adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The first Christmas after Miss Sullivan came to Tuscumbia was a great event.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Miss Sullivan and I kept up a game of guessing which taught me more about the use of language than any set lessons could have done.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading The first Christmas after Miss Sullivan came to Tuscumbia was a great event.
alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading My friends did all they could to excite my curiosity by hints and half-spelled sentences which they pretended to break off in the nick of time.
amusementnounUS /əˈmjuːzmənt/
a feeling of delight at being entertained
From this reading The mystery that surrounded the gifts was my greatest delight and amusement.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Every one in the family prepared surprises for me; but what pleased me most, Miss Sullivan and I prepared surprises for everybody else.
anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Miss Sullivan and I kept up a game of guessing which taught me more about the use of language than any set lessons could have done.
breakverbUS /breɪk/
terminate
From this reading My friends did all they could to excite my curiosity by hints and half-spelled sentences which they pretended to break off in the nick of time.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Every one in the family prepared surprises for me; but what pleased me most, Miss Sullivan and I prepared surprises for everybody else.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading My friends did all they could to excite my curiosity by hints and half-spelled sentences which they pretended to break off in the nick of time.
cameverbUS /keɪm/
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading The first Christmas after Miss Sullivan came to Tuscumbia was a great event.
ChristmasnounUS /ˈkrɪsməs/
period extending from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6
From this reading The first Christmas after Miss Sullivan came to Tuscumbia was a great event.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading My friends did all they could to excite my curiosity by hints and half-spelled sentences which they pretended to break off in the nick of time.
curiositynounUS /ˌkjʊriˈɑːsəti/
a state in which you want to learn more about something
From this reading My friends did all they could to excite my curiosity by hints and half-spelled sentences which they pretended to break off in the nick of time.
delightverbUS /dɪˈlaɪt/
give pleasure to or be pleasing to
From this reading The mystery that surrounded the gifts was my greatest delight and amusement.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading My friends did all they could to excite my curiosity by hints and half-spelled sentences which they pretended to break off in the nick of time.
doneadjectiveUS /dʌn/
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading Miss Sullivan and I kept up a game of guessing which taught me more about the use of language than any set lessons could have done.
else
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Every one in the family prepared surprises for me; but what pleased me most, Miss Sullivan and I prepared surprises for everybody else.
eventnounUS /ɪˈvent/
something that happens at a given place and time
From this reading The first Christmas after Miss Sullivan came to Tuscumbia was a great event.
EverydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading Every one in the family prepared surprises for me; but what pleased me most, Miss Sullivan and I prepared surprises for everybody else.
everybodypronounUS /ˈevribɑːdi/
every person
From this reading Every one in the family prepared surprises for me; but what pleased me most, Miss Sullivan and I prepared surprises for everybody else.
exciteverbUS /ɪkˈsaɪt/
arouse or elicit a feeling
From this reading My friends did all they could to excite my curiosity by hints and half-spelled sentences which they pretended to break off in the nick of time.
familynounUS /ˈfæməli/
a social unit living together
From this reading Every one in the family prepared surprises for me; but what pleased me most, Miss Sullivan and I prepared surprises for everybody else.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading The first Christmas after Miss Sullivan came to Tuscumbia was a great event.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Every one in the family prepared surprises for me; but what pleased me most, Miss Sullivan and I prepared surprises for everybody else.
friendsnounUS /frendz/
plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading My friends did all they could to excite my curiosity by hints and half-spelled sentences which they pretended to break off in the nick of time.
gamenounUS /ɡeɪm/
a contest with rules to determine a winner
From this reading Miss Sullivan and I kept up a game of guessing which taught me more about the use of language than any set lessons could have done.
giftsnounUS /ɡɪfts/
plural of “gift” — something acquired without compensation
From this reading The mystery that surrounded the gifts was my greatest delight and amusement.
greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading The first Christmas after Miss Sullivan came to Tuscumbia was a great event.
greatestadjectiveUS /ˈɡreɪtəst/
highest in quality
From this reading The mystery that surrounded the gifts was my greatest delight and amusement.
guessingnounUS /ˈɡesɪŋ/
an estimate based on little or no information
From this reading Miss Sullivan and I kept up a game of guessing which taught me more about the use of language than any set lessons could have done.
half-spelled
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading My friends did all they could to excite my curiosity by hints and half-spelled sentences which they pretended to break off in the nick of time.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Miss Sullivan and I kept up a game of guessing which taught me more about the use of language than any set lessons could have done.
hintsnounUS /hɪnts/
plural of “hint” — an indirect suggestion
From this reading My friends did all they could to excite my curiosity by hints and half-spelled sentences which they pretended to break off in the nick of time.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Every one in the family prepared surprises for me; but what pleased me most, Miss Sullivan and I prepared surprises for everybody else.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Every one in the family prepared surprises for me; but what pleased me most, Miss Sullivan and I prepared surprises for everybody else.
keptadjectiveUS /kept/
(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded
From this reading Miss Sullivan and I kept up a game of guessing which taught me more about the use of language than any set lessons could have done.
languagenounUS /ˈlæŋɡwədʒ/
a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols
From this reading Miss Sullivan and I kept up a game of guessing which taught me more about the use of language than any set lessons could have done.
lessonsnounUS /ˈlesənz/
plural of “lesson” — a unit of instruction
From this reading Miss Sullivan and I kept up a game of guessing which taught me more about the use of language than any set lessons could have done.
mepronounUS /miː/
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Every one in the family prepared surprises for me; but what pleased me most, Miss Sullivan and I prepared surprises for everybody else.
MissverbUS /mɪs/
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading The first Christmas after Miss Sullivan came to Tuscumbia was a great event.
moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Miss Sullivan and I kept up a game of guessing which taught me more about the use of language than any set lessons could have done.
mostadverbUS /moʊst/
used to form the superlative
From this reading Every one in the family prepared surprises for me; but what pleased me most, Miss Sullivan and I prepared surprises for everybody else.
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading The mystery that surrounded the gifts was my greatest delight and amusement.
mysterynounUS /ˈmɪstəri/
something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained
From this reading The mystery that surrounded the gifts was my greatest delight and amusement.
nickverbUS /nɪk/
cut slightly, with a razor
From this reading My friends did all they could to excite my curiosity by hints and half-spelled sentences which they pretended to break off in the nick of time.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading My friends did all they could to excite my curiosity by hints and half-spelled sentences which they pretended to break off in the nick of time.
offadverbUS /ɔːf/
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading My friends did all they could to excite my curiosity by hints and half-spelled sentences which they pretended to break off in the nick of time.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Every one in the family prepared surprises for me; but what pleased me most, Miss Sullivan and I prepared surprises for everybody else.
pleasedadjectiveUS /pliːzd/
experiencing or manifesting pleasure
From this reading Every one in the family prepared surprises for me; but what pleased me most, Miss Sullivan and I prepared surprises for everybody else.
preparedadjectiveUS /priˈperd/
made ready or fit or suitable beforehand
From this reading Every one in the family prepared surprises for me; but what pleased me most, Miss Sullivan and I prepared surprises for everybody else.
pretendedadjectiveUS /priˈtendɪd/
adopted in order to deceive
From this reading My friends did all they could to excite my curiosity by hints and half-spelled sentences which they pretended to break off in the nick of time.
sentencesnounUS /ˈsentənsəz/
plural of “sentence” — a string of words satisfying the grammatical rules of a language
From this reading My friends did all they could to excite my curiosity by hints and half-spelled sentences which they pretended to break off in the nick of time.
setverbUS /set/
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Miss Sullivan and I kept up a game of guessing which taught me more about the use of language than any set lessons could have done.
SullivannounUS /ˈsʌləvən/
United States architect known for his steel framed skyscrapers and for coining the phrase “form follows function” (1856-1924)
From this reading The first Christmas after Miss Sullivan came to Tuscumbia was a great event.
surprisesnounUS /sərˈpraɪzɪz/
plural of “surprise” — the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading Every one in the family prepared surprises for me; but what pleased me most, Miss Sullivan and I prepared surprises for everybody else.
surroundedadjectiveUS /sərˈaʊndɪd/
confined on all sides
From this reading The mystery that surrounded the gifts was my greatest delight and amusement.
taughtverbUS /tɔːt/
inflected form of “teach” — impart skills or knowledge to
From this reading Miss Sullivan and I kept up a game of guessing which taught me more about the use of language than any set lessons could have done.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Miss Sullivan and I kept up a game of guessing which taught me more about the use of language than any set lessons could have done.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The mystery that surrounded the gifts was my greatest delight and amusement.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The first Christmas after Miss Sullivan came to Tuscumbia was a great event.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading My friends did all they could to excite my curiosity by hints and half-spelled sentences which they pretended to break off in the nick of time.
timenounUS /taɪm/
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading My friends did all they could to excite my curiosity by hints and half-spelled sentences which they pretended to break off in the nick of time.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The first Christmas after Miss Sullivan came to Tuscumbia was a great event.
Tuscumbia
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The first Christmas after Miss Sullivan came to Tuscumbia was a great event.
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Miss Sullivan and I kept up a game of guessing which taught me more about the use of language than any set lessons could have done.
usenounUS /juːs/
the act of using
From this reading Miss Sullivan and I kept up a game of guessing which taught me more about the use of language than any set lessons could have done.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The first Christmas after Miss Sullivan came to Tuscumbia was a great event.
whatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Every one in the family prepared surprises for me; but what pleased me most, Miss Sullivan and I prepared surprises for everybody else.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading My friends did all they could to excite my curiosity by hints and half-spelled sentences which they pretended to break off in the nick of time.
