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 After writing the little note to Nedda, he hurried to the station and found a train about to start.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading After writing the little note to Nedda, he hurried to the station and found a train about to start.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading Derek, who had slept the sleep of the dead, having had none for two nights, woke thinking of Nedda hovering above him in the dark; of her face laid down beside him on the pillow.
AfterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading After writing the little note to Nedda, he hurried to the station and found a train about to start.
AndconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And then, suddenly, up started that thing, and stood there, haunting him!
besideprepositionUS /bɪˈsaɪd/
next to; at the side of
From this reading Derek, who had slept the sleep of the dead, having had none for two nights, woke thinking of Nedda hovering above him in the dark; of her face laid down beside him on the pillow.
comenounUS /come/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Why did it come?
dark
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Derek, who had slept the sleep of the dead, having had none for two nights, woke thinking of Nedda hovering above him in the dark; of her face laid down beside him on the pillow.
deadnounUS /dead/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Derek, who had slept the sleep of the dead, having had none for two nights, woke thinking of Nedda hovering above him in the dark; of her face laid down beside him on the pillow.
Derek
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Derek, who had slept the sleep of the dead, having had none for two nights, woke thinking of Nedda hovering above him in the dark; of her face laid down beside him on the pillow.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Why did it come?
down
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Derek, who had slept the sleep of the dead, having had none for two nights, woke thinking of Nedda hovering above him in the dark; of her face laid down beside him on the pillow.
face
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Derek, who had slept the sleep of the dead, having had none for two nights, woke thinking of Nedda hovering above him in the dark; of her face laid down beside him on the pillow.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Derek, who had slept the sleep of the dead, having had none for two nights, woke thinking of Nedda hovering above him in the dark; of her face laid down beside him on the pillow.
foundnounUS /found/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading After writing the little note to Nedda, he hurried to the station and found a train about to start.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Derek, who had slept the sleep of the dead, having had none for two nights, woke thinking of Nedda hovering above him in the dark; of her face laid down beside him on the pillow.
haunting
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And then, suddenly, up started that thing, and stood there, haunting him!
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading Derek, who had slept the sleep of the dead, having had none for two nights, woke thinking of Nedda hovering above him in the dark; of her face laid down beside him on the pillow.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading After writing the little note to Nedda, he hurried to the station and found a train about to start.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Derek, who had slept the sleep of the dead, having had none for two nights, woke thinking of Nedda hovering above him in the dark; of her face laid down beside him on the pillow.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Derek, who had slept the sleep of the dead, having had none for two nights, woke thinking of Nedda hovering above him in the dark; of her face laid down beside him on the pillow.
hovering
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Derek, who had slept the sleep of the dead, having had none for two nights, woke thinking of Nedda hovering above him in the dark; of her face laid down beside him on the pillow.
hurried
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading After writing the little note to Nedda, he hurried to the station and found a train about to start.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Derek, who had slept the sleep of the dead, having had none for two nights, woke thinking of Nedda hovering above him in the dark; of her face laid down beside him on the pillow.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Why did it come?
laid
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Derek, who had slept the sleep of the dead, having had none for two nights, woke thinking of Nedda hovering above him in the dark; of her face laid down beside him on the pillow.
littlenounUS /little/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading After writing the little note to Nedda, he hurried to the station and found a train about to start.
Nedda
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Derek, who had slept the sleep of the dead, having had none for two nights, woke thinking of Nedda hovering above him in the dark; of her face laid down beside him on the pillow.
nightsnounUS /naɪts/
Periods of darkness between sunset and sunrise.
From this reading Derek, who had slept the sleep of the dead, having had none for two nights, woke thinking of Nedda hovering above him in the dark; of her face laid down beside him on the pillow.
nonepronounUS /nʌn/
not one, and not any
From this reading Derek, who had slept the sleep of the dead, having had none for two nights, woke thinking of Nedda hovering above him in the dark; of her face laid down beside him on the pillow.
note
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading After writing the little note to Nedda, he hurried to the station and found a train about to start.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Derek, who had slept the sleep of the dead, having had none for two nights, woke thinking of Nedda hovering above him in the dark; of her face laid down beside him on the pillow.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Derek, who had slept the sleep of the dead, having had none for two nights, woke thinking of Nedda hovering above him in the dark; of her face laid down beside him on the pillow.
pillow
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Derek, who had slept the sleep of the dead, having had none for two nights, woke thinking of Nedda hovering above him in the dark; of her face laid down beside him on the pillow.
sleep
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Derek, who had slept the sleep of the dead, having had none for two nights, woke thinking of Nedda hovering above him in the dark; of her face laid down beside him on the pillow.
slept
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Derek, who had slept the sleep of the dead, having had none for two nights, woke thinking of Nedda hovering above him in the dark; of her face laid down beside him on the pillow.
startnounUS /start/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading After writing the little note to Nedda, he hurried to the station and found a train about to start.
started
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And then, suddenly, up started that thing, and stood there, haunting him!
station
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading After writing the little note to Nedda, he hurried to the station and found a train about to start.
stoodnounUS /stood/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading And then, suddenly, up started that thing, and stood there, haunting him!
suddenlynounUS /ˈsuddenly/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading And then, suddenly, up started that thing, and stood there, haunting him!
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading And then, suddenly, up started that thing, and stood there, haunting him!
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Derek, who had slept the sleep of the dead, having had none for two nights, woke thinking of Nedda hovering above him in the dark; of her face laid down beside him on the pillow.
then
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And then, suddenly, up started that thing, and stood there, haunting him!
there
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And then, suddenly, up started that thing, and stood there, haunting him!
thingnounUS /thing/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading And then, suddenly, up started that thing, and stood there, haunting him!
thinkingnounUS /thinking/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Derek, who had slept the sleep of the dead, having had none for two nights, woke thinking of Nedda hovering above him in the dark; of her face laid down beside him on the pillow.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading After writing the little note to Nedda, he hurried to the station and found a train about to start.
train
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading After writing the little note to Nedda, he hurried to the station and found a train about to start.
two
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Derek, who had slept the sleep of the dead, having had none for two nights, woke thinking of Nedda hovering above him in the dark; of her face laid down beside him on the pillow.
up
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And then, suddenly, up started that thing, and stood there, haunting him!
want
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What did it want of him?
WhatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What did it want of him?
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading Derek, who had slept the sleep of the dead, having had none for two nights, woke thinking of Nedda hovering above him in the dark; of her face laid down beside him on the pillow.
Why
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Why did it come?
woke
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Derek, who had slept the sleep of the dead, having had none for two nights, woke thinking of Nedda hovering above him in the dark; of her face laid down beside him on the pillow.
writing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading After writing the little note to Nedda, he hurried to the station and found a train about to start.