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The Way of the World
The Way of the World

Chapter V · Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of The Way of the World is here in full — 270 sentences across 54 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Way of the World
Context Illustration Reading 1/54 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
SCENE XI.
LADY WISHFORT, SIR WILFULL WITWOUD, MR.
WITWOUD, FOIBLE.
LADY.
Smells?
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Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Way of the World

Chapter V · Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of The Way of the World is here in full — 270 sentences across 54 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/54 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
SCENE XI.
/siːn ʃiː/
Line 2
LADY WISHFORT, SIR WILFULL WITWOUD, MR.
Line 3
WITWOUD, FOIBLE.
Line 4
LADY.
/ˈleɪdi/
Line 5
Smells?
/smelz/

Learner Dictionary

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.

foible noun US /ˈfɔɪbəl/

a behavioral attribute that is distinctive and peculiar to an individual

From this reading “WITWOUD, FOIBLE.”

lady noun US /ˈleɪdi/

a polite name for any woman

From this reading “LADY WISHFORT, SIR WILFULL WITWOUD, MR.”

scene noun US /siːn/

the place where some action occurs

From this reading “SCENE XI.”

sir noun US /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading “LADY WISHFORT, SIR WILFULL WITWOUD, MR.”

Smells noun US /smelz/

plural of “smell” — the sensation that results when olfactory receptors in the nose are stimulated by particular chemicals in gaseous form

From this reading “Smells?”

All words in this reading · 10

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.

FOIBLEnounUS /ˈfɔɪbəl/

a behavioral attribute that is distinctive and peculiar to an individual

From this reading WITWOUD, FOIBLE.

LADYnounUS /ˈleɪdi/

a polite name for any woman

From this reading LADY WISHFORT, SIR WILFULL WITWOUD, MR.

MRnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading LADY WISHFORT, SIR WILFULL WITWOUD, MR.

SCENEnounUS /siːn/

the place where some action occurs

From this reading SCENE XI.

SIRnounUS /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading LADY WISHFORT, SIR WILFULL WITWOUD, MR.

SmellsnounUS /smelz/

plural of “smell” — the sensation that results when olfactory receptors in the nose are stimulated by particular chemicals in gaseous form

From this reading Smells?

WILFULL

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading LADY WISHFORT, SIR WILFULL WITWOUD, MR.

WISHFORT

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading LADY WISHFORT, SIR WILFULL WITWOUD, MR.

WITWOUD

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading LADY WISHFORT, SIR WILFULL WITWOUD, MR.

XInounUS /ʃiː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of ten and one

From this reading SCENE XI.

Chapter 5 of The Way of the World by William Congreve holds 270 sentences, grouped into 54 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.

What does chapter 5 of The Way of the World contain?

Chapter 5 holds 270 sentences of The Way of the World, unabridged, divided into 54 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 5 of The Way of the World by William Congreve exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 270 sentences, grouped into 54 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.

How do I study chapter 5 of The Way of the World?

Work through the 54 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 54 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.

Can chapter 5 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 5 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.

Questions about reading The Way of the World

Common questions about reading The Way of the World by William Congreve on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Way of the World?

Yes. All 1971 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1292 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Way of the World is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1292, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Way of the World take to read?

About 164 minutes of reading across 395 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Way of the World section by section

How to work through The Way of the World section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 7 chapters of The Way of the World to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Way of the World

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Way of the World, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Audire
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Way of the World; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Pretium
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Way of the World; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Procedere
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Way of the World; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Recte
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Way of the World; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.