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 But even a double quantity of light did not bring good cheer to this dull and solemn apartment.
amateur
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From this reading The best room was not by any means so bright, so cheerful, or so kindly as the family parlour, with its family disarrangement, and the amateur paperhanging upon its walls.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Before their guests arrived the girls made an effort to improve its appearance.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The best room was not by any means so bright, so cheerful, or so kindly as the family parlour, with its family disarrangement, and the amateur paperhanging upon its walls.
any
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From this reading The best room was not by any means so bright, so cheerful, or so kindly as the family parlour, with its family disarrangement, and the amateur paperhanging upon its walls.
apartment
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From this reading But even a double quantity of light did not bring good cheer to this dull and solemn apartment.
appearancenounUS /ˈappearance/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading Before their guests arrived the girls made an effort to improve its appearance.
arrived
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From this reading Before their guests arrived the girls made an effort to improve its appearance.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The best room was not by any means so bright, so cheerful, or so kindly as the family parlour, with its family disarrangement, and the amateur paperhanging upon its walls.
beautiful
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From this reading They pulled the last beautiful bunches of the lilac to fill the little glass vases, and placed candles in the ornamental glass candlesticks upon the mantelpiece.
BeforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Before their guests arrived the girls made an effort to improve its appearance.
best
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From this reading The best room was not by any means so bright, so cheerful, or so kindly as the family parlour, with its family disarrangement, and the amateur paperhanging upon its walls.
bright
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From this reading The best room was not by any means so bright, so cheerful, or so kindly as the family parlour, with its family disarrangement, and the amateur paperhanging upon its walls.
bring
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From this reading But even a double quantity of light did not bring good cheer to this dull and solemn apartment.
bunches
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From this reading They pulled the last beautiful bunches of the lilac to fill the little glass vases, and placed candles in the ornamental glass candlesticks upon the mantelpiece.
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But even a double quantity of light did not bring good cheer to this dull and solemn apartment.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The best room was not by any means so bright, so cheerful, or so kindly as the family parlour, with its family disarrangement, and the amateur paperhanging upon its walls.
candles
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From this reading They pulled the last beautiful bunches of the lilac to fill the little glass vases, and placed candles in the ornamental glass candlesticks upon the mantelpiece.
candlesticks
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From this reading They pulled the last beautiful bunches of the lilac to fill the little glass vases, and placed candles in the ornamental glass candlesticks upon the mantelpiece.
cheer
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But even a double quantity of light did not bring good cheer to this dull and solemn apartment.
cheerful
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From this reading The best room was not by any means so bright, so cheerful, or so kindly as the family parlour, with its family disarrangement, and the amateur paperhanging upon its walls.
COMPANY
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From this reading COMPANY.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading But even a double quantity of light did not bring good cheer to this dull and solemn apartment.
disarrangement
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From this reading The best room was not by any means so bright, so cheerful, or so kindly as the family parlour, with its family disarrangement, and the amateur paperhanging upon its walls.
double
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But even a double quantity of light did not bring good cheer to this dull and solemn apartment.
dull
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From this reading But even a double quantity of light did not bring good cheer to this dull and solemn apartment.
effort
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From this reading Before their guests arrived the girls made an effort to improve its appearance.
evennounUS /even/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading But even a double quantity of light did not bring good cheer to this dull and solemn apartment.
family
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From this reading The best room was not by any means so bright, so cheerful, or so kindly as the family parlour, with its family disarrangement, and the amateur paperhanging upon its walls.
fill
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From this reading They pulled the last beautiful bunches of the lilac to fill the little glass vases, and placed candles in the ornamental glass candlesticks upon the mantelpiece.
girls
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From this reading Before their guests arrived the girls made an effort to improve its appearance.
glass
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From this reading They pulled the last beautiful bunches of the lilac to fill the little glass vases, and placed candles in the ornamental glass candlesticks upon the mantelpiece.
goodnounUS /good/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading But even a double quantity of light did not bring good cheer to this dull and solemn apartment.
guests
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Before their guests arrived the girls made an effort to improve its appearance.
improve
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From this reading Before their guests arrived the girls made an effort to improve its appearance.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading They pulled the last beautiful bunches of the lilac to fill the little glass vases, and placed candles in the ornamental glass candlesticks upon the mantelpiece.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading The best room was not by any means so bright, so cheerful, or so kindly as the family parlour, with its family disarrangement, and the amateur paperhanging upon its walls.
kindly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The best room was not by any means so bright, so cheerful, or so kindly as the family parlour, with its family disarrangement, and the amateur paperhanging upon its walls.
lastnounUS /last/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading They pulled the last beautiful bunches of the lilac to fill the little glass vases, and placed candles in the ornamental glass candlesticks upon the mantelpiece.
light
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But even a double quantity of light did not bring good cheer to this dull and solemn apartment.
lilac
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They pulled the last beautiful bunches of the lilac to fill the little glass vases, and placed candles in the ornamental glass candlesticks upon the mantelpiece.
littlenounUS /little/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading They pulled the last beautiful bunches of the lilac to fill the little glass vases, and placed candles in the ornamental glass candlesticks upon the mantelpiece.
made
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Before their guests arrived the girls made an effort to improve its appearance.
mantelpiece
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They pulled the last beautiful bunches of the lilac to fill the little glass vases, and placed candles in the ornamental glass candlesticks upon the mantelpiece.
means
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The best room was not by any means so bright, so cheerful, or so kindly as the family parlour, with its family disarrangement, and the amateur paperhanging upon its walls.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The best room was not by any means so bright, so cheerful, or so kindly as the family parlour, with its family disarrangement, and the amateur paperhanging upon its walls.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading They pulled the last beautiful bunches of the lilac to fill the little glass vases, and placed candles in the ornamental glass candlesticks upon the mantelpiece.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading The best room was not by any means so bright, so cheerful, or so kindly as the family parlour, with its family disarrangement, and the amateur paperhanging upon its walls.
ornamental
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They pulled the last beautiful bunches of the lilac to fill the little glass vases, and placed candles in the ornamental glass candlesticks upon the mantelpiece.
paperhanging
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The best room was not by any means so bright, so cheerful, or so kindly as the family parlour, with its family disarrangement, and the amateur paperhanging upon its walls.
parlour
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The best room was not by any means so bright, so cheerful, or so kindly as the family parlour, with its family disarrangement, and the amateur paperhanging upon its walls.
placed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They pulled the last beautiful bunches of the lilac to fill the little glass vases, and placed candles in the ornamental glass candlesticks upon the mantelpiece.
pullednounUS /pulled/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading They pulled the last beautiful bunches of the lilac to fill the little glass vases, and placed candles in the ornamental glass candlesticks upon the mantelpiece.
quantity
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But even a double quantity of light did not bring good cheer to this dull and solemn apartment.
room
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The best room was not by any means so bright, so cheerful, or so kindly as the family parlour, with its family disarrangement, and the amateur paperhanging upon its walls.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The best room was not by any means so bright, so cheerful, or so kindly as the family parlour, with its family disarrangement, and the amateur paperhanging upon its walls.
solemn
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But even a double quantity of light did not bring good cheer to this dull and solemn apartment.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The best room was not by any means so bright, so cheerful, or so kindly as the family parlour, with its family disarrangement, and the amateur paperhanging upon its walls.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Before their guests arrived the girls made an effort to improve its appearance.
TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They pulled the last beautiful bunches of the lilac to fill the little glass vases, and placed candles in the ornamental glass candlesticks upon the mantelpiece.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading But even a double quantity of light did not bring good cheer to this dull and solemn apartment.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Before their guests arrived the girls made an effort to improve its appearance.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The best room was not by any means so bright, so cheerful, or so kindly as the family parlour, with its family disarrangement, and the amateur paperhanging upon its walls.
vases
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They pulled the last beautiful bunches of the lilac to fill the little glass vases, and placed candles in the ornamental glass candlesticks upon the mantelpiece.
walls
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The best room was not by any means so bright, so cheerful, or so kindly as the family parlour, with its family disarrangement, and the amateur paperhanging upon its walls.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The best room was not by any means so bright, so cheerful, or so kindly as the family parlour, with its family disarrangement, and the amateur paperhanging upon its walls.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading The best room was not by any means so bright, so cheerful, or so kindly as the family parlour, with its family disarrangement, and the amateur paperhanging upon its walls.
