Thirty-six words in six families. Tap the speaker to hear each one, then three games and twenty-four questions.
Six families of six words. Words are easier to remember when they arrive with their friends.
Words for how something moves and the sound that comes with it — a lope is not a gallop, and a rustle is not an echo.
Tiptoe means walking on the very tips of your toes so nobody hears you. Spies tiptoe. So do kids sneaking to the biscuit tin.
Your turn — read it out loud!
Loping is a relaxed, bouncy way of running with long steps. Big dogs lope when they're happy — it looks effortless.
Your turn — read it out loud!
Gallop is the fastest run a horse has — all four feet leave the ground. When you sprint flat out, you're galloping too.
Your turn — read it out loud!
Gulp means swallowing something down fast and big. You gulp water after running. You also gulp when you're nervous — that dry little swallow.
Your turn — read it out loud!
Rustle is that soft papery sound — leaves in wind, a chip packet, pages turning. Quiet, dry, whispery.
Your turn — read it out loud!
An echo is a sound that hits something far away and bounces back to you, a little late and a little softer. Shout in a cave and it answers.
Your turn — read it out loud!
A face gives feelings away before any words do. These words name exactly what it is showing.
Astounded means so surprised your mouth falls open. Not just surprised — knocked-over-with-amazement surprised.
Your turn — read it out loud!
Puzzled means confused — like a puzzle piece that won't fit. Your eyebrows squeeze together while your brain hunts for the answer.
Your turn — read it out loud!
A glare is an angry stare. No words needed — the eyes do all the talking, and what they say is not friendly.
Your turn — read it out loud!
A gasp is that sudden sharp breath — 'huh!' — when something shocks you. Your body does it before you can think.
Your turn — read it out loud!
Blushing is when your cheeks turn pink and warm without asking you first — usually when you're embarrassed or shy.
Your turn — read it out loud!
A shrug is lifting both shoulders up and down. It means 'don't know' or 'don't care' — a whole answer without a single word.
Your turn — read it out loud!
Not everything big is 'big' the same way, and not everything small is 'small' the same way. These words say how much, exactly.
Enormous means really, truly gigantic. A whale is enormous. So is the number of stars in the sky.
Your turn — read it out loud!
Substantial means a big, serious amount — not a little bit. If a substantial part of your room is Lego, that's a LOT of Lego.
Your turn — read it out loud!
Miniature means a tiny version of a real thing — a little house, a little train. Everything is there, just shrunk.
Your turn — read it out loud!
A fraction is just a part — one slice of the pizza, not the whole thing. 'Only a fraction' means only a few.
Your turn — read it out loud!
Scarce means there's very little of it around. When something is scarce — like water in a desert — everyone wants it and it becomes precious.
Your turn — read it out loud!
Ultimate means the very top one — the greatest, the final level. The ultimate challenge is the biggest challenge there is.
Your turn — read it out loud!
Some watching is careful. Some is only a glance, or nothing at all. These words say which.
To gaze is to look at something for a long, steady time — like a dog watching your sandwich, hoping.
Your turn — read it out loud!
Intently means with every bit of your attention. When you watch intently, you don't blink much — you don't want to miss a thing.
Your turn — read it out loud!
Inspect means to look at something slowly and carefully, checking every part — like a detective at a muddy footprint.
Your turn — read it out loud!
Recognise means your memory lights up: 'I know that face! I know that song!' If you don't recognise it, it's a stranger to you.
Your turn — read it out loud!
Blend means mixing in so smoothly you can hardly tell things apart — like a green frog on a green leaf.
Your turn — read it out loud!
Vanish means to disappear completely, often suddenly. A magician's rabbit vanishes. So do biscuits, mysteriously.
Your turn — read it out loud!
The way someone acts says something 'happy' or 'sad' cannot — is she willing, or only pretending?
Willing means ready to say yes — you'll do it, and you don't need to be pushed.
Your turn — read it out loud!
Reluctant means you'll do it, but you really don't want to — slow feet, heavy sigh. The opposite of willing.
Your turn — read it out loud!
Hostile means properly unfriendly — not just grumpy, but treating someone like an enemy.
Your turn — read it out loud!
Insincere means faking it — saying or smiling things you don't really mean. A real smile reaches the eyes; an insincere one doesn't.
Your turn — read it out loud!
Grudgingly means doing or saying something while wishing you didn't have to — like admitting your sister was right, through gritted teeth.
Your turn — read it out loud!
Admire means looking at something and thinking 'wow, that's really good.' You can even admire something that caused you trouble — clever is clever.
Your turn — read it out loud!
Some things are only unwanted. Others are dangerous. These words keep the two apart.
Discard means to throw away — to decide something isn't wanted anymore and let it go.
Your turn — read it out loud!
Toxic means poisonous. Toxic things can make people, animals or rivers sick — that's why they get warning labels.
Your turn — read it out loud!
A hazard is a danger waiting to happen — a wet floor, small parts near a baby. Hazard signs say: careful, this could hurt.
Your turn — read it out loud!
A remedy is a fix — a way to make a problem better. Medicine is a remedy for sickness; sharing is a remedy for waste.
Your turn — read it out loud!
Bleak means grey and hopeless-feeling — a cold empty beach in winter, or news with no good side. But bleak is not the same as impossible.
Your turn — read it out loud!
Alarming means worrying enough to ring a little alarm bell in your head — it tells you something needs attention, now.
Your turn — read it out loud!
Same thirty-six words, three different jobs: match the picture, fill the gap, and pick what you heard.
Tap a picture, then its word. Clear all four pairs.
One word is missing. Only one of the four fits.
Tap the speaker, then choose the picture you heard.
Twenty-four questions. Tap an answer and find out straight away — and why the wrong ones looked right.
The floor creaks, so he had to ___ past the baby's room.
💡A creaky floor and a sleeping baby — how must he move?
1Cross out the loud, fast ways of moving.
B. You tiptoe — walk silently on your toes — when sound would wake someone. Galloping is the loudest possible choice.Moving and sounding
Mia's little brother solved the 500-piece puzzle alone. Mia was ___.
💡Is this feeling about surprise, or about not wanting something?
1Which word means amazed beyond words?
C. Astounded is jaw-dropping surprise — exactly what a 500-piece solo puzzle earns. The others are about attitude, not surprise.Feelings your face shows
Next to the ant, the watermelon looked absolutely ___.
💡From an ant's point of view, what does a watermelon look like?
1Two of these words are not about size at all.
B. To a tiny ant, a watermelon is enormous — extremely big. Miniature is the exact opposite, and scarce and bleak aren't about size.How big, how much
The dog sat by the table and ___ at the sausages for ten whole minutes.
💡Ten minutes of steady hopeful looking — which word is that?
1Which word means a long, steady look?
A. Gazing is long, steady, hopeful looking — classic dog-at-sausage behaviour. A glare is angry, a gasp is a breath.Watching closely
'Who wants to help wash the dog?' — 'Me!' said Ari at once. Ari was ___.
💡He said 'Me!' straight away — eager or dragging his feet?
1One of these words is not even an adjective that fits the gap.
C. Answering 'Me!' at once is being willing — happy and ready. Reluctant is the opposite, and grudgingly doesn't fit the sentence.The way people are
Toys with tiny loose parts can be a choking ___ for babies.
💡Is this something dangerous, or something helpful?
1Cross out the word that means a FIX for problems.
B. A hazard is a danger waiting to happen — tiny parts near a baby is exactly that. A remedy is the opposite: a fix.Serious matters
Which of these would really rustle?
💡You're listening for a soft, dry, papery sound.
1Which one is dry and light enough to whisper?
C. Dry leaves brushing together make that soft papery rustle. Stone is silent, water sloshes, and wool is too soft to rustle.Moving and sounding
The key that always worked would not open the door. Dad frowned and turned it over in his hand. He was ___.
💡He's not shocked — he's trying to WORK OUT what's wrong.
1Which word goes with a frown and a question in your head?
B. Puzzled is confused-and-thinking — turning the key over, hunting for the reason. Astounded would be open-mouthed shock, which this isn't.Feelings your face shows
After the storm, dry firewood was ___ — every family was hunting for it.
💡Everyone wants it and there's almost none — which word is that?
1The sentence says everyone was HUNTING for it. Why would they?
D. Scarce means so little of it exists that people hunt for it. Substantial would mean there was plenty — the opposite problem.How big, how much
Before buying the bike, Grandpa ___ every part — brakes, chain, tyres.
💡Checking part by part, carefully — which looking-word is that?
1One of these words isn't about looking at all.
A. Inspecting is careful, part-by-part checking — exactly what you do before buying a bike. Gazing is dreamy looking with no checking.Watching closely
Which sentence uses the word correctly?
💡The word means thinking 'wow, that's impressive.'
1Which sentence has something impressive in it?
A. You admire something impressive — like perfect origami. The other sentences use it like throwing, sleeping or dressing, which it never means.The way people are
One moment the biscuits were on the plate. Then Dad walked past, and they had ___.
💡One moment there, next moment gone — completely.
1Which word means disappeared?
C. Vanished means completely disappeared — the great biscuit mystery. Blended would mean they were still there, just hard to spot.Watching closely
Which sentence uses the word correctly?
💡The word is a quiet, careful way of WALKING.
1Who in these sentences is trying to stay silent?
D. You tiptoe to stay silent — perfect for leaving a sleeping puppy. Soup, trucks and goals have nothing to tiptoe with.Moving and sounding
Which sentence shows someone astounded?
💡This feeling makes your mouth fall open.
1Which sentence has something unbelievable happening?
A. An open mouth at a cage-opening hamster — that's astounded. Calm reading, yawning and nodding are the quietest feelings there are.Feelings your face shows
Which of these is really enormous?
💡You're hunting for the truly gigantic one.
1Three of these fit in your hand. One doesn't fit in a swimming pool.
D. A container ship is enormous — longer than a street. The other three all fit in one hand.How big, how much
Which sentence uses the word correctly?
💡The word is a way of LOOKING — long and steady.
1Who in these sentences is looking at something?
D. Gazing is long quiet looking — perfect for glow-worm lights. You can't gaze a ball, a dinner or a door; those need throwing, eating and slamming.Watching closely
The coach asked who would play goalie. Nobody moved — except Zoe, whose hand shot straight up. Zoe was ___.
💡Her hand shot up FIRST — what does that show?
1Which word means ready and happy to do it?
B. A hand that shoots straight up is willingness in action. Nothing about Zoe is unfriendly, confused or amazed.The way people are
Which of these is a hazard on a school stairway?
💡A hazard is something that could HURT someone.
1Three of these make stairs SAFER. One does the opposite.
C. A skateboard on the steps is an accident waiting to happen — a hazard. Handrails, lights and non-slip mats are there to prevent accidents.Serious matters
Which sentence uses the word correctly?
💡The word is a SOFT, dry, papery sound.
1Cross out the loud and wet sounds.
B. A soft sound in dry bushes — that's a rustle, and it's why everyone went still. Thunder booms, pianos scrape, pools splash.Moving and sounding
Which sentence shows someone puzzled?
💡This feeling means stuck on something that makes no sense.
1Who is stuck trying to understand something?
D. Reading a note three times with a frown is being puzzled. Cheering, racing and humming are all sure of themselves.Feelings your face shows
In which place would fresh water be most scarce?
💡Scarce means hardly any of it exists there.
1Where does it almost never rain?
D. Deserts get almost no rain, so fresh water is scarce there. Rainforests, lakesides and snowy mountains all have water to spare.How big, how much
Which sentence uses the word correctly?
💡The word means checking something CAREFULLY, part by part.
1Who is checking something bit by bit?
C. A vet checking one toe at a time is inspecting. The other sentences are really eating, flying and falling asleep.Watching closely
The dogs dug a clever tunnel and escaped. Even while fixing the fence, Dad kept saying 'clever girls'. Dad felt ___ despite the trouble.
💡He's cross about the fence but impressed by the digging.
1Which word means being impressed?
A. Saying 'clever girls' while fixing their mess is admiration — being impressed even when it's inconvenient. He isn't their enemy, isn't panicking, isn't bored.The way people are
Which sentence uses the word correctly?
💡The word means to DISAPPEAR — you can't vanish something else somewhere.
1Which sentence has something disappearing from sight?
A. The sun disappearing behind clouds — vanished. The word never means putting, heating or opening things.Watching closely
Try the whole set first. There is no time limit — getting it right matters more than getting it fast.
Stuck on a word or a question? Say it out loud instead — your helper knows every word and every question here, and will not tell you the answer.
Say a word, or a question number. Or try: “teach me question 7” — the helper will pretend to be wrong. Convince them! Uses the microphone. Nothing is recorded.
