Chapter 1 of The Disappearing Eye is here in full — 282 sentences across 57 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Disappearing Eye is here in full — 282 sentences across 57 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
2. The diphthong oe is represented by [oe]. 3. The few instances of illegible words, indicated by[*], do not influence the flow of the story. These lacunae appear as a portion of pages 218 and 219 (8 words each).
Chapter 1 of The Disappearing Eye is here in full — 282 sentences across 57 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/56 · 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 vowel sound that starts near the articulatory position for one vowel and moves toward the position for another
From this reading “The diphthong oe is represented by [oe].”
the motion characteristic of fluids (liquids or gases)
From this reading “The few instances of illegible words, indicated by[*], do not influence the flow of the story.”
(of handwriting, print, etc.) not legible
From this reading “The few instances of illegible words, indicated by[*], do not influence the flow of the story.”
past form of “indicate” — be a signal for or a symptom of
From this reading “The few instances of illegible words, indicated by[*], do not influence the flow of the story.”
plural of “instance” — an occurrence of something
From this reading “The few instances of illegible words, indicated by[*], do not influence the flow of the story.”
plural of “page” — one side of one leaf (of a book or magazine or newspaper or letter etc.) or the written or pictorial matter it contains
From this reading “These lacunae appear as a portion of pages 218 and 219 (8 words each).”
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading “These lacunae appear as a portion of pages 218 and 219 (8 words each).”
represented accurately or precisely
From this reading “The diphthong oe is represented by [oe].”
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.
In this reading “The few instances of illegible words, indicated by[*], do not influence the flow of the story.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 2.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading These lacunae appear as a portion of pages 218 and 219 (8 words each).
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading These lacunae appear as a portion of pages 218 and 219 (8 words each).
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 3.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading These lacunae appear as a portion of pages 218 and 219 (8 words each).
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading These lacunae appear as a portion of pages 218 and 219 (8 words each).
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading These lacunae appear as a portion of pages 218 and 219 (8 words each).
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading These lacunae appear as a portion of pages 218 and 219 (8 words each).
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading These lacunae appear as a portion of pages 218 and 219 (8 words each).
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The diphthong oe is represented by [oe].
a vowel sound that starts near the articulatory position for one vowel and moves toward the position for another
From this reading The diphthong oe is represented by [oe].
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading The few instances of illegible words, indicated by[*], do not influence the flow of the story.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading These lacunae appear as a portion of pages 218 and 219 (8 words each).
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading The few instances of illegible words, indicated by[*], do not influence the flow of the story.
the motion characteristic of fluids (liquids or gases)
From this reading The few instances of illegible words, indicated by[*], do not influence the flow of the story.
(of handwriting, print, etc.) not legible
From this reading The few instances of illegible words, indicated by[*], do not influence the flow of the story.
past form of “indicate” — be a signal for or a symptom of
From this reading The few instances of illegible words, indicated by[*], do not influence the flow of the story.
a power to affect persons or events especially power based on prestige etc
From this reading The few instances of illegible words, indicated by[*], do not influence the flow of the story.
plural of “instance” — an occurrence of something
From this reading The few instances of illegible words, indicated by[*], do not influence the flow of the story.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The diphthong oe is represented by [oe].
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading These lacunae appear as a portion of pages 218 and 219 (8 words each).
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The few instances of illegible words, indicated by[*], do not influence the flow of the story.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The diphthong oe is represented by [oe].
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The few instances of illegible words, indicated by[*], do not influence the flow of the story.
plural of “page” — one side of one leaf (of a book or magazine or newspaper or letter etc.) or the written or pictorial matter it contains
From this reading These lacunae appear as a portion of pages 218 and 219 (8 words each).
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading These lacunae appear as a portion of pages 218 and 219 (8 words each).
represented accurately or precisely
From this reading The diphthong oe is represented by [oe].
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading The few instances of illegible words, indicated by[*], do not influence the flow of the story.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The diphthong oe is represented by [oe].
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading These lacunae appear as a portion of pages 218 and 219 (8 words each).
the words that are spoken
From this reading The few instances of illegible words, indicated by[*], do not influence the flow of the story.
Chapter 1 of The Disappearing Eye by Fergus Hume holds 282 sentences, grouped into 57 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 282 sentences of The Disappearing Eye, unabridged, divided into 57 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Disappearing Eye by Fergus Hume exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 282 sentences, grouped into 57 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 57 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 57 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 Disappearing Eye by Fergus Hume on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6332 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #56841 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #56841, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 527 minutes of reading across 1267 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Disappearing Eye section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 22 chapters of The Disappearing Eye 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 Disappearing Eye, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
