up to musing an open book was generally before her.
new
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When her husband had set forth, Amy seated herself in the study and took up a new library volume as if to read.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading But she had no real intention of doing so; it was always disagreeable to her to sit in the manner of one totally unoccupied, with hands on lap, and even when she consciously gave herself up to musing an open book was generally before her.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading She did not, in truth, read much nowadays; since the birth of her child she had seemed to care less than before for disinterested study.
novel
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If a new novel that had succeeded came into her hands she perused it in a very practical spirit, commenting to Reardon on the features of the work which had made it popular; formerly, she would have thought much more of its purely literary merits, for which her eye was very keen.
nowadays
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She did not, in truth, read much nowadays; since the birth of her child she had seemed to care less than before for disinterested study.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading But she had no real intention of doing so; it was always disagreeable to her to sit in the manner of one totally unoccupied, with hands on lap, and even when she consciously gave herself up to musing an open book was generally before her.
often
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How often she had given her husband a thrill of exquisite pleasure by pointing to some merit or defect of which the common reader would be totally insensible!
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading But she had no real intention of doing so; it was always disagreeable to her to sit in the manner of one totally unoccupied, with hands on lap, and even when she consciously gave herself up to musing an open book was generally before her.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading But she had no real intention of doing so; it was always disagreeable to her to sit in the manner of one totally unoccupied, with hands on lap, and even when she consciously gave herself up to musing an open book was generally before her.
openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/
To move from a closed position.
From this reading But she had no real intention of doing so; it was always disagreeable to her to sit in the manner of one totally unoccupied, with hands on lap, and even when she consciously gave herself up to musing an open book was generally before her.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading How often she had given her husband a thrill of exquisite pleasure by pointing to some merit or defect of which the common reader would be totally insensible!
perused
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If a new novel that had succeeded came into her hands she perused it in a very practical spirit, commenting to Reardon on the features of the work which had made it popular; formerly, she would have thought much more of its purely literary merits, for which her eye was very keen.
pleasure
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How often she had given her husband a thrill of exquisite pleasure by pointing to some merit or defect of which the common reader would be totally insensible!
pointing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How often she had given her husband a thrill of exquisite pleasure by pointing to some merit or defect of which the common reader would be totally insensible!
popular
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If a new novel that had succeeded came into her hands she perused it in a very practical spirit, commenting to Reardon on the features of the work which had made it popular; formerly, she would have thought much more of its purely literary merits, for which her eye was very keen.
practical
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If a new novel that had succeeded came into her hands she perused it in a very practical spirit, commenting to Reardon on the features of the work which had made it popular; formerly, she would have thought much more of its purely literary merits, for which her eye was very keen.
purely
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If a new novel that had succeeded came into her hands she perused it in a very practical spirit, commenting to Reardon on the features of the work which had made it popular; formerly, she would have thought much more of its purely literary merits, for which her eye was very keen.
read
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When her husband had set forth, Amy seated herself in the study and took up a new library volume as if to read.
reader
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How often she had given her husband a thrill of exquisite pleasure by pointing to some merit or defect of which the common reader would be totally insensible!
real
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But she had no real intention of doing so; it was always disagreeable to her to sit in the manner of one totally unoccupied, with hands on lap, and even when she consciously gave herself up to musing an open book was generally before her.
Reardon
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From this reading If a new novel that had succeeded came into her hands she perused it in a very practical spirit, commenting to Reardon on the features of the work which had made it popular; formerly, she would have thought much more of its purely literary merits, for which her eye was very keen.
seated
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When her husband had set forth, Amy seated herself in the study and took up a new library volume as if to read.
seemednounUS /seemed/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading She did not, in truth, read much nowadays; since the birth of her child she had seemed to care less than before for disinterested study.
set
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When her husband had set forth, Amy seated herself in the study and took up a new library volume as if to read.
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But she had no real intention of doing so; it was always disagreeable to her to sit in the manner of one totally unoccupied, with hands on lap, and even when she consciously gave herself up to musing an open book was generally before her.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading She did not, in truth, read much nowadays; since the birth of her child she had seemed to care less than before for disinterested study.
sit
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But she had no real intention of doing so; it was always disagreeable to her to sit in the manner of one totally unoccupied, with hands on lap, and even when she consciously gave herself up to musing an open book was generally before her.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading But she had no real intention of doing so; it was always disagreeable to her to sit in the manner of one totally unoccupied, with hands on lap, and even when she consciously gave herself up to musing an open book was generally before her.
some
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How often she had given her husband a thrill of exquisite pleasure by pointing to some merit or defect of which the common reader would be totally insensible!
spirit
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If a new novel that had succeeded came into her hands she perused it in a very practical spirit, commenting to Reardon on the features of the work which had made it popular; formerly, she would have thought much more of its purely literary merits, for which her eye was very keen.
study
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When her husband had set forth, Amy seated herself in the study and took up a new library volume as if to read.
succeeded
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If a new novel that had succeeded came into her hands she perused it in a very practical spirit, commenting to Reardon on the features of the work which had made it popular; formerly, she would have thought much more of its purely literary merits, for which her eye was very keen.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading She did not, in truth, read much nowadays; since the birth of her child she had seemed to care less than before for disinterested study.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading If a new novel that had succeeded came into her hands she perused it in a very practical spirit, commenting to Reardon on the features of the work which had made it popular; formerly, she would have thought much more of its purely literary merits, for which her eye was very keen.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading When her husband had set forth, Amy seated herself in the study and took up a new library volume as if to read.
thoughtnounUS /thought/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading If a new novel that had succeeded came into her hands she perused it in a very practical spirit, commenting to Reardon on the features of the work which had made it popular; formerly, she would have thought much more of its purely literary merits, for which her eye was very keen.
thrill
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How often she had given her husband a thrill of exquisite pleasure by pointing to some merit or defect of which the common reader would be totally insensible!
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading When her husband had set forth, Amy seated herself in the study and took up a new library volume as if to read.
tooknounUS /took/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading When her husband had set forth, Amy seated herself in the study and took up a new library volume as if to read.
totally
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But she had no real intention of doing so; it was always disagreeable to her to sit in the manner of one totally unoccupied, with hands on lap, and even when she consciously gave herself up to musing an open book was generally before her.
truth
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She did not, in truth, read much nowadays; since the birth of her child she had seemed to care less than before for disinterested study.
unoccupied
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But she had no real intention of doing so; it was always disagreeable to her to sit in the manner of one totally unoccupied, with hands on lap, and even when she consciously gave herself up to musing an open book was generally before her.
up
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When her husband had set forth, Amy seated herself in the study and took up a new library volume as if to read.
very
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If a new novel that had succeeded came into her hands she perused it in a very practical spirit, commenting to Reardon on the features of the work which had made it popular; formerly, she would have thought much more of its purely literary merits, for which her eye was very keen.
volume
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When her husband had set forth, Amy seated herself in the study and took up a new library volume as if to read.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But she had no real intention of doing so; it was always disagreeable to her to sit in the manner of one totally unoccupied, with hands on lap, and even when she consciously gave herself up to musing an open book was generally before her.
WhenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading When her husband had set forth, Amy seated herself in the study and took up a new library volume as if to read.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading If a new novel that had succeeded came into her hands she perused it in a very practical spirit, commenting to Reardon on the features of the work which had made it popular; formerly, she would have thought much more of its purely literary merits, for which her eye was very keen.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading But she had no real intention of doing so; it was always disagreeable to her to sit in the manner of one totally unoccupied, with hands on lap, and even when she consciously gave herself up to musing an open book was generally before her.
work
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If a new novel that had succeeded came into her hands she perused it in a very practical spirit, commenting to Reardon on the features of the work which had made it popular; formerly, she would have thought much more of its purely literary merits, for which her eye was very keen.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading If a new novel that had succeeded came into her hands she perused it in a very practical spirit, commenting to Reardon on the features of the work which had made it popular; formerly, she would have thought much more of its purely literary merits, for which her eye was very keen.
