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 I Down by the River Wye, among plum-trees in blossom, Noel had laid her baby in a hammock, and stood reading a letter:
adopt
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Your aunt and uncle have made the most kind and generous offer to adopt your little boy.
againnounUS /again/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “MY DEAREST NOLLIE, “Now that you are strong again, I feel that I must put before you my feeling as to your duty in this crisis of your life.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading I Down by the River Wye, among plum-trees in blossom, Noel had laid her baby in a hammock, and stood reading a letter:
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I Down by the River Wye, among plum-trees in blossom, Noel had laid her baby in a hammock, and stood reading a letter:
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “MY DEAREST NOLLIE, “Now that you are strong again, I feel that I must put before you my feeling as to your duty in this crisis of your life.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading “MY DEAREST NOLLIE, “Now that you are strong again, I feel that I must put before you my feeling as to your duty in this crisis of your life.
aunt
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Your aunt and uncle have made the most kind and generous offer to adopt your little boy.
baby
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From this reading I Down by the River Wye, among plum-trees in blossom, Noel had laid her baby in a hammock, and stood reading a letter:
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading In the worldly sense it would be the best thing, no doubt.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading “MY DEAREST NOLLIE, “Now that you are strong again, I feel that I must put before you my feeling as to your duty in this crisis of your life.
best
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From this reading In the worldly sense it would be the best thing, no doubt.
blossom
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From this reading I Down by the River Wye, among plum-trees in blossom, Noel had laid her baby in a hammock, and stood reading a letter:
boy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Your aunt and uncle have made the most kind and generous offer to adopt your little boy.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading I Down by the River Wye, among plum-trees in blossom, Noel had laid her baby in a hammock, and stood reading a letter:
crisis
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From this reading “MY DEAREST NOLLIE, “Now that you are strong again, I feel that I must put before you my feeling as to your duty in this crisis of your life.
day
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From this reading I have known that this was in their minds for some time, and have thought it over day and night for weeks.
DEAREST
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From this reading “MY DEAREST NOLLIE, “Now that you are strong again, I feel that I must put before you my feeling as to your duty in this crisis of your life.
doubt
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the worldly sense it would be the best thing, no doubt.
Down
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From this reading I Down by the River Wye, among plum-trees in blossom, Noel had laid her baby in a hammock, and stood reading a letter:
dutynounUS /ˈduːti/
a responsibility that must be carried out
From this reading “MY DEAREST NOLLIE, “Now that you are strong again, I feel that I must put before you my feeling as to your duty in this crisis of your life.
feel
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From this reading “MY DEAREST NOLLIE, “Now that you are strong again, I feel that I must put before you my feeling as to your duty in this crisis of your life.
feelingnounUS /ˈfeeling/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading “MY DEAREST NOLLIE, “Now that you are strong again, I feel that I must put before you my feeling as to your duty in this crisis of your life.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I have known that this was in their minds for some time, and have thought it over day and night for weeks.
generous
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Your aunt and uncle have made the most kind and generous offer to adopt your little boy.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I Down by the River Wye, among plum-trees in blossom, Noel had laid her baby in a hammock, and stood reading a letter:
hammock
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I Down by the River Wye, among plum-trees in blossom, Noel had laid her baby in a hammock, and stood reading a letter:
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Your aunt and uncle have made the most kind and generous offer to adopt your little boy.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading I Down by the River Wye, among plum-trees in blossom, Noel had laid her baby in a hammock, and stood reading a letter:
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I Down by the River Wye, among plum-trees in blossom, Noel had laid her baby in a hammock, and stood reading a letter:
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I Down by the River Wye, among plum-trees in blossom, Noel had laid her baby in a hammock, and stood reading a letter:
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I have known that this was in their minds for some time, and have thought it over day and night for weeks.
kind
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Your aunt and uncle have made the most kind and generous offer to adopt your little boy.
known
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I have known that this was in their minds for some time, and have thought it over day and night for weeks.
laid
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I Down by the River Wye, among plum-trees in blossom, Noel had laid her baby in a hammock, and stood reading a letter:
letter
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I Down by the River Wye, among plum-trees in blossom, Noel had laid her baby in a hammock, and stood reading a letter:
lifenounUS /life/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “MY DEAREST NOLLIE, “Now that you are strong again, I feel that I must put before you my feeling as to your duty in this crisis of your life.
littlenounUS /little/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Your aunt and uncle have made the most kind and generous offer to adopt your little boy.
made
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Your aunt and uncle have made the most kind and generous offer to adopt your little boy.
minds
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I have known that this was in their minds for some time, and have thought it over day and night for weeks.
most
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Your aunt and uncle have made the most kind and generous offer to adopt your little boy.
mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading “MY DEAREST NOLLIE, “Now that you are strong again, I feel that I must put before you my feeling as to your duty in this crisis of your life.
MYdeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading “MY DEAREST NOLLIE, “Now that you are strong again, I feel that I must put before you my feeling as to your duty in this crisis of your life.
night
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I have known that this was in their minds for some time, and have thought it over day and night for weeks.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading In the worldly sense it would be the best thing, no doubt.
Noel
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I Down by the River Wye, among plum-trees in blossom, Noel had laid her baby in a hammock, and stood reading a letter:
NOLLIE
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “MY DEAREST NOLLIE, “Now that you are strong again, I feel that I must put before you my feeling as to your duty in this crisis of your life.
Now
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “MY DEAREST NOLLIE, “Now that you are strong again, I feel that I must put before you my feeling as to your duty in this crisis of your life.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “MY DEAREST NOLLIE, “Now that you are strong again, I feel that I must put before you my feeling as to your duty in this crisis of your life.
offer
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Your aunt and uncle have made the most kind and generous offer to adopt your little boy.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading I have known that this was in their minds for some time, and have thought it over day and night for weeks.
plum-trees
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I Down by the River Wye, among plum-trees in blossom, Noel had laid her baby in a hammock, and stood reading a letter:
put
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “MY DEAREST NOLLIE, “Now that you are strong again, I feel that I must put before you my feeling as to your duty in this crisis of your life.
reading
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I Down by the River Wye, among plum-trees in blossom, Noel had laid her baby in a hammock, and stood reading a letter:
River
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I Down by the River Wye, among plum-trees in blossom, Noel had laid her baby in a hammock, and stood reading a letter:
sense
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the worldly sense it would be the best thing, no doubt.
some
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I have known that this was in their minds for some time, and have thought it over day and night for weeks.
stoodnounUS /stood/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading I Down by the River Wye, among plum-trees in blossom, Noel had laid her baby in a hammock, and stood reading a letter:
strong
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “MY DEAREST NOLLIE, “Now that you are strong again, I feel that I must put before you my feeling as to your duty in this crisis of your life.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “MY DEAREST NOLLIE, “Now that you are strong again, I feel that I must put before you my feeling as to your duty in this crisis of your life.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I Down by the River Wye, among plum-trees in blossom, Noel had laid her baby in a hammock, and stood reading a letter:
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading I have known that this was in their minds for some time, and have thought it over day and night for weeks.
thingnounUS /thing/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading In the worldly sense it would be the best thing, no doubt.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “MY DEAREST NOLLIE, “Now that you are strong again, I feel that I must put before you my feeling as to your duty in this crisis of your life.
thoughtnounUS /thought/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading I have known that this was in their minds for some time, and have thought it over day and night for weeks.
timenounUS /time/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading I have known that this was in their minds for some time, and have thought it over day and night for weeks.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “MY DEAREST NOLLIE, “Now that you are strong again, I feel that I must put before you my feeling as to your duty in this crisis of your life.
uncle
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Your aunt and uncle have made the most kind and generous offer to adopt your little boy.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I have known that this was in their minds for some time, and have thought it over day and night for weeks.
weeks
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I have known that this was in their minds for some time, and have thought it over day and night for weeks.
worldly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the worldly sense it would be the best thing, no doubt.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading In the worldly sense it would be the best thing, no doubt.
Wye
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I Down by the River Wye, among plum-trees in blossom, Noel had laid her baby in a hammock, and stood reading a letter:
youpronounUS /juː/
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “MY DEAREST NOLLIE, “Now that you are strong again, I feel that I must put before you my feeling as to your duty in this crisis of your life.
yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “MY DEAREST NOLLIE, “Now that you are strong again, I feel that I must put before you my feeling as to your duty in this crisis of your life.
