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 That something serious had happened I had not the least doubt, for the Duke was a self-reliant man, and at no time given to the display of emotion.
AfterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading After we had been driving for something like five minutes, a most curious thing happened.
againnounUS /again/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Taking the letter from my pocket again, I endeavoured to read it by the light of the lamps we passed, but it was impossible.
almost
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As the brougham sped on its way through the almost deserted streets, I sat and wondered as to what it could have been that had induced Rotherhithe to send such an urgent message to me.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading As the brougham sped on its way through the almost deserted streets, I sat and wondered as to what it could have been that had induced Rotherhithe to send such an urgent message to me.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading As the brougham sped on its way through the almost deserted streets, I sat and wondered as to what it could have been that had induced Rotherhithe to send such an urgent message to me.
AsconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As the brougham sped on its way through the almost deserted streets, I sat and wondered as to what it could have been that had induced Rotherhithe to send such an urgent message to me.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading That something serious had happened I had not the least doubt, for the Duke was a self-reliant man, and at no time given to the display of emotion.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading As the brougham sped on its way through the almost deserted streets, I sat and wondered as to what it could have been that had induced Rotherhithe to send such an urgent message to me.
betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading The fear that underlay everything was that Count Conrad had returned to town, had met Rotherhithe, and that there had been trouble between them.
brougham
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As the brougham sped on its way through the almost deserted streets, I sat and wondered as to what it could have been that had induced Rotherhithe to send such an urgent message to me.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Taking the letter from my pocket again, I endeavoured to read it by the light of the lamps we passed, but it was impossible.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Taking the letter from my pocket again, I endeavoured to read it by the light of the lamps we passed, but it was impossible.
Conrad
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The fear that underlay everything was that Count Conrad had returned to town, had met Rotherhithe, and that there had been trouble between them.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading As the brougham sped on its way through the almost deserted streets, I sat and wondered as to what it could have been that had induced Rotherhithe to send such an urgent message to me.
Count
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The fear that underlay everything was that Count Conrad had returned to town, had met Rotherhithe, and that there had been trouble between them.
curious
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading After we had been driving for something like five minutes, a most curious thing happened.
desertedverbUS /dɪˈzɜːrtɪd/
left a place or vessel without intending to return
From this reading As the brougham sped on its way through the almost deserted streets, I sat and wondered as to what it could have been that had induced Rotherhithe to send such an urgent message to me.
display
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That something serious had happened I had not the least doubt, for the Duke was a self-reliant man, and at no time given to the display of emotion.
doubt
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That something serious had happened I had not the least doubt, for the Duke was a self-reliant man, and at no time given to the display of emotion.
driving
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading After we had been driving for something like five minutes, a most curious thing happened.
Duke
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That something serious had happened I had not the least doubt, for the Duke was a self-reliant man, and at no time given to the display of emotion.
emotion
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That something serious had happened I had not the least doubt, for the Duke was a self-reliant man, and at no time given to the display of emotion.
endeavoured
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Taking the letter from my pocket again, I endeavoured to read it by the light of the lamps we passed, but it was impossible.
everythingpronounUS /ˈevriθɪŋ/
all things; all of a situation
From this reading The fear that underlay everything was that Count Conrad had returned to town, had met Rotherhithe, and that there had been trouble between them.
fear
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The fear that underlay everything was that Count Conrad had returned to town, had met Rotherhithe, and that there had been trouble between them.
five
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading After we had been driving for something like five minutes, a most curious thing happened.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading That something serious had happened I had not the least doubt, for the Duke was a self-reliant man, and at no time given to the display of emotion.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Taking the letter from my pocket again, I endeavoured to read it by the light of the lamps we passed, but it was impossible.
given
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That something serious had happened I had not the least doubt, for the Duke was a self-reliant man, and at no time given to the display of emotion.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading As the brougham sped on its way through the almost deserted streets, I sat and wondered as to what it could have been that had induced Rotherhithe to send such an urgent message to me.
happened
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That something serious had happened I had not the least doubt, for the Duke was a self-reliant man, and at no time given to the display of emotion.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading As the brougham sped on its way through the almost deserted streets, I sat and wondered as to what it could have been that had induced Rotherhithe to send such an urgent message to me.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading As the brougham sped on its way through the almost deserted streets, I sat and wondered as to what it could have been that had induced Rotherhithe to send such an urgent message to me.
impossible
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Taking the letter from my pocket again, I endeavoured to read it by the light of the lamps we passed, but it was impossible.
induced
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As the brougham sped on its way through the almost deserted streets, I sat and wondered as to what it could have been that had induced Rotherhithe to send such an urgent message to me.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading As the brougham sped on its way through the almost deserted streets, I sat and wondered as to what it could have been that had induced Rotherhithe to send such an urgent message to me.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading As the brougham sped on its way through the almost deserted streets, I sat and wondered as to what it could have been that had induced Rotherhithe to send such an urgent message to me.
lamps
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Taking the letter from my pocket again, I endeavoured to read it by the light of the lamps we passed, but it was impossible.
leastnounUS /least/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading That something serious had happened I had not the least doubt, for the Duke was a self-reliant man, and at no time given to the display of emotion.
letter
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Taking the letter from my pocket again, I endeavoured to read it by the light of the lamps we passed, but it was impossible.
light
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Taking the letter from my pocket again, I endeavoured to read it by the light of the lamps we passed, but it was impossible.
like
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading After we had been driving for something like five minutes, a most curious thing happened.
man
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That something serious had happened I had not the least doubt, for the Duke was a self-reliant man, and at no time given to the display of emotion.
mepronounUS /miː/
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading As the brougham sped on its way through the almost deserted streets, I sat and wondered as to what it could have been that had induced Rotherhithe to send such an urgent message to me.
message
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As the brougham sped on its way through the almost deserted streets, I sat and wondered as to what it could have been that had induced Rotherhithe to send such an urgent message to me.
met
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The fear that underlay everything was that Count Conrad had returned to town, had met Rotherhithe, and that there had been trouble between them.
minutes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading After we had been driving for something like five minutes, a most curious thing happened.
most
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading After we had been driving for something like five minutes, a most curious thing happened.
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Taking the letter from my pocket again, I endeavoured to read it by the light of the lamps we passed, but it was impossible.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading That something serious had happened I had not the least doubt, for the Duke was a self-reliant man, and at no time given to the display of emotion.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading That something serious had happened I had not the least doubt, for the Duke was a self-reliant man, and at no time given to the display of emotion.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading That something serious had happened I had not the least doubt, for the Duke was a self-reliant man, and at no time given to the display of emotion.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading As the brougham sped on its way through the almost deserted streets, I sat and wondered as to what it could have been that had induced Rotherhithe to send such an urgent message to me.
passednounUS /passed/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Taking the letter from my pocket again, I endeavoured to read it by the light of the lamps we passed, but it was impossible.
pocket
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Taking the letter from my pocket again, I endeavoured to read it by the light of the lamps we passed, but it was impossible.
read
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Taking the letter from my pocket again, I endeavoured to read it by the light of the lamps we passed, but it was impossible.
returnednounUS /ˈreturned/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading The fear that underlay everything was that Count Conrad had returned to town, had met Rotherhithe, and that there had been trouble between them.
Rotherhithe
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As the brougham sped on its way through the almost deserted streets, I sat and wondered as to what it could have been that had induced Rotherhithe to send such an urgent message to me.
sat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As the brougham sped on its way through the almost deserted streets, I sat and wondered as to what it could have been that had induced Rotherhithe to send such an urgent message to me.
self-reliant
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That something serious had happened I had not the least doubt, for the Duke was a self-reliant man, and at no time given to the display of emotion.
send
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As the brougham sped on its way through the almost deserted streets, I sat and wondered as to what it could have been that had induced Rotherhithe to send such an urgent message to me.
serious
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That something serious had happened I had not the least doubt, for the Duke was a self-reliant man, and at no time given to the display of emotion.
somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
a thing, without saying which
From this reading That something serious had happened I had not the least doubt, for the Duke was a self-reliant man, and at no time given to the display of emotion.
sped
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As the brougham sped on its way through the almost deserted streets, I sat and wondered as to what it could have been that had induced Rotherhithe to send such an urgent message to me.
streets
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As the brougham sped on its way through the almost deserted streets, I sat and wondered as to what it could have been that had induced Rotherhithe to send such an urgent message to me.
suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading As the brougham sped on its way through the almost deserted streets, I sat and wondered as to what it could have been that had induced Rotherhithe to send such an urgent message to me.
Taking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Taking the letter from my pocket again, I endeavoured to read it by the light of the lamps we passed, but it was impossible.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading As the brougham sped on its way through the almost deserted streets, I sat and wondered as to what it could have been that had induced Rotherhithe to send such an urgent message to me.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading As the brougham sped on its way through the almost deserted streets, I sat and wondered as to what it could have been that had induced Rotherhithe to send such an urgent message to me.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The fear that underlay everything was that Count Conrad had returned to town, had met Rotherhithe, and that there had been trouble between them.
there
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The fear that underlay everything was that Count Conrad had returned to town, had met Rotherhithe, and that there had been trouble between them.
thingnounUS /thing/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading After we had been driving for something like five minutes, a most curious thing happened.
throughnounUS /ˈthrough/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading As the brougham sped on its way through the almost deserted streets, I sat and wondered as to what it could have been that had induced Rotherhithe to send such an urgent message to me.
timenounUS /time/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading That something serious had happened I had not the least doubt, for the Duke was a self-reliant man, and at no time given to the display of emotion.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading As the brougham sped on its way through the almost deserted streets, I sat and wondered as to what it could have been that had induced Rotherhithe to send such an urgent message to me.
town
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The fear that underlay everything was that Count Conrad had returned to town, had met Rotherhithe, and that there had been trouble between them.
trouble
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The fear that underlay everything was that Count Conrad had returned to town, had met Rotherhithe, and that there had been trouble between them.
underlay
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The fear that underlay everything was that Count Conrad had returned to town, had met Rotherhithe, and that there had been trouble between them.
urgent
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As the brougham sped on its way through the almost deserted streets, I sat and wondered as to what it could have been that had induced Rotherhithe to send such an urgent message to me.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading That something serious had happened I had not the least doubt, for the Duke was a self-reliant man, and at no time given to the display of emotion.
way
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As the brougham sped on its way through the almost deserted streets, I sat and wondered as to what it could have been that had induced Rotherhithe to send such an urgent message to me.
wepronounUS /wiː/
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading Taking the letter from my pocket again, I endeavoured to read it by the light of the lamps we passed, but it was impossible.
whatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading As the brougham sped on its way through the almost deserted streets, I sat and wondered as to what it could have been that had induced Rotherhithe to send such an urgent message to me.
wonderednounUS /wondered/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading As the brougham sped on its way through the almost deserted streets, I sat and wondered as to what it could have been that had induced Rotherhithe to send such an urgent message to me.
