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 I had crossed a marshy tract full of willows, bulrushes, and odd, outlandish, swampy trees; and I had now come out upon the skirts of an open piece of undulating, sandy country, about a mile long, dotted with a few pines and a great number of contorted trees, not unlike the oak in growth, but pale in the foliage, like willows.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading I had crossed a marshy tract full of willows, bulrushes, and odd, outlandish, swampy trees; and I had now come out upon the skirts of an open piece of undulating, sandy country, about a mile long, dotted with a few pines and a great number of contorted trees, not unlike the oak in growth, but pale in the foliage, like willows.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading I had crossed a marshy tract full of willows, bulrushes, and odd, outlandish, swampy trees; and I had now come out upon the skirts of an open piece of undulating, sandy country, about a mile long, dotted with a few pines and a great number of contorted trees, not unlike the oak in growth, but pale in the foliage, like willows.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I was so pleased at having given the slip to Long John that I began to enjoy myself and look around me with some interest on the strange land that I was in.
aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading I was so pleased at having given the slip to Long John that I began to enjoy myself and look around me with some interest on the strange land that I was in.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading I was so pleased at having given the slip to Long John that I began to enjoy myself and look around me with some interest on the strange land that I was in.
begannounUS /began/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading I was so pleased at having given the slip to Long John that I began to enjoy myself and look around me with some interest on the strange land that I was in.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading The isle was uninhabited; my shipmates I had left behind, and nothing lived in front of me but dumb brutes and fowls.
brutes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The isle was uninhabited; my shipmates I had left behind, and nothing lived in front of me but dumb brutes and fowls.
bulrushes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I had crossed a marshy tract full of willows, bulrushes, and odd, outlandish, swampy trees; and I had now come out upon the skirts of an open piece of undulating, sandy country, about a mile long, dotted with a few pines and a great number of contorted trees, not unlike the oak in growth, but pale in the foliage, like willows.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading I had crossed a marshy tract full of willows, bulrushes, and odd, outlandish, swampy trees; and I had now come out upon the skirts of an open piece of undulating, sandy country, about a mile long, dotted with a few pines and a great number of contorted trees, not unlike the oak in growth, but pale in the foliage, like willows.
comenounUS /come/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading I had crossed a marshy tract full of willows, bulrushes, and odd, outlandish, swampy trees; and I had now come out upon the skirts of an open piece of undulating, sandy country, about a mile long, dotted with a few pines and a great number of contorted trees, not unlike the oak in growth, but pale in the foliage, like willows.
contorted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I had crossed a marshy tract full of willows, bulrushes, and odd, outlandish, swampy trees; and I had now come out upon the skirts of an open piece of undulating, sandy country, about a mile long, dotted with a few pines and a great number of contorted trees, not unlike the oak in growth, but pale in the foliage, like willows.
country
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I had crossed a marshy tract full of willows, bulrushes, and odd, outlandish, swampy trees; and I had now come out upon the skirts of an open piece of undulating, sandy country, about a mile long, dotted with a few pines and a great number of contorted trees, not unlike the oak in growth, but pale in the foliage, like willows.
craggy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On the far side of the open stood one of the hills, with two quaint, craggy peaks shining vividly in the sun.
crossed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I had crossed a marshy tract full of willows, bulrushes, and odd, outlandish, swampy trees; and I had now come out upon the skirts of an open piece of undulating, sandy country, about a mile long, dotted with a few pines and a great number of contorted trees, not unlike the oak in growth, but pale in the foliage, like willows.
dotted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I had crossed a marshy tract full of willows, bulrushes, and odd, outlandish, swampy trees; and I had now come out upon the skirts of an open piece of undulating, sandy country, about a mile long, dotted with a few pines and a great number of contorted trees, not unlike the oak in growth, but pale in the foliage, like willows.
dumb
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The isle was uninhabited; my shipmates I had left behind, and nothing lived in front of me but dumb brutes and fowls.
enjoy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I was so pleased at having given the slip to Long John that I began to enjoy myself and look around me with some interest on the strange land that I was in.
exploration
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I now felt for the first time the joy of exploration.
far
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On the far side of the open stood one of the hills, with two quaint, craggy peaks shining vividly in the sun.
felt
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I now felt for the first time the joy of exploration.
few
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I had crossed a marshy tract full of willows, bulrushes, and odd, outlandish, swampy trees; and I had now come out upon the skirts of an open piece of undulating, sandy country, about a mile long, dotted with a few pines and a great number of contorted trees, not unlike the oak in growth, but pale in the foliage, like willows.
firstnounUS /first/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading I now felt for the first time the joy of exploration.
foliage
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I had crossed a marshy tract full of willows, bulrushes, and odd, outlandish, swampy trees; and I had now come out upon the skirts of an open piece of undulating, sandy country, about a mile long, dotted with a few pines and a great number of contorted trees, not unlike the oak in growth, but pale in the foliage, like willows.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I now felt for the first time the joy of exploration.
fowls
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The isle was uninhabited; my shipmates I had left behind, and nothing lived in front of me but dumb brutes and fowls.
front
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The isle was uninhabited; my shipmates I had left behind, and nothing lived in front of me but dumb brutes and fowls.
full
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I had crossed a marshy tract full of willows, bulrushes, and odd, outlandish, swampy trees; and I had now come out upon the skirts of an open piece of undulating, sandy country, about a mile long, dotted with a few pines and a great number of contorted trees, not unlike the oak in growth, but pale in the foliage, like willows.
given
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I was so pleased at having given the slip to Long John that I began to enjoy myself and look around me with some interest on the strange land that I was in.
greatnounUS /great/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading I had crossed a marshy tract full of willows, bulrushes, and odd, outlandish, swampy trees; and I had now come out upon the skirts of an open piece of undulating, sandy country, about a mile long, dotted with a few pines and a great number of contorted trees, not unlike the oak in growth, but pale in the foliage, like willows.
growth
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I had crossed a marshy tract full of willows, bulrushes, and odd, outlandish, swampy trees; and I had now come out upon the skirts of an open piece of undulating, sandy country, about a mile long, dotted with a few pines and a great number of contorted trees, not unlike the oak in growth, but pale in the foliage, like willows.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I had crossed a marshy tract full of willows, bulrushes, and odd, outlandish, swampy trees; and I had now come out upon the skirts of an open piece of undulating, sandy country, about a mile long, dotted with a few pines and a great number of contorted trees, not unlike the oak in growth, but pale in the foliage, like willows.
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading I was so pleased at having given the slip to Long John that I began to enjoy myself and look around me with some interest on the strange land that I was in.
hills
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On the far side of the open stood one of the hills, with two quaint, craggy peaks shining vividly in the sun.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I was so pleased at having given the slip to Long John that I began to enjoy myself and look around me with some interest on the strange land that I was in.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I was so pleased at having given the slip to Long John that I began to enjoy myself and look around me with some interest on the strange land that I was in.
interest
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I was so pleased at having given the slip to Long John that I began to enjoy myself and look around me with some interest on the strange land that I was in.
isle
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The isle was uninhabited; my shipmates I had left behind, and nothing lived in front of me but dumb brutes and fowls.
John
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I was so pleased at having given the slip to Long John that I began to enjoy myself and look around me with some interest on the strange land that I was in.
joy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I now felt for the first time the joy of exploration.
land
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I was so pleased at having given the slip to Long John that I began to enjoy myself and look around me with some interest on the strange land that I was in.
leftnounUS /left/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The isle was uninhabited; my shipmates I had left behind, and nothing lived in front of me but dumb brutes and fowls.
like
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I had crossed a marshy tract full of willows, bulrushes, and odd, outlandish, swampy trees; and I had now come out upon the skirts of an open piece of undulating, sandy country, about a mile long, dotted with a few pines and a great number of contorted trees, not unlike the oak in growth, but pale in the foliage, like willows.
lived
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The isle was uninhabited; my shipmates I had left behind, and nothing lived in front of me but dumb brutes and fowls.
LongnounUS /long/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading I was so pleased at having given the slip to Long John that I began to enjoy myself and look around me with some interest on the strange land that I was in.
looknounUS /look/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading I was so pleased at having given the slip to Long John that I began to enjoy myself and look around me with some interest on the strange land that I was in.
marshy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I had crossed a marshy tract full of willows, bulrushes, and odd, outlandish, swampy trees; and I had now come out upon the skirts of an open piece of undulating, sandy country, about a mile long, dotted with a few pines and a great number of contorted trees, not unlike the oak in growth, but pale in the foliage, like willows.
mepronounUS /miː/
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I was so pleased at having given the slip to Long John that I began to enjoy myself and look around me with some interest on the strange land that I was in.
mile
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I had crossed a marshy tract full of willows, bulrushes, and odd, outlandish, swampy trees; and I had now come out upon the skirts of an open piece of undulating, sandy country, about a mile long, dotted with a few pines and a great number of contorted trees, not unlike the oak in growth, but pale in the foliage, like willows.
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading The isle was uninhabited; my shipmates I had left behind, and nothing lived in front of me but dumb brutes and fowls.
myselfpronounUS /ˌmaɪˈself/
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading I was so pleased at having given the slip to Long John that I began to enjoy myself and look around me with some interest on the strange land that I was in.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I had crossed a marshy tract full of willows, bulrushes, and odd, outlandish, swampy trees; and I had now come out upon the skirts of an open piece of undulating, sandy country, about a mile long, dotted with a few pines and a great number of contorted trees, not unlike the oak in growth, but pale in the foliage, like willows.
nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/
not one thing; not anything
From this reading The isle was uninhabited; my shipmates I had left behind, and nothing lived in front of me but dumb brutes and fowls.
now
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I had crossed a marshy tract full of willows, bulrushes, and odd, outlandish, swampy trees; and I had now come out upon the skirts of an open piece of undulating, sandy country, about a mile long, dotted with a few pines and a great number of contorted trees, not unlike the oak in growth, but pale in the foliage, like willows.
number
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I had crossed a marshy tract full of willows, bulrushes, and odd, outlandish, swampy trees; and I had now come out upon the skirts of an open piece of undulating, sandy country, about a mile long, dotted with a few pines and a great number of contorted trees, not unlike the oak in growth, but pale in the foliage, like willows.
oak
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I had crossed a marshy tract full of willows, bulrushes, and odd, outlandish, swampy trees; and I had now come out upon the skirts of an open piece of undulating, sandy country, about a mile long, dotted with a few pines and a great number of contorted trees, not unlike the oak in growth, but pale in the foliage, like willows.
odd
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I had crossed a marshy tract full of willows, bulrushes, and odd, outlandish, swampy trees; and I had now come out upon the skirts of an open piece of undulating, sandy country, about a mile long, dotted with a few pines and a great number of contorted trees, not unlike the oak in growth, but pale in the foliage, like willows.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I had crossed a marshy tract full of willows, bulrushes, and odd, outlandish, swampy trees; and I had now come out upon the skirts of an open piece of undulating, sandy country, about a mile long, dotted with a few pines and a great number of contorted trees, not unlike the oak in growth, but pale in the foliage, like willows.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading I was so pleased at having given the slip to Long John that I began to enjoy myself and look around me with some interest on the strange land that I was in.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading On the far side of the open stood one of the hills, with two quaint, craggy peaks shining vividly in the sun.
openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/
To move from a closed position.
From this reading I had crossed a marshy tract full of willows, bulrushes, and odd, outlandish, swampy trees; and I had now come out upon the skirts of an open piece of undulating, sandy country, about a mile long, dotted with a few pines and a great number of contorted trees, not unlike the oak in growth, but pale in the foliage, like willows.
out
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I had crossed a marshy tract full of willows, bulrushes, and odd, outlandish, swampy trees; and I had now come out upon the skirts of an open piece of undulating, sandy country, about a mile long, dotted with a few pines and a great number of contorted trees, not unlike the oak in growth, but pale in the foliage, like willows.
outlandish
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I had crossed a marshy tract full of willows, bulrushes, and odd, outlandish, swampy trees; and I had now come out upon the skirts of an open piece of undulating, sandy country, about a mile long, dotted with a few pines and a great number of contorted trees, not unlike the oak in growth, but pale in the foliage, like willows.
pale
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I had crossed a marshy tract full of willows, bulrushes, and odd, outlandish, swampy trees; and I had now come out upon the skirts of an open piece of undulating, sandy country, about a mile long, dotted with a few pines and a great number of contorted trees, not unlike the oak in growth, but pale in the foliage, like willows.
peaks
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On the far side of the open stood one of the hills, with two quaint, craggy peaks shining vividly in the sun.
piece
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I had crossed a marshy tract full of willows, bulrushes, and odd, outlandish, swampy trees; and I had now come out upon the skirts of an open piece of undulating, sandy country, about a mile long, dotted with a few pines and a great number of contorted trees, not unlike the oak in growth, but pale in the foliage, like willows.
pines
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I had crossed a marshy tract full of willows, bulrushes, and odd, outlandish, swampy trees; and I had now come out upon the skirts of an open piece of undulating, sandy country, about a mile long, dotted with a few pines and a great number of contorted trees, not unlike the oak in growth, but pale in the foliage, like willows.
pleasednounUS /ˈpleased/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading I was so pleased at having given the slip to Long John that I began to enjoy myself and look around me with some interest on the strange land that I was in.
quaint
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On the far side of the open stood one of the hills, with two quaint, craggy peaks shining vividly in the sun.
sandy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I had crossed a marshy tract full of willows, bulrushes, and odd, outlandish, swampy trees; and I had now come out upon the skirts of an open piece of undulating, sandy country, about a mile long, dotted with a few pines and a great number of contorted trees, not unlike the oak in growth, but pale in the foliage, like willows.
shining
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On the far side of the open stood one of the hills, with two quaint, craggy peaks shining vividly in the sun.
shipmatesnounUS /shipmates/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The isle was uninhabited; my shipmates I had left behind, and nothing lived in front of me but dumb brutes and fowls.
side
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On the far side of the open stood one of the hills, with two quaint, craggy peaks shining vividly in the sun.
skirts
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I had crossed a marshy tract full of willows, bulrushes, and odd, outlandish, swampy trees; and I had now come out upon the skirts of an open piece of undulating, sandy country, about a mile long, dotted with a few pines and a great number of contorted trees, not unlike the oak in growth, but pale in the foliage, like willows.
slip
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I was so pleased at having given the slip to Long John that I began to enjoy myself and look around me with some interest on the strange land that I was in.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading I was so pleased at having given the slip to Long John that I began to enjoy myself and look around me with some interest on the strange land that I was in.
some
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I was so pleased at having given the slip to Long John that I began to enjoy myself and look around me with some interest on the strange land that I was in.
stoodnounUS /stood/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading On the far side of the open stood one of the hills, with two quaint, craggy peaks shining vividly in the sun.
strange
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I was so pleased at having given the slip to Long John that I began to enjoy myself and look around me with some interest on the strange land that I was in.
sun
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On the far side of the open stood one of the hills, with two quaint, craggy peaks shining vividly in the sun.
swampy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I had crossed a marshy tract full of willows, bulrushes, and odd, outlandish, swampy trees; and I had now come out upon the skirts of an open piece of undulating, sandy country, about a mile long, dotted with a few pines and a great number of contorted trees, not unlike the oak in growth, but pale in the foliage, like willows.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I was so pleased at having given the slip to Long John that I began to enjoy myself and look around me with some interest on the strange land that I was in.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I was so pleased at having given the slip to Long John that I began to enjoy myself and look around me with some interest on the strange land that I was in.
timenounUS /time/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading I now felt for the first time the joy of exploration.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I was so pleased at having given the slip to Long John that I began to enjoy myself and look around me with some interest on the strange land that I was in.
tract
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I had crossed a marshy tract full of willows, bulrushes, and odd, outlandish, swampy trees; and I had now come out upon the skirts of an open piece of undulating, sandy country, about a mile long, dotted with a few pines and a great number of contorted trees, not unlike the oak in growth, but pale in the foliage, like willows.
trees
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I had crossed a marshy tract full of willows, bulrushes, and odd, outlandish, swampy trees; and I had now come out upon the skirts of an open piece of undulating, sandy country, about a mile long, dotted with a few pines and a great number of contorted trees, not unlike the oak in growth, but pale in the foliage, like willows.
two
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On the far side of the open stood one of the hills, with two quaint, craggy peaks shining vividly in the sun.
undulating
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I had crossed a marshy tract full of willows, bulrushes, and odd, outlandish, swampy trees; and I had now come out upon the skirts of an open piece of undulating, sandy country, about a mile long, dotted with a few pines and a great number of contorted trees, not unlike the oak in growth, but pale in the foliage, like willows.
uninhabited
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The isle was uninhabited; my shipmates I had left behind, and nothing lived in front of me but dumb brutes and fowls.
unlike
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I had crossed a marshy tract full of willows, bulrushes, and odd, outlandish, swampy trees; and I had now come out upon the skirts of an open piece of undulating, sandy country, about a mile long, dotted with a few pines and a great number of contorted trees, not unlike the oak in growth, but pale in the foliage, like willows.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading I had crossed a marshy tract full of willows, bulrushes, and odd, outlandish, swampy trees; and I had now come out upon the skirts of an open piece of undulating, sandy country, about a mile long, dotted with a few pines and a great number of contorted trees, not unlike the oak in growth, but pale in the foliage, like willows.
vividly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On the far side of the open stood one of the hills, with two quaint, craggy peaks shining vividly in the sun.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I was so pleased at having given the slip to Long John that I began to enjoy myself and look around me with some interest on the strange land that I was in.
willows
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I had crossed a marshy tract full of willows, bulrushes, and odd, outlandish, swampy trees; and I had now come out upon the skirts of an open piece of undulating, sandy country, about a mile long, dotted with a few pines and a great number of contorted trees, not unlike the oak in growth, but pale in the foliage, like willows.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading I was so pleased at having given the slip to Long John that I began to enjoy myself and look around me with some interest on the strange land that I was in.
