Long i sound word
How To Teach The Long I Sound
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The long i sound can be tricky to teach since it has several different ways to spell it. But with a handy word list, plan of action, and some fun activities you’ll have a much easier time teaching long i words and your students will thank you.
Looking for a long i word list? You can download the list pictured by signing up below. If you don’t see the signup form, click here.
Six Ways To Spell Long I
The long i sound can be represented by 6 different spelling patterns:
- i – silent
- i_e – kite
- igh – night
- y – my
- y_e – type
- ie – pie
Spelling Generalizations For Long I
Just I
In open syllables, the long i sound is represented by just the letter i by itself. Most of these will be 2 or more syllable words, such as silent and idea. Students must understand open and closed syllables to be able to apply this.
I alone can also make the long i sound when it comes before two consonants, as in the words pint and kind.
I_E
The i silent e spelling pattern is very common and one of the first students learn. Of course, students should be confident with the magic e syllable. These words are most often one syllable, and the long i sound will be in the middle of a base word or syllable. Some examples of long i words with silent e are mine and hike.
IGH
The igh spelling pattern is another common representation of the long i sound. This spelling pattern appears in the middle of a base word or syllable. Some examples are sight and tonight.
Y
When the long i sound is at the end of a base word, the most common way to spell it is with a y. Examples include: cry and why.
IE Vowel Team and Y_E
Both ie and y_e are less common ways to spell the long i sound. Examples include pie and type.
Tips For Teaching The Long I Sound
When you start teaching the long vowel sounds, you really have to focus on spelling generalizations, homophones, and homographs. Teach one spelling pattern at a time, and once one is mastered you can add in another. It’s much easier to learn how to read these than to learn how to spell. Since they all sound the same and can appear in the same place, choosing the right spelling pattern can be tricky.
One rule you can teach is that English words do not end in i. So students should know words that end with a long i sound won’t be spelled with just i. There are a few exceptions, most of which are foreign words (chai, macaroni, kiwi) but the one most students will notice is hi, and hi is slang for hello. But you won’t be using foreign words in your instruction so this rule can help students.
Teach the process for deciding on the spelling pattern.
This is what you’ll do for all long vowels, though for long o it is more specific.
Once students are familiar with all the options for spelling long i and they know open syllables and the silent e syllable, you can teach them the process for determining the spelling pattern a word has.
When students come across a word with long i and they need to figure out which spelling pattern to choose, here are the questions they can ask:
- Is there more than one syllable?
- Is there a base word?
- Where is the long i sound in the word?
- Could this be one of the less common ie or y_e words?
Students should first break the word into its syllables, and go through the questions.
This will take some practice so try going through a set of words with your students a few times, then have them do some more on their own. This is the same process they will use with other long vowel sounds so it’s a great skill for them to have.
Also, because there are multiple options expect students to get them wrong sometimes, and tell them this! It’s ok if they make mistakes as long as it’s another valid spelling option and not something that doesn’t follow any rules. Through repeated exposure and practice they will eventually internalize the correct spelling pattern for words.
Long I Activities & Lesson Ideas
Phoneme Grapheme Mapping – This is a great activity that really isolates the phonograms for students to practice. You can get the Phonics & Spelling Through Grapheme Mapping book and follow the long i lesson, or use my word list to do the same activity using sound boxes. See below for an example from my Long I Word Work set.
Sorting – Sorting is always a good idea when you have multiple options for spelling. You can play matching games like memory, just sort them into piles/columns, or create any game that requires sorting by spelling pattern.
This builds phonemic awareness so it’s always a good activity for all students.
The example below is a page from my Long I Word Work set.
SOS – If you don’t already know what Simultaneous Oral Spelling is, then check out this post here. I love this multisensory spelling method for practicing spelling. And you can do this whole class or one on one making it really easy to use in any setting.
Picture cue cards – Create visual graphics of tricky words, homophones, and homographs. These picture cues really help students remember which pattern to use. I suggest you make these using index cards and keep them in a baggie or box for reference. See an example below (it’s for a long o sound but you get the idea).
Games – Of course, I always include games because it’s just so easy to add a stack of flashcards to any game and make it educational! Use an easy to play board game where students need to pick up a card on their turn and add a task like reading the word aloud and sorting it, or asking another player to spell it, or even something as simple as having them air write the word after reading it aloud.
Or print off a teacher-made game here.
Dictation – This is another fantastic activity but I would do this after you have spent some time on long i because it is harder for students. Also when dictating words, give students a clue about the spelling such as telling them it’s a vowel team or open syllable.
Constant Review – Remember to keep these spelling patterns in constant review after they are learned, so they are not forgotten. Using a sound wall is a great way to do this without it taking any extra time.
Long I Worksheets
If you’re looking for long i worksheets, check out my set of Long I Word Work. It includes worksheets focusing on the different spelling patterns for the long i sound, some games and activities, reference sheets and posters, and a word list. Check it out here for more info.
If you’re looking for more tips on teaching reading to struggling learners, check out these other posts:
- Phonemic Awareness Strategies & Activities For Struggling Learners
- The 6 Syllable Types
- Why You Should Switch To A Sound Wall
- Reading Strategies for Struggling Readers – Elkonin Boxes
- Teaching Reading Comprehension Strategies – My Secret Tip To Improve Reading Comprehension
- Multisensory Strategies for B & D Reversals – Dyslexia Intervention
- Multisensory Spelling Strategy for Struggling Learners – Dyslexia Spelling Strategy
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Long Vowel Sounds: Word Lists & Activities
Phonics | Spelling
ByDelilah Orpi
This post may contain affiliate links, and I will earn a commission if you purchase through these links.
Please read the disclosure policy for more details.
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In this post, I’m breaking down long vowel sounds (or long vowel words) to help you teach them when working with struggling readers and spellers.
Looking for long vowel word lists? Download all 5 of my pdf long vowel sounds word lists in my freebies library by joining my email list below.
What is a long vowel sound?
Long vowel sounds are vowels that are pronounced the same as their name. You’ll often hear teachers say that long vowels “say their name”.
Long vowels are very common but they can be tricky because there are so many spellings for each long vowel sound.
There are actually 4 ways to make long vowel sounds:
- Vowels at the end of a syllable make the long sound. For example, in the words me and halo (ha-lo) the vowels are all at the end of a syllable so they make the long sound.
- Silent e makes the previous vowel long. The words bike and phone have a silent e at the end that makes the previous vowel long.
- Vowel teams can make the long sound. Vowel teams work together to make one sound, and usually, it’s a long vowel sound. For example, boat and meat both have vowel teams that make the long sound.
- I or O can be long when they come before two consonants. In words like cold and mind, i and o make a long vowel sound.
Long Vowel Words
Long vowel sound words are words that have vowels that say their name. Below are a few examples:
- Long a – baby, cake, rain, day, they, weigh
- Long e – me, eve, hear, meet, piece, candy
- Long i – silent, bike, light, my
- Long o – go, home, toe, boat, snow
- Long u – music, mule, pew, feud
Long A Sound
The long a sound can be represented by 8 different spelling patterns:
- a – baby
- a_e – cake
- ai – rain
- ay – play
- ei – reindeer
- eigh – weight
- ea – steak
- ey – they
Learn more about teaching the long a sound here, and check out my Long A Words Activities & Worksheets for printable activities.
Long E Sound
The long e sound can be represented by 8 different spelling patterns:
- e – be
- e_e – eve
- ee – meet
- ea – beach
- ei – protein
- ie – piece
- ey – key
- y – candy
For ideas, tips, and tricks when teaching the long e sound, read this post all about teaching the long e vowel sound, and check out my Long E Words Activities & Worksheets for printable activities.
Long I Sound
The long i sound can be represented by 6 different spelling patterns:
- i – silent
- i_e – shine
- ie – pie
- igh – light
- y – my
- y_e – type
You can learn more about teaching the long I sound in this post. And check out my Long I Worksheets set in my shop for printable activities on the long i sound.
Long O Sound
The long o sound can be represented by 5 different spelling patterns:
- o – go
- o_e – phone
- oe – toe
- oa – boat
- ow – snow
You can learn more about teaching long o words and check out my long o worksheets.
Long U Sound
The long u has two sounds: yoo (/y/ /oo/) and oo (/oo/).
The long u sound can be represented by 7 different spelling patterns:
- u – music
- u_e – mule
- ue – rescue
- eu – feud
- ew – few
- oo – food
- ou – soup
Learn more about teaching the long u sound here.
Tips for teaching the long vowel sounds
Teach one spelling pattern at a time!
I don’t mean one vowel sound, but just one spelling pattern. So for example, if you’re working on long a, you would work on the spelling pattern a silent e (cake, same, cave) until students have mastered it, then move on to ai, and so on. You should not be teaching multiple spelling patterns together, even though they make the same sound.
I know that most programs out there combine all the long vowel sound spelling patterns into one lesson, especially in spelling lists, but this does not work for struggling readers.
You need to break it down for them and only do one at a time.
Teach the syllable types.
Because syllables have a lot to do with whether vowels make the short or long sound, if students do not already know the 6 syllable types then teach them along with the long vowel sound.
Here are resources for each syllable type:
- closed syllable
- open syllable
- final silent e syllable
- vowel team syllable
- r combination syllable
- consonant le syllable
Use a variety of activities to practice each spelling pattern.
Games, dictation, word sorts, memory or matching with flashcards, word hunts, textured writing, body spelling, and bingo are all fun ways to practice the long vowel sounds.
The main activity that is often overlooked is dictation. It seems so simple but the task involves listening to a word, deciding on the spelling, and transferring that info to written form. These are all skills that struggling readers need to practice.
Teach the spelling generalizations.
Some of the long vowel spelling patterns are spelling rules that make it easy to remember.
For example, ai is usually found at the beginning or middle of a syllable, and ay is usually found at the end of a syllable. [Examples: rain, aim, play, daytime]
Here is another example with long o: oa is usually found at the beginning or middle of a word, and ow is usually found at the end. [Examples: boat, coach, snow]
Long Vowel Word List
I made these word lists to help teach the long vowels. I find it handy to have these on hand when playing phonics games or planning activities for long vowel lessons.
Grab them for free below!
Visit my Teachers Pay Teachers shop to see all my literacy products.Want to remember this? Save Long Vowel Sounds: Word Lists & Activities to your favorite Pinterest board!
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Delilah Orpi
Delilah Orpi is the owner and founder of Thrive Literacy Corner.
She has a Bachelor's degree in Special Education, a Master's degree in TESOL, and is a member of the International Dyslexia Association. She is an experienced educator and literacy specialist trained in Orton Gillingham and Lindamood Bell. Delilah creates literacy resources for educators and parents and writes to create awareness about dyslexia and effective literacy instruction based on the science of reading.
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"Sounding word" (Tumakova) - hearing development classes
April 16, 2014 admin 2756
(Article from the magazine "Family and School", 1977, heading "School of a preschooler: preparing for the study of literacy", author G.
Tumakova) and “Learn by playing. Games and exercises with a sounding word. In the article of the magazine, the author tells how to conduct classes on the development of phonemic hearing in preschoolers.
One of the indispensable conditions for a child's success in future schoolwork is a developed phonemic ear, that is, the ability to distinguish sounds in a stream of speech.
In games and exercises, a child of four or six years old must be shown that a word sounds, that it consists of sounds.
You can conduct these classes in this way.
1. An adult says:
— You already know what words sound, Listen how they sound DIFFERENTLY in Agnia Barto’s poem:
Say louder the word "thunder" -
The word rumbles like thunder.
Say quietly: “six mice”,
And immediately the mice will rustle.
Say: "cuckoo on a bitch",
You will hear "cuckoo".
Then the adult continues:
— Words sound because they are made up of sounds.
Sounds are different, listen: grroomm, zzaashshuurshshaat . Repeat with me so that different sounds can be heard ... Good. Now say the word yourself naughty so that different sounds can be clearly heard: shshaalluunniishshkaa . Now remember a word yourself and pronounce it just as clearly.
2. – What kind of animal is this? (Show a picture of a mouse or a mouse toy.)
- Mouse . A small animal that lives under the floor.
— And who is this? (the picture shows a bear).
- This is bear , a big animal, he lives in the forest and in the North.
— You're right, these are different animals and they have different names, although these names sound similar. Listen carefully: mouse - miiishka . Do you hear how they differ? Now say it yourself. It turns out well ...
3. - Here are two more words, they are different, but similar in sound: mmmak - rrrak . Pronounce them the same way.
And now you name one word, and I will pick up another, similar in sound, to it. Begin.
- Tire ...
- Machine.
- Bath…
- Anna . And now I will name the words, and you will select similar ones in sound. Jackdaw ...
- Stick.
- Candle ...
- Stove.
- Blacksmith ...
- Well done.
4. Now we play differently. We are looking for two words that are dissimilar in sound. Here are the ones I know: house - gun . What about your words?
- Book - som.
- Well, but mine are like this: hot - soup ...
- Beetle - bread.
5. Listen, what name I will call, and you remember another, similar in sound: Irina - Marina . Listen also: May - Paradise - Taya . Attention: Kolya ...
- Olya.
- Yura .
..
- Shura.
6. Look at the pictures. Here in this picture is drawn bird . What word can be added to sound similar, think. Didn't remember? I will help you: titmouse . Listen to what happened: titmouse bird . We can say: small bird . And who is in this picture?
- Runaway Bunny.
- Sounds good: runaway bunny.
Other pictures are also considered, to the names of which the child must choose a rhyme: starling-singer, fox-sister, white-sided magpie ...
7. - I will throw the ball and say, for example, the word rubber, a Do you remember a word that sounds similar, for example, basket , and toss the ball to me. Started to play! Cricket!
- Spider!
- Christmas trees!
— Needles!
- Parsley!
- Animal! Beanbag! Clapperboard!
8.
And now we will throw the ball to each other only after we remember the word ending in sounds ok . Let's start ... hammer!
- Spider!
- Forest!
- Sand!
- Meadow!
— Wet!
9. And now we will name dissimilar, different-sounding words. I will say: goal , and you?
- Cap .
- Okay, let's continue: poppy ...
- Ax!
Your child has learned to listen to words, to pronounce them so that their constituent sounds are clearly audible. The next stage is the ability to distinguish words by the number of sounds (short - few sounds in a word, long - a lot of sounds). With a child, you can conduct such activities.
1. – There are short words: already, house, tea. Listen again: he, ball . If you step under these words, then just one step and you have time to do it while a short word sounds.
Let's do it together: ball, he, ball, already . And if you take a long word, then it is pronounced longer and more steps will be required. Listen and see: sloth, needlewoman, teacher. These words are pronounced like this: llee-nnii-vvii-tszaa, rruukoo-deell-nnii-tszaa, vvoosspii-taaa-teell-nnii-tszaa. Heard how many sounds in these words?
2. – Let's see what objects are in this room…
You can arrange them in advance so that objects with both short and long names are visible. The child must find two objects at once: the name of one must be long, the name of the other must be short. For example, ball - truck . Then you do the same, then the baby again, etc.
3. – Now you need to remember the familiar short words… Now remember and name only the long words.
4. – I will name different words - long and short. The rules of the game are as follows: when I say a short word, you clap your hands, and when I say a long word, don't clap.
Listen: cheese, teacher, carousel, juice, house. Ivanushka, whale, black-eyed, sun, cat . I understood the task correctly, you are attentive...
Then the adult changes roles with the child.
5. - The new task will be more difficult. We will turn short words into long ones, we will change them. For example. Short word cat turn into a long one. Think how to do it? Now say.
- Kitten.
- Very good, but I also offer such a long word: kitten. Kooteennoochcheek , that's how long this word sounds, is it longer than the short word cat ? Let's change the short word fox , turn it into a long one. I wonder what those words will be?
- Fox, fox, fox cub, little fox ...
6. - Now we will recall short words similar in sound. What are the words similar to the word poppy ?
- Cancer, varnish, poppy, tank, like ...
- Good. And they sound similar and all are short.
You can offer your own words, even those that do not exist, but they should be similar in sound and just as short. We begin to select words for the word nose .
- Pos, mos, dew, braid, cable, state, phos ...
- Everything is correct. And by the way table?
- Gender, count, goal, tol, bol, pier, lol, dol…
— Is the word football successful or not? You explain correctly: it sounds like it, but the word is not short.
7. – And for the long word bunny , what long words would be appropriate in sound?
— Chicken, foal, goat…
A variety of exercises can be done “based on the drawing”. The following areas of study are possible here:
1. Awareness of the sound side of the word:
- Name the objects drawn in the picture so clearly and clearly that you can hear how the words sound.
- Mmiishshkkaa, mmaashshiinnaa.
- Name words that sound similar.
- Jackdaw-stick, tire-machine.
What other words sound the same as mouse-bear?
- Donut.
These words can be matched with invented words that do not exist - even if they sound like (dvishka, velmishka).
- What words sound the same as the word jackdaw ?
- Stick, rope.
- Look at the picture and find two objects that do not sound the same.
- Tire, stick.
— What sounds are heard in these words? Think of other words with the same sounds. Are these words short or long?
2. Awareness of the syllabic side of the word:
- Say the word jackdaw in parts.
-
How many parts are there in this word? What is the first part? What is the second? Now say the word 9 in parts0023 stick . Name the first part.
- Pal.
- Name the second one.
- Ca.
- Think about what part of the words the jackdaw and the stick are the same?
- Ca.
- Say the word car in parts and name each part separately ... Remember the words with the first part ma . And what words can you name with the second part shi? And with part to ? Look at all the pictures and name the words that have only two parts in the name. And now - only three parts ... You said that in word stick two parts. How can this word be changed so that it has three parts?
- Stick.
- Say again the word stick in parts and draw as many cells on a piece of paper as there are parts in this word. Now the task will be more difficult: answer in one word from two parts to my question: “ Jackdaw - who is ?”
- Bird, bird.
- And now your answer should consist of a word, which will have three parts: What kind of jackdaw?
- Cher-na-ya, pain-sha-ya.
- And what about tire ?
- Round-glazed.
Finally, a literary game: - Make up a story about how one day car got angry at tire . We will place this story in the home book "Our Stories".
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The most beautiful and unusual words in the English language
Using words that are pleasant to the ear makes speech more melodic and smooth. Beautiful words attract attention, sometimes even imperceptibly to the listener. Many speakers try to use euphonious words in their speeches in order to hook the audience. Oddly enough, it always works. Therefore, beautiful English words have a place not only in fiction, but also in everyday speech.
Today we will talk about what words are considered beautiful in English, how they are translated and what they mean. As a bonus, we will learn unusual words that are used by foreigners in everyday speech and have no analogues in the Russian language.
Beautiful words in English with translation
Many foreign words sound beautiful and pleasant both for the native speakers themselves and for those who hear them from outside.
It is these mellifluous [meˈlɪfluəs] words, that is, mellifluous words, that we will study today.
In 2004, more than 40,000 people were surveyed to find out which English words they find most euphonious. The survey involved people for whom English is not their native language. Here are the 10 words that topped the list:
- Mother [ˈmʌðə(r)]
- Passion [ˈpæʃ(ə)n] - passion
- Smile [smʌɪl] - smile
- Love [lʌv] - love
- Eternity [ɪˈtɜː(r)nəti] - eternity
- Fantastic [fænˈtæstɪk] - fantastic
- Destiny [ˈdestini] - destiny
- Freedom [ˈfriːdəm] - freedom
- Liberty [ˈlɪbə(r)ti] - freedom
- Tranquility [trænˈkwɪlɪti] - tranquility
Later, Reader's Digest editor and noted lexicologist Wilfred Funk conducted his own research to identify the most beautiful words in the English language. Interestingly, the list includes many words related to nature and wildlife.
Here is his personal list:
- Asphodel [ˈasfədɛl] - narcissus
- Fawn [fɔːn] - deer
- Dawn [dɔːn] - dawn
- Chalice [ˈtʃælɪs] - bowl
- Anemone [əˈneməni] - anemone
- Tranquil [ˈtraŋkwɪl] - calm
- Hush [hʌʃ] - silence
- Golden [ˈɡəʊld(ə)n] - golden
- Halcyon [ˈhælsiən] - serene
- Camellia [kəˈmiːliə] - camellia
- Bobolink [ˈbɒbəlɪŋk] - rice bird
- Thrush [θrʌʃ] - thrush
- Chimes [tʃaɪm] - chimes, chime
- Murmuring [ˈməːmərɪŋ] - murmuring, mumbling
- Lullaby [ˈlʌləbʌɪ] - lullaby
- Luminous [ˈluːmɪnəs] - luminous
- Damask [ˈdaməsk] - damask
- Cerulean [sɪˈruːlɪən] - azure
- Melody [ˈmɛlədi] - melody
- Marigold [ˈmærɪˌɡəʊld] - marigolds
- Jonquil [ˈdʒɒŋkwɪl] - narcissus, bright yellow canary
- Oriole [ˈɔːrɪəʊl] - Oriole
- Tendril [ˈtendrəl] — curl, tendril
- Myrrh [mɜː(r)] - myrrh
- Mignonette [ˌmɪnjəˈnɛt] - French lace
- Gossamer [ˈɡɒsəmə] - autumn gossamer
- Mist [mɪst] - haze
- Oleander [ˌəʊliˈændə(r)] - oleander
- Amaryllis [ˌaməˈrɪlɪs] - amaryllis
- Rosemary [ˈrəʊzməri] - rosemary
There are no exact criteria why this or that word can be considered beautiful.
When choosing such words, one can be guided only by their pleasant sound, but not always by the meaning. Oddly enough, some words that sound great, when translated, do not mean the best things.
For example, the word rebellion [rɪˈbeljən] means rebellion or disobedience, and the sonorous word nefarious [nɪˈfɛːrɪəs] is translated into Russian as “low” or “vile”.
However, there are not many such words. In English, there are enough words that are beautiful to the ear, which are also translated exquisitely. Most of these sophisticated [səˈfɪstɪkeɪtɪd] words (refined words) are associated with universe [ˈjuːnɪvɜː(r)s] (universe) and other beautiful things that surround us.
- Aurora [ɔːˈrɔːrə] - northern lights
- Bumblebee [bʌmb(ə)lˌbiː] - bumblebee
- Butterfly [ˈbʌtə(r)ˌflaɪ] - butterfly
- Constellation [ˌkɒnstəˈleɪʃ(ə)n] - constellation
- Galaxy [ˈɡæləksi] - galaxy
- Meadow [ˈmɛdəʊ] - glade, meadow
- Sunshine [ˈsʌnˌʃaɪn] - sunlight, sunshine (as an appeal to a loved one)
- Sweetheart [ˈswiːthɑːt] - dear, beloved (appeal to a loved one)
In addition to concrete nouns, many abstract concepts in English are denoted by beautiful words.
These words were coined during the evolution of man, his cultural development and improvement of the inner world. People wanted to express their multifaceted feelings in words, and sometimes they did it beautifully:
- Betrayal [bɪˈtreɪəl] — betrayal
- Behavior [bɪˈheɪvjə] - behavior
- Consequences [ˈkɒnsɪkwənsɪz] - consequences
- Delicacy [ˈdɛlɪkəsi] - sophistication
- Desire [dɪˈzaɪə(r)] - desire
- Eloquence [ˈɛləkwəns] - eloquence
- Epiphany [ɪˈpɪfəni] - moment of revelation, insight
- Faith [feɪθ] - faith
- Guilt [ɡɪlt] - wine
- Infinity [ɪnˈfɪnəti] - infinity
- Innuendo [ˌɪnjuˈendəʊ] - insinuation, allusion
- Inspiration [ˌɪnspəˈreɪʃ(ə)n] - inspiration
- Oblivion [əˈblɪvɪən] - oblivion
- Perfection [pə(r)ˈfekʃ(ə)n] - perfection
- pronunciation [prəˌnʌnsiˈeɪʃ(ə)n] pronunciation
- Reconciliation [ˌrɛk(ə)nsɪlɪˈeɪʃ(ə)n] — reconciliation
- Sadness [ˈsædnəs] - sadness
- Solitude [ˈsɒləˌtjuːd] - solitude, loneliness
- Success [səkˈsɛs] - success
One of the most beautiful phrases in English, according to native speakers themselves, is cellar door [ˈselə dɔː], which translates as "cellar door".
It is said that this was one of the favorite phrases of the writer Edgar Allan Poe, which he called "extremely musical."
There are many words in the English language that convey a whole range of emotions or phenomena. The English often express their thoughts quite capaciously and the appearance of such words is not the most surprising phenomenon.
For example, in English there is a beautiful word phosphene [ˈfɒsfiːn], which denotes multi-colored circles in front of closed eyes when we press on them with our fingers.
There is also the word defenestration [ˌdiːfɛnɪˈstreɪʃ(ə)n], which is not translated literally, but means “the act of throwing someone or something out of a window”.
The word sonder [ˈsɔn.dər] means the moment when you realize that random passers-by have the same rich and complex life as you yourself.
Hiraeth [‘hiraɪθ] denotes a deep feeling of homesickness and nostalgia for one's homeland. And somnambulist [sɒmˈnambjʊlɪst] is a sleepwalker, that is, a person who walks in his sleep.
The word effervescence [ˌɛfəˈvɛs(ə)ns] can be translated into Russian as “effervescence” or “the process of release of gas bubbles from a liquid (champagne or soda)”. The beautiful word petrichor [ˈpɛtrʌɪkɔː] denotes the elusive smell of rain that is felt in the air. And a slight murmur or rustle can be expressed with the word susurrus [ˈsuːsərəs].
Borrowed from Spanish, duende [duːˈɛndeɪ] means the ability of a work of art to touch the human soul. But the word gezellig [ɣəˈzɛləx], which came into English from Dutch, means that indescribable feeling of warmth and comfort when you are close to loved ones.
One of the most famous loanwords - doppelganger [ˈdɒp(ə)lˌɡæŋə(r)] is translated as a double. It appeared in English from German.
In English there is a word denouement [deɪˈnuːmɒ̃] borrowed from French. It denotes a denouement or outcome. In other words, completion.
And of course, there are many sonorous (sonorous) adjectives in the English language. For example, the word ineffable [ɪnˈɛfəb(ə)l] means something big and great that cannot be expressed with suitable words. And ethereal [ɪˈθɪəriəl] is something unearthly, sublime, as if not from this world. Also, something unearthly or alien can be described by the word extraterrestrial [ˌɛkstrətəˈrɛstrɪəl] Other beautiful adjectives:
- Demure [dɪˈmjʊə(r)] – chaste
- Dissembling [dɪˈsɛmbəlɪŋ] - hypocritical, pretending
- Fabulous [ˈfæbjʊləs] - incredible
- Gorgeous [ˈɡɔː(r)dʒəs] - magnificent, beautiful
- Hilarious [hɪˈlɛːrɪəs] - hilarious
- Insatiable [ɪnˈseɪʃəb(ə)l] — insatiable
- Magnificent [maɡˈnɪfɪs(ə)nt] - magnificent, majestic
- Naive [nʌɪˈiːv] - naive
- Pure [pjʊə(r)] — pure, pure
- Sempiternal [ˌsɛmpɪˈtəːn(ə)l] - eternal
- Twinkling [ˈtwɪŋk (ə) lɪŋ] - shimmering, sparkling
- Unbelievable [ˌʌnbɪˈliːvəb(ə)l] — unbelievable
- Wonderful [ˈwʌndə(r)f(ə)l] - wonderful, wonderful
Unusual words in English
Which word does not repeat any letter, and which long word has only one vowel? Find out below:
Almost (almost) - in this word, the letters are arranged in alphabetical order. Also, as in the word aegilops, which means the aegilops plant.
But in the word strengths (advantages, strengths) - only one vowel for eight consonants.
The word uncopyrightable does not repeat any letter. But in the word indivisibility (indivisibility) the vowel i is repeated five times.
By the way, the longest word in English pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis is related to medicine and has 45 letters. It was deliberately coined and in practice is replaced by the shorter word silicosis (silicosis), which means a lung disease caused by inhalation of dust particles containing silicon.
The English themselves joke when they ask what is the longest word in the English language. The correct answer is smiles (smiles). After all, from the first letter s to the last s - a whole mile (mile).
English words that are not in the Russian language
Cultural phenomena or bright character traits often give rise to new words. Such phrases are quickly borrowed around the world and find use in colloquial speech. Here is some of them:
Coffee face (coffee face) - the face of a person who has not yet drunk coffee.
To computer face (computerized face) - make a focused and tense face, looking at the monitor screen so that other people think that you are very busy with work. Book hangover
First world problems (problems of the first world) - some difficulties experienced by a person in a developed society that would seem strange to people from third world countries. For example, unstable Wi-Fi or bad foam on a cappuccino.
iFinger is a finger that is left clean so that you can use your smartphone while eating.
Gloatgram (Hvastogram) is an account on the social network Instagram, in which the author posts only photos from travels or moments of luxurious life to the envy of friends.
Like shock is a big surprise that your social media post got a huge number of likes.
Cyberchondriac (Cyberchondriac) - a person who finds symptoms of a disease in himself and begins frantically searching the Internet for information about them.
Baggravation - feeling of anxiety at the airport when the luggage of all passengers has already arrived, and yours has not yet left the transport belt.
Screenager is a teenager who spends most of his time on his smartphone or computer. A combination of the words teenager (teenager) and screen (screen).
Other words and phrases in English that are not in Russian
- Earworm (literally: earworm) is an obsessive melody or song that sounds in the head and is difficult to get rid of.
- Closet music (literally: music in the closet) is the music that we listen to alone and for some reason do not want our friends to know that we love it.
- Wallflower (literally: a flower against the wall) is a shy person who does not dance at a party.
- Refrigerator rights (literally: refrigerator rights) - this expression means a close relationship with someone.
- Football widow (literally: football widow) - this is the name of the wives whose husbands go headlong into watching football during important matches.
- Siblings is a common name for siblings. In Russian, we separate them by gender, but in English you can use one word.
- Grandparents - grandparents, also without reference to gender. Although the Russian language has the word "parents" (parents), we do not have a word for the general designation of grandparents.
- Serendipity - the ability of a person to draw deep conclusions from random observations. This word is also used as "happy accident". For example, in the sentence They found each other by pure serendipity (They found each other by a lucky chance).
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