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 "You needn't say it, son," was his low greeting, when Tom had flung himself into a chair.
afternoonnounUS /ˈafternoon/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading The homing train, rushing around the boundary hills of Paradise, set him down at Gordonia late in the afternoon.
air
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was no one at the station to meet him, but there was bad news in the air which needed no herald to proclaim it.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Though it still wanted half an hour of quitting time, the big plant was silent and deserted.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Though it still wanted half an hour of quitting time, the big plant was silent and deserted.
aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading The homing train, rushing around the boundary hills of Paradise, set him down at Gordonia late in the afternoon.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The homing train, rushing around the boundary hills of Paradise, set him down at Gordonia late in the afternoon.
bad
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was no one at the station to meet him, but there was bad news in the air which needed no herald to proclaim it.
big
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Though it still wanted half an hour of quitting time, the big plant was silent and deserted.
boundarynounUS /ˈbaʊn.də.ri/
A line that marks the limits of an area.
From this reading The homing train, rushing around the boundary hills of Paradise, set him down at Gordonia late in the afternoon.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading There was no one at the station to meet him, but there was bad news in the air which needed no herald to proclaim it.
chair
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "You needn't say it, son," was his low greeting, when Tom had flung himself into a chair.
desertedverbUS /dɪˈzɜːrtɪd/
left a place or vessel without intending to return
From this reading Though it still wanted half an hour of quitting time, the big plant was silent and deserted.
down
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The homing train, rushing around the boundary hills of Paradise, set him down at Gordonia late in the afternoon.
father
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Tom walked out the pike and found his father smoking gloomily on the Woodlawn porch.
flung
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "You needn't say it, son," was his low greeting, when Tom had flung himself into a chair.
foundnounUS /found/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Tom walked out the pike and found his father smoking gloomily on the Woodlawn porch.
gloomily
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Tom walked out the pike and found his father smoking gloomily on the Woodlawn porch.
Gordonia
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The homing train, rushing around the boundary hills of Paradise, set him down at Gordonia late in the afternoon.
greeting
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "You needn't say it, son," was his low greeting, when Tom had flung himself into a chair.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading "You needn't say it, son," was his low greeting, when Tom had flung himself into a chair.
halfnounUS /half/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Though it still wanted half an hour of quitting time, the big plant was silent and deserted.
herald
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was no one at the station to meet him, but there was bad news in the air which needed no herald to proclaim it.
hills
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The homing train, rushing around the boundary hills of Paradise, set him down at Gordonia late in the afternoon.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The homing train, rushing around the boundary hills of Paradise, set him down at Gordonia late in the afternoon.
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading "You needn't say it, son," was his low greeting, when Tom had flung himself into a chair.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Tom walked out the pike and found his father smoking gloomily on the Woodlawn porch.
homing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The homing train, rushing around the boundary hills of Paradise, set him down at Gordonia late in the afternoon.
hour
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Though it still wanted half an hour of quitting time, the big plant was silent and deserted.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The homing train, rushing around the boundary hills of Paradise, set him down at Gordonia late in the afternoon.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading "You needn't say it, son," was his low greeting, when Tom had flung himself into a chair.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading There was no one at the station to meet him, but there was bad news in the air which needed no herald to proclaim it.
late
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The homing train, rushing around the boundary hills of Paradise, set him down at Gordonia late in the afternoon.
low
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "You needn't say it, son," was his low greeting, when Tom had flung himself into a chair.
meet
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was no one at the station to meet him, but there was bad news in the air which needed no herald to proclaim it.
needed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was no one at the station to meet him, but there was bad news in the air which needed no herald to proclaim it.
needn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "You needn't say it, son," was his low greeting, when Tom had flung himself into a chair.
news
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was no one at the station to meet him, but there was bad news in the air which needed no herald to proclaim it.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading There was no one at the station to meet him, but there was bad news in the air which needed no herald to proclaim it.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The homing train, rushing around the boundary hills of Paradise, set him down at Gordonia late in the afternoon.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Tom walked out the pike and found his father smoking gloomily on the Woodlawn porch.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading There was no one at the station to meet him, but there was bad news in the air which needed no herald to proclaim it.
out
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Tom walked out the pike and found his father smoking gloomily on the Woodlawn porch.
Paradise
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The homing train, rushing around the boundary hills of Paradise, set him down at Gordonia late in the afternoon.
pike
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Tom walked out the pike and found his father smoking gloomily on the Woodlawn porch.
plant
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Though it still wanted half an hour of quitting time, the big plant was silent and deserted.
porch
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Tom walked out the pike and found his father smoking gloomily on the Woodlawn porch.
proclaim
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was no one at the station to meet him, but there was bad news in the air which needed no herald to proclaim it.
quitting
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Though it still wanted half an hour of quitting time, the big plant was silent and deserted.
rushing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The homing train, rushing around the boundary hills of Paradise, set him down at Gordonia late in the afternoon.
say
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "You needn't say it, son," was his low greeting, when Tom had flung himself into a chair.
set
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The homing train, rushing around the boundary hills of Paradise, set him down at Gordonia late in the afternoon.
silent
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Though it still wanted half an hour of quitting time, the big plant was silent and deserted.
smokingnounUS /ˈsmoking/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading Tom walked out the pike and found his father smoking gloomily on the Woodlawn porch.
son
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "You needn't say it, son," was his low greeting, when Tom had flung himself into a chair.
station
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was no one at the station to meet him, but there was bad news in the air which needed no herald to proclaim it.
stillnounUS /still/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Though it still wanted half an hour of quitting time, the big plant was silent and deserted.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The homing train, rushing around the boundary hills of Paradise, set him down at Gordonia late in the afternoon.
There
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was no one at the station to meet him, but there was bad news in the air which needed no herald to proclaim it.
ThoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/
in spite of the fact that
From this reading Though it still wanted half an hour of quitting time, the big plant was silent and deserted.
timenounUS /time/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Though it still wanted half an hour of quitting time, the big plant was silent and deserted.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading There was no one at the station to meet him, but there was bad news in the air which needed no herald to proclaim it.
Tom
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Tom walked out the pike and found his father smoking gloomily on the Woodlawn porch.
train
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The homing train, rushing around the boundary hills of Paradise, set him down at Gordonia late in the afternoon.
walked
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Tom walked out the pike and found his father smoking gloomily on the Woodlawn porch.
wanted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Though it still wanted half an hour of quitting time, the big plant was silent and deserted.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was no one at the station to meet him, but there was bad news in the air which needed no herald to proclaim it.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading "You needn't say it, son," was his low greeting, when Tom had flung himself into a chair.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading There was no one at the station to meet him, but there was bad news in the air which needed no herald to proclaim it.
Woodlawn
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Tom walked out the pike and found his father smoking gloomily on the Woodlawn porch.
YoupronounUS /juː/
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "You needn't say it, son," was his low greeting, when Tom had flung himself into a chair.
