Chapter 1 of The diary of Delia is here in full — 64 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The diary of Delia is here in full — 64 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
I got up at siven. Washed. Dressed. Made me bed. I set the kittle on the gas stove and then furyissly rung the brikfust bell.
Chapter 1 of The diary of Delia is here in full — 64 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/12 · 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.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading “Made me bed.”
a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
From this reading “I set the kittle on the gas stove and then furyissly rung the brikfust bell.”
dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination
From this reading “Dressed.”
the state of matter distinguished from the solid and liquid states by: relatively low density and viscosity
From this reading “I set the kittle on the gas stove and then furyissly rung the brikfust bell.”
a crosspiece between the legs of a chair
From this reading “I set the kittle on the gas stove and then furyissly rung the brikfust bell.”
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading “I set the kittle on the gas stove and then furyissly rung the brikfust bell.”
a kitchen appliance used for cooking food
From this reading “I set the kittle on the gas stove and then furyissly rung the brikfust bell.”
clean by virtue of having been washed in water
From this reading “Washed.”
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.
a range with gas rings and an oven for cooking with gas
In this reading “I set the kittle on the gas stove and then furyissly rung the brikfust bell.”
rise to one's feet
In this reading “I got up at siven.”
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 to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I set the kittle on the gas stove and then furyissly rung the brikfust bell.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading I got up at siven.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading Made me bed.
a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
From this reading I set the kittle on the gas stove and then furyissly rung the brikfust bell.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I set the kittle on the gas stove and then furyissly rung the brikfust bell.
dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination
From this reading Dressed.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I set the kittle on the gas stove and then furyissly rung the brikfust bell.
the state of matter distinguished from the solid and liquid states by: relatively low density and viscosity
From this reading I set the kittle on the gas stove and then furyissly rung the brikfust bell.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading I got up at siven.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I got up at siven.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I set the kittle on the gas stove and then furyissly rung the brikfust bell.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Made me bed.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Made me bed.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading I set the kittle on the gas stove and then furyissly rung the brikfust bell.
a crosspiece between the legs of a chair
From this reading I set the kittle on the gas stove and then furyissly rung the brikfust bell.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading I set the kittle on the gas stove and then furyissly rung the brikfust bell.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I got up at siven.
a kitchen appliance used for cooking food
From this reading I set the kittle on the gas stove and then furyissly rung the brikfust bell.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I set the kittle on the gas stove and then furyissly rung the brikfust bell.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading I set the kittle on the gas stove and then furyissly rung the brikfust bell.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading I got up at siven.
clean by virtue of having been washed in water
From this reading Washed.
Chapter 1 of The diary of Delia by Onoto Watanna holds 64 sentences, grouped into 13 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 1 holds 64 sentences of The diary of Delia, unabridged, divided into 13 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The diary of Delia by Onoto Watanna exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 64 sentences, grouped into 13 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 13 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 13 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 1 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 The diary of Delia by Onoto Watanna on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2061 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #61238 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #61238, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 171 minutes of reading across 413 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The diary of Delia section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 30 chapters of The diary of Delia 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 The diary of Delia, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
