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 The level of these vaults varies; the average height is about five feet, six inches, and has been calculated for the stature of a man; Jean Valjean was forced to bend over, in order not to strike Marius against the vault; at every step he had to bend, then to rise, and to feel incessantly of the wall.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading The level of these vaults varies; the average height is about five feet, six inches, and has been calculated for the stature of a man; Jean Valjean was forced to bend over, in order not to strike Marius against the vault; at every step he had to bend, then to rise, and to feel incessantly of the wall.
againnounUS /again/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Jean Valjean had resumed his march and had not again paused.
againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading The level of these vaults varies; the average height is about five feet, six inches, and has been calculated for the stature of a man; Jean Valjean was forced to bend over, in order not to strike Marius against the vault; at every step he had to bend, then to rise, and to feel incessantly of the wall.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading He stumbled along in the hideous dung-heap of the city.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Jean Valjean had resumed his march and had not again paused.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The level of these vaults varies; the average height is about five feet, six inches, and has been calculated for the stature of a man; Jean Valjean was forced to bend over, in order not to strike Marius against the vault; at every step he had to bend, then to rise, and to feel incessantly of the wall.
average
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The level of these vaults varies; the average height is about five feet, six inches, and has been calculated for the stature of a man; Jean Valjean was forced to bend over, in order not to strike Marius against the vault; at every step he had to bend, then to rise, and to feel incessantly of the wall.
became
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This march became more and more laborious.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The level of these vaults varies; the average height is about five feet, six inches, and has been calculated for the stature of a man; Jean Valjean was forced to bend over, in order not to strike Marius against the vault; at every step he had to bend, then to rise, and to feel incessantly of the wall.
bend
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The level of these vaults varies; the average height is about five feet, six inches, and has been calculated for the stature of a man; Jean Valjean was forced to bend over, in order not to strike Marius against the vault; at every step he had to bend, then to rise, and to feel incessantly of the wall.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The moisture of the stones, and the viscous nature of the timber framework furnished but poor supports to which to cling, either for hand or foot.
calculated
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The level of these vaults varies; the average height is about five feet, six inches, and has been calculated for the stature of a man; Jean Valjean was forced to bend over, in order not to strike Marius against the vault; at every step he had to bend, then to rise, and to feel incessantly of the wall.
city
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He stumbled along in the hideous dung-heap of the city.
cling
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The moisture of the stones, and the viscous nature of the timber framework furnished but poor supports to which to cling, either for hand or foot.
dung-heap
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He stumbled along in the hideous dung-heap of the city.
eitherdeterminerUS /ˈiːðər/
one or the other of two
From this reading The moisture of the stones, and the viscous nature of the timber framework furnished but poor supports to which to cling, either for hand or foot.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading The level of these vaults varies; the average height is about five feet, six inches, and has been calculated for the stature of a man; Jean Valjean was forced to bend over, in order not to strike Marius against the vault; at every step he had to bend, then to rise, and to feel incessantly of the wall.
feel
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The level of these vaults varies; the average height is about five feet, six inches, and has been calculated for the stature of a man; Jean Valjean was forced to bend over, in order not to strike Marius against the vault; at every step he had to bend, then to rise, and to feel incessantly of the wall.
feet
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The level of these vaults varies; the average height is about five feet, six inches, and has been calculated for the stature of a man; Jean Valjean was forced to bend over, in order not to strike Marius against the vault; at every step he had to bend, then to rise, and to feel incessantly of the wall.
five
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The level of these vaults varies; the average height is about five feet, six inches, and has been calculated for the stature of a man; Jean Valjean was forced to bend over, in order not to strike Marius against the vault; at every step he had to bend, then to rise, and to feel incessantly of the wall.
footnounUS /foot/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The moisture of the stones, and the viscous nature of the timber framework furnished but poor supports to which to cling, either for hand or foot.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The level of these vaults varies; the average height is about five feet, six inches, and has been calculated for the stature of a man; Jean Valjean was forced to bend over, in order not to strike Marius against the vault; at every step he had to bend, then to rise, and to feel incessantly of the wall.
forced
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The level of these vaults varies; the average height is about five feet, six inches, and has been calculated for the stature of a man; Jean Valjean was forced to bend over, in order not to strike Marius against the vault; at every step he had to bend, then to rise, and to feel incessantly of the wall.
framework
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The moisture of the stones, and the viscous nature of the timber framework furnished but poor supports to which to cling, either for hand or foot.
furnished
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The moisture of the stones, and the viscous nature of the timber framework furnished but poor supports to which to cling, either for hand or foot.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Jean Valjean had resumed his march and had not again paused.
hand
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The moisture of the stones, and the viscous nature of the timber framework furnished but poor supports to which to cling, either for hand or foot.
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The level of these vaults varies; the average height is about five feet, six inches, and has been calculated for the stature of a man; Jean Valjean was forced to bend over, in order not to strike Marius against the vault; at every step he had to bend, then to rise, and to feel incessantly of the wall.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The level of these vaults varies; the average height is about five feet, six inches, and has been calculated for the stature of a man; Jean Valjean was forced to bend over, in order not to strike Marius against the vault; at every step he had to bend, then to rise, and to feel incessantly of the wall.
height
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The level of these vaults varies; the average height is about five feet, six inches, and has been calculated for the stature of a man; Jean Valjean was forced to bend over, in order not to strike Marius against the vault; at every step he had to bend, then to rise, and to feel incessantly of the wall.
hideous
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He stumbled along in the hideous dung-heap of the city.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Jean Valjean had resumed his march and had not again paused.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The level of these vaults varies; the average height is about five feet, six inches, and has been calculated for the stature of a man; Jean Valjean was forced to bend over, in order not to strike Marius against the vault; at every step he had to bend, then to rise, and to feel incessantly of the wall.
incessantly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The level of these vaults varies; the average height is about five feet, six inches, and has been calculated for the stature of a man; Jean Valjean was forced to bend over, in order not to strike Marius against the vault; at every step he had to bend, then to rise, and to feel incessantly of the wall.
inches
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The level of these vaults varies; the average height is about five feet, six inches, and has been calculated for the stature of a man; Jean Valjean was forced to bend over, in order not to strike Marius against the vault; at every step he had to bend, then to rise, and to feel incessantly of the wall.
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The level of these vaults varies; the average height is about five feet, six inches, and has been calculated for the stature of a man; Jean Valjean was forced to bend over, in order not to strike Marius against the vault; at every step he had to bend, then to rise, and to feel incessantly of the wall.
Jean
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Jean Valjean had resumed his march and had not again paused.
laborious
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This march became more and more laborious.
level
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The level of these vaults varies; the average height is about five feet, six inches, and has been calculated for the stature of a man; Jean Valjean was forced to bend over, in order not to strike Marius against the vault; at every step he had to bend, then to rise, and to feel incessantly of the wall.
man
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The level of these vaults varies; the average height is about five feet, six inches, and has been calculated for the stature of a man; Jean Valjean was forced to bend over, in order not to strike Marius against the vault; at every step he had to bend, then to rise, and to feel incessantly of the wall.
march
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Jean Valjean had resumed his march and had not again paused.
Marius
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The level of these vaults varies; the average height is about five feet, six inches, and has been calculated for the stature of a man; Jean Valjean was forced to bend over, in order not to strike Marius against the vault; at every step he had to bend, then to rise, and to feel incessantly of the wall.
moisture
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The moisture of the stones, and the viscous nature of the timber framework furnished but poor supports to which to cling, either for hand or foot.
more
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This march became more and more laborious.
nature
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The moisture of the stones, and the viscous nature of the timber framework furnished but poor supports to which to cling, either for hand or foot.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Jean Valjean had resumed his march and had not again paused.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The level of these vaults varies; the average height is about five feet, six inches, and has been calculated for the stature of a man; Jean Valjean was forced to bend over, in order not to strike Marius against the vault; at every step he had to bend, then to rise, and to feel incessantly of the wall.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading The moisture of the stones, and the viscous nature of the timber framework furnished but poor supports to which to cling, either for hand or foot.
ordernounUS /order/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The level of these vaults varies; the average height is about five feet, six inches, and has been calculated for the stature of a man; Jean Valjean was forced to bend over, in order not to strike Marius against the vault; at every step he had to bend, then to rise, and to feel incessantly of the wall.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading The level of these vaults varies; the average height is about five feet, six inches, and has been calculated for the stature of a man; Jean Valjean was forced to bend over, in order not to strike Marius against the vault; at every step he had to bend, then to rise, and to feel incessantly of the wall.
paused
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Jean Valjean had resumed his march and had not again paused.
poornounUS /poor/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The moisture of the stones, and the viscous nature of the timber framework furnished but poor supports to which to cling, either for hand or foot.
resumednounUS /ˈresumed/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading Jean Valjean had resumed his march and had not again paused.
rise
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The level of these vaults varies; the average height is about five feet, six inches, and has been calculated for the stature of a man; Jean Valjean was forced to bend over, in order not to strike Marius against the vault; at every step he had to bend, then to rise, and to feel incessantly of the wall.
six
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The level of these vaults varies; the average height is about five feet, six inches, and has been calculated for the stature of a man; Jean Valjean was forced to bend over, in order not to strike Marius against the vault; at every step he had to bend, then to rise, and to feel incessantly of the wall.
stature
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The level of these vaults varies; the average height is about five feet, six inches, and has been calculated for the stature of a man; Jean Valjean was forced to bend over, in order not to strike Marius against the vault; at every step he had to bend, then to rise, and to feel incessantly of the wall.
stepnounUS /step/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The level of these vaults varies; the average height is about five feet, six inches, and has been calculated for the stature of a man; Jean Valjean was forced to bend over, in order not to strike Marius against the vault; at every step he had to bend, then to rise, and to feel incessantly of the wall.
stones
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The moisture of the stones, and the viscous nature of the timber framework furnished but poor supports to which to cling, either for hand or foot.
strike
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The level of these vaults varies; the average height is about five feet, six inches, and has been calculated for the stature of a man; Jean Valjean was forced to bend over, in order not to strike Marius against the vault; at every step he had to bend, then to rise, and to feel incessantly of the wall.
stumbled
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He stumbled along in the hideous dung-heap of the city.
supports
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The moisture of the stones, and the viscous nature of the timber framework furnished but poor supports to which to cling, either for hand or foot.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The level of these vaults varies; the average height is about five feet, six inches, and has been calculated for the stature of a man; Jean Valjean was forced to bend over, in order not to strike Marius against the vault; at every step he had to bend, then to rise, and to feel incessantly of the wall.
then
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The level of these vaults varies; the average height is about five feet, six inches, and has been calculated for the stature of a man; Jean Valjean was forced to bend over, in order not to strike Marius against the vault; at every step he had to bend, then to rise, and to feel incessantly of the wall.
thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading The level of these vaults varies; the average height is about five feet, six inches, and has been calculated for the stature of a man; Jean Valjean was forced to bend over, in order not to strike Marius against the vault; at every step he had to bend, then to rise, and to feel incessantly of the wall.
ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This march became more and more laborious.
timber
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The moisture of the stones, and the viscous nature of the timber framework furnished but poor supports to which to cling, either for hand or foot.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The level of these vaults varies; the average height is about five feet, six inches, and has been calculated for the stature of a man; Jean Valjean was forced to bend over, in order not to strike Marius against the vault; at every step he had to bend, then to rise, and to feel incessantly of the wall.
Valjean
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Jean Valjean had resumed his march and had not again paused.
varies
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The level of these vaults varies; the average height is about five feet, six inches, and has been calculated for the stature of a man; Jean Valjean was forced to bend over, in order not to strike Marius against the vault; at every step he had to bend, then to rise, and to feel incessantly of the wall.
vaultnounUS /vɔːlt/
a stone room, often below a church, used for burial
From this reading The level of these vaults varies; the average height is about five feet, six inches, and has been calculated for the stature of a man; Jean Valjean was forced to bend over, in order not to strike Marius against the vault; at every step he had to bend, then to rise, and to feel incessantly of the wall.
vaults
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The level of these vaults varies; the average height is about five feet, six inches, and has been calculated for the stature of a man; Jean Valjean was forced to bend over, in order not to strike Marius against the vault; at every step he had to bend, then to rise, and to feel incessantly of the wall.
viscous
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The moisture of the stones, and the viscous nature of the timber framework furnished but poor supports to which to cling, either for hand or foot.
wall
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The level of these vaults varies; the average height is about five feet, six inches, and has been calculated for the stature of a man; Jean Valjean was forced to bend over, in order not to strike Marius against the vault; at every step he had to bend, then to rise, and to feel incessantly of the wall.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The level of these vaults varies; the average height is about five feet, six inches, and has been calculated for the stature of a man; Jean Valjean was forced to bend over, in order not to strike Marius against the vault; at every step he had to bend, then to rise, and to feel incessantly of the wall.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The moisture of the stones, and the viscous nature of the timber framework furnished but poor supports to which to cling, either for hand or foot.
