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 It was, as usual, a decision on which the question of peace or atomic war depended.
againnounUS /again/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading And, as usual, the WDA Coordinator had to tell the Com Ambassador that the Coms had won again.
aliens
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The aliens had lost their lives to nuclear war--but their loss might be the salvation of Earth!
Alliance
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Council of the Western Defense Alliance, as usual, had made the decision.
Ambassador
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And, as usual, the WDA Coordinator had to tell the Com Ambassador that the Coms had won again.
AndconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And, as usual, the WDA Coordinator had to tell the Com Ambassador that the Coms had won again.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading It was, as usual, a decision on which the question of peace or atomic war depended.
Asia
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The WDA would not risk atomic war over a thirty-mile shift of a national border in southeast Asia.
atomic
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was, as usual, a decision on which the question of peace or atomic war depended.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The aliens had lost their lives to nuclear war--but their loss might be the salvation of Earth!
border
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The WDA would not risk atomic war over a thirty-mile shift of a national border in southeast Asia.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The aliens had lost their lives to nuclear war--but their loss might be the salvation of Earth!
Com
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And, as usual, the WDA Coordinator had to tell the Com Ambassador that the Coms had won again.
Coms
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And, as usual, the WDA Coordinator had to tell the Com Ambassador that the Coms had won again.
Coordinator
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And, as usual, the WDA Coordinator had to tell the Com Ambassador that the Coms had won again.
CouncilnounUS /council/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The Council of the Western Defense Alliance, as usual, had made the decision.
decision
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was, as usual, a decision on which the question of peace or atomic war depended.
Defense
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Council of the Western Defense Alliance, as usual, had made the decision.
depended
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was, as usual, a decision on which the question of peace or atomic war depended.
Earth
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The aliens had lost their lives to nuclear war--but their loss might be the salvation of Earth!
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The aliens had lost their lives to nuclear war--but their loss might be the salvation of Earth!
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The WDA would not risk atomic war over a thirty-mile shift of a national border in southeast Asia.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was, as usual, a decision on which the question of peace or atomic war depended.
lives
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The aliens had lost their lives to nuclear war--but their loss might be the salvation of Earth!
loss
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The aliens had lost their lives to nuclear war--but their loss might be the salvation of Earth!
lost
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The aliens had lost their lives to nuclear war--but their loss might be the salvation of Earth!
made
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Council of the Western Defense Alliance, as usual, had made the decision.
mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading The aliens had lost their lives to nuclear war--but their loss might be the salvation of Earth!
national
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The WDA would not risk atomic war over a thirty-mile shift of a national border in southeast Asia.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The WDA would not risk atomic war over a thirty-mile shift of a national border in southeast Asia.
nuclear
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The aliens had lost their lives to nuclear war--but their loss might be the salvation of Earth!
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The aliens had lost their lives to nuclear war--but their loss might be the salvation of Earth!
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading It was, as usual, a decision on which the question of peace or atomic war depended.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading It was, as usual, a decision on which the question of peace or atomic war depended.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading The WDA would not risk atomic war over a thirty-mile shift of a national border in southeast Asia.
peace
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was, as usual, a decision on which the question of peace or atomic war depended.
questionnounUS /ˈquestion/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading It was, as usual, a decision on which the question of peace or atomic war depended.
risk
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The WDA would not risk atomic war over a thirty-mile shift of a national border in southeast Asia.
salvation
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The aliens had lost their lives to nuclear war--but their loss might be the salvation of Earth!
shift
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The WDA would not risk atomic war over a thirty-mile shift of a national border in southeast Asia.
southeast
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The WDA would not risk atomic war over a thirty-mile shift of a national border in southeast Asia.
tellnounUS /tell/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading And, as usual, the WDA Coordinator had to tell the Com Ambassador that the Coms had won again.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading And, as usual, the WDA Coordinator had to tell the Com Ambassador that the Coms had won again.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The aliens had lost their lives to nuclear war--but their loss might be the salvation of Earth!
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The aliens had lost their lives to nuclear war--but their loss might be the salvation of Earth!
thirty-mile
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The WDA would not risk atomic war over a thirty-mile shift of a national border in southeast Asia.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The aliens had lost their lives to nuclear war--but their loss might be the salvation of Earth!
usual
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was, as usual, a decision on which the question of peace or atomic war depended.
war
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The aliens had lost their lives to nuclear war--but their loss might be the salvation of Earth!
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was, as usual, a decision on which the question of peace or atomic war depended.
WDA
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And, as usual, the WDA Coordinator had to tell the Com Ambassador that the Coms had won again.
Western
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Council of the Western Defense Alliance, as usual, had made the decision.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading It was, as usual, a decision on which the question of peace or atomic war depended.
won
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And, as usual, the WDA Coordinator had to tell the Com Ambassador that the Coms had won again.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading The WDA would not risk atomic war over a thirty-mile shift of a national border in southeast Asia.