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adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE MUSICAL ELEMENTS OF THE POPULAR SONG The easiest thing in the world is to write a song; the most difficult, to write a song that will be popular.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The difference between poverty and opulence in the business of song-writing is--whistling.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading THE MUSICAL ELEMENTS OF THE POPULAR SONG The easiest thing in the world is to write a song; the most difficult, to write a song that will be popular.
become
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From this reading I do not mean a "popular" song, but a song everybody will whistle--for few songs written for the populace really become songs of the people.
betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading The difference between poverty and opulence in the business of song-writing is--whistling.
business
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From this reading The difference between poverty and opulence in the business of song-writing is--whistling.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading I do not mean a "popular" song, but a song everybody will whistle--for few songs written for the populace really become songs of the people.
canmodal verbUS /kæn/
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading What is the difference, then, between the man who can "write songs" and the one who can write songs everybody will whistle?
difference
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From this reading The difference between poverty and opulence in the business of song-writing is--whistling.
difficult
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From this reading THE MUSICAL ELEMENTS OF THE POPULAR SONG The easiest thing in the world is to write a song; the most difficult, to write a song that will be popular.
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading I do not mean a "popular" song, but a song everybody will whistle--for few songs written for the populace really become songs of the people.
easiest
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From this reading THE MUSICAL ELEMENTS OF THE POPULAR SONG The easiest thing in the world is to write a song; the most difficult, to write a song that will be popular.
ELEMENTS
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From this reading THE MUSICAL ELEMENTS OF THE POPULAR SONG The easiest thing in the world is to write a song; the most difficult, to write a song that will be popular.
everybodypronounUS /ˈevribɑːdi/
every person
From this reading I do not mean a "popular" song, but a song everybody will whistle--for few songs written for the populace really become songs of the people.
few
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I do not mean a "popular" song, but a song everybody will whistle--for few songs written for the populace really become songs of the people.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I do not mean a "popular" song, but a song everybody will whistle--for few songs written for the populace really become songs of the people.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I do not mean a "popular" song, but a song everybody will whistle--for few songs written for the populace really become songs of the people.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE MUSICAL ELEMENTS OF THE POPULAR SONG The easiest thing in the world is to write a song; the most difficult, to write a song that will be popular.
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE MUSICAL ELEMENTS OF THE POPULAR SONG The easiest thing in the world is to write a song; the most difficult, to write a song that will be popular.
lies
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From this reading Wherein lies the magic?
magic
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From this reading Wherein lies the magic?
man
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From this reading What is the difference, then, between the man who can "write songs" and the one who can write songs everybody will whistle?
mean
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I do not mean a "popular" song, but a song everybody will whistle--for few songs written for the populace really become songs of the people.
most
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From this reading THE MUSICAL ELEMENTS OF THE POPULAR SONG The easiest thing in the world is to write a song; the most difficult, to write a song that will be popular.
MUSICAL
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From this reading THE MUSICAL ELEMENTS OF THE POPULAR SONG The easiest thing in the world is to write a song; the most difficult, to write a song that will be popular.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I do not mean a "popular" song, but a song everybody will whistle--for few songs written for the populace really become songs of the people.
OFprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE MUSICAL ELEMENTS OF THE POPULAR SONG The easiest thing in the world is to write a song; the most difficult, to write a song that will be popular.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading What is the difference, then, between the man who can "write songs" and the one who can write songs everybody will whistle?
opulence
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From this reading The difference between poverty and opulence in the business of song-writing is--whistling.
people
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I do not mean a "popular" song, but a song everybody will whistle--for few songs written for the populace really become songs of the people.
populace
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I do not mean a "popular" song, but a song everybody will whistle--for few songs written for the populace really become songs of the people.
POPULAR
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE MUSICAL ELEMENTS OF THE POPULAR SONG The easiest thing in the world is to write a song; the most difficult, to write a song that will be popular.
poverty
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From this reading The difference between poverty and opulence in the business of song-writing is--whistling.
really
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I do not mean a "popular" song, but a song everybody will whistle--for few songs written for the populace really become songs of the people.
SONG
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From this reading THE MUSICAL ELEMENTS OF THE POPULAR SONG The easiest thing in the world is to write a song; the most difficult, to write a song that will be popular.
song-writing
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From this reading The difference between poverty and opulence in the business of song-writing is--whistling.
songs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I do not mean a "popular" song, but a song everybody will whistle--for few songs written for the populace really become songs of the people.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading THE MUSICAL ELEMENTS OF THE POPULAR SONG The easiest thing in the world is to write a song; the most difficult, to write a song that will be popular.
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE MUSICAL ELEMENTS OF THE POPULAR SONG The easiest thing in the world is to write a song; the most difficult, to write a song that will be popular.
then
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What is the difference, then, between the man who can "write songs" and the one who can write songs everybody will whistle?
thingnounUS /thing/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading THE MUSICAL ELEMENTS OF THE POPULAR SONG The easiest thing in the world is to write a song; the most difficult, to write a song that will be popular.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE MUSICAL ELEMENTS OF THE POPULAR SONG The easiest thing in the world is to write a song; the most difficult, to write a song that will be popular.
WhatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What is the difference, then, between the man who can "write songs" and the one who can write songs everybody will whistle?
Wherein
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Wherein lies the magic?
whistlenounUS /ˈwhistle/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading I do not mean a "popular" song, but a song everybody will whistle--for few songs written for the populace really become songs of the people.
whistling
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The difference between poverty and opulence in the business of song-writing is--whistling.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading What is the difference, then, between the man who can "write songs" and the one who can write songs everybody will whistle?
willmodal verbUS /wɪl/
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading THE MUSICAL ELEMENTS OF THE POPULAR SONG The easiest thing in the world is to write a song; the most difficult, to write a song that will be popular.
world
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From this reading THE MUSICAL ELEMENTS OF THE POPULAR SONG The easiest thing in the world is to write a song; the most difficult, to write a song that will be popular.
write
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE MUSICAL ELEMENTS OF THE POPULAR SONG The easiest thing in the world is to write a song; the most difficult, to write a song that will be popular.
written
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I do not mean a "popular" song, but a song everybody will whistle--for few songs written for the populace really become songs of the people.
