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 “My sister had told me some weeks before that I might have the pick of her geese for a Christmas present, and I knew that she was always as good as her word.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading The bird gave a gulp, and I felt the stone pass along its gullet and down into its crop.
always
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “My sister had told me some weeks before that I might have the pick of her geese for a Christmas present, and I knew that she was always as good as her word.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “My sister had told me some weeks before that I might have the pick of her geese for a Christmas present, and I knew that she was always as good as her word.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading “My sister had told me some weeks before that I might have the pick of her geese for a Christmas present, and I knew that she was always as good as her word.
barred
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a little shed in the yard, and behind this I drove one of the birds—a fine big one, white, with a barred tail.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading “My sister had told me some weeks before that I might have the pick of her geese for a Christmas present, and I knew that she was always as good as her word.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading There was a little shed in the yard, and behind this I drove one of the birds—a fine big one, white, with a barred tail.
big
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From this reading There was a little shed in the yard, and behind this I drove one of the birds—a fine big one, white, with a barred tail.
bill
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I caught it, and prying its bill open, I thrust the stone down its throat as far as my finger could reach.
bird
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The bird gave a gulp, and I felt the stone pass along its gullet and down into its crop.
birds
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From this reading There was a little shed in the yard, and behind this I drove one of the birds—a fine big one, white, with a barred tail.
carry
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From this reading I would take my goose now, and in it I would carry my stone to Kilburn.
caught
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From this reading I caught it, and prying its bill open, I thrust the stone down its throat as far as my finger could reach.
Christmas
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From this reading “My sister had told me some weeks before that I might have the pick of her geese for a Christmas present, and I knew that she was always as good as her word.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading I caught it, and prying its bill open, I thrust the stone down its throat as far as my finger could reach.
crop
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From this reading The bird gave a gulp, and I felt the stone pass along its gullet and down into its crop.
down
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From this reading I caught it, and prying its bill open, I thrust the stone down its throat as far as my finger could reach.
drove
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a little shed in the yard, and behind this I drove one of the birds—a fine big one, white, with a barred tail.
far
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I caught it, and prying its bill open, I thrust the stone down its throat as far as my finger could reach.
felt
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The bird gave a gulp, and I felt the stone pass along its gullet and down into its crop.
finenounUS /fine/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading There was a little shed in the yard, and behind this I drove one of the birds—a fine big one, white, with a barred tail.
finger
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I caught it, and prying its bill open, I thrust the stone down its throat as far as my finger could reach.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “My sister had told me some weeks before that I might have the pick of her geese for a Christmas present, and I knew that she was always as good as her word.
gave
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The bird gave a gulp, and I felt the stone pass along its gullet and down into its crop.
geese
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “My sister had told me some weeks before that I might have the pick of her geese for a Christmas present, and I knew that she was always as good as her word.
goodnounUS /good/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “My sister had told me some weeks before that I might have the pick of her geese for a Christmas present, and I knew that she was always as good as her word.
goose
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I would take my goose now, and in it I would carry my stone to Kilburn.
gullet
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The bird gave a gulp, and I felt the stone pass along its gullet and down into its crop.
gulp
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From this reading The bird gave a gulp, and I felt the stone pass along its gullet and down into its crop.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading “My sister had told me some weeks before that I might have the pick of her geese for a Christmas present, and I knew that she was always as good as her word.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “My sister had told me some weeks before that I might have the pick of her geese for a Christmas present, and I knew that she was always as good as her word.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading “My sister had told me some weeks before that I might have the pick of her geese for a Christmas present, and I knew that she was always as good as her word.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “My sister had told me some weeks before that I might have the pick of her geese for a Christmas present, and I knew that she was always as good as her word.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I would take my goose now, and in it I would carry my stone to Kilburn.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The bird gave a gulp, and I felt the stone pass along its gullet and down into its crop.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I would take my goose now, and in it I would carry my stone to Kilburn.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading I caught it, and prying its bill open, I thrust the stone down its throat as far as my finger could reach.
Kilburn
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I would take my goose now, and in it I would carry my stone to Kilburn.
knew
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “My sister had told me some weeks before that I might have the pick of her geese for a Christmas present, and I knew that she was always as good as her word.
littlenounUS /little/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading There was a little shed in the yard, and behind this I drove one of the birds—a fine big one, white, with a barred tail.
mepronounUS /miː/
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “My sister had told me some weeks before that I might have the pick of her geese for a Christmas present, and I knew that she was always as good as her word.
mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading “My sister had told me some weeks before that I might have the pick of her geese for a Christmas present, and I knew that she was always as good as her word.
MydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading “My sister had told me some weeks before that I might have the pick of her geese for a Christmas present, and I knew that she was always as good as her word.
now
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I would take my goose now, and in it I would carry my stone to Kilburn.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “My sister had told me some weeks before that I might have the pick of her geese for a Christmas present, and I knew that she was always as good as her word.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading There was a little shed in the yard, and behind this I drove one of the birds—a fine big one, white, with a barred tail.
openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/
To move from a closed position.
From this reading I caught it, and prying its bill open, I thrust the stone down its throat as far as my finger could reach.
pass
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The bird gave a gulp, and I felt the stone pass along its gullet and down into its crop.
pick
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “My sister had told me some weeks before that I might have the pick of her geese for a Christmas present, and I knew that she was always as good as her word.
present
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “My sister had told me some weeks before that I might have the pick of her geese for a Christmas present, and I knew that she was always as good as her word.
prying
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I caught it, and prying its bill open, I thrust the stone down its throat as far as my finger could reach.
reach
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I caught it, and prying its bill open, I thrust the stone down its throat as far as my finger could reach.
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “My sister had told me some weeks before that I might have the pick of her geese for a Christmas present, and I knew that she was always as good as her word.
shed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a little shed in the yard, and behind this I drove one of the birds—a fine big one, white, with a barred tail.
sister
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “My sister had told me some weeks before that I might have the pick of her geese for a Christmas present, and I knew that she was always as good as her word.
some
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “My sister had told me some weeks before that I might have the pick of her geese for a Christmas present, and I knew that she was always as good as her word.
stone
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I would take my goose now, and in it I would carry my stone to Kilburn.
tail
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a little shed in the yard, and behind this I drove one of the birds—a fine big one, white, with a barred tail.
takenounUS /take/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading I would take my goose now, and in it I would carry my stone to Kilburn.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “My sister had told me some weeks before that I might have the pick of her geese for a Christmas present, and I knew that she was always as good as her word.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “My sister had told me some weeks before that I might have the pick of her geese for a Christmas present, and I knew that she was always as good as her word.
There
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a little shed in the yard, and behind this I drove one of the birds—a fine big one, white, with a barred tail.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading There was a little shed in the yard, and behind this I drove one of the birds—a fine big one, white, with a barred tail.
throatnounUS /θroʊt/
The passage at the back of the mouth.
From this reading I caught it, and prying its bill open, I thrust the stone down its throat as far as my finger could reach.
thrust
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I caught it, and prying its bill open, I thrust the stone down its throat as far as my finger could reach.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I would take my goose now, and in it I would carry my stone to Kilburn.
toldnounUS /told/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “My sister had told me some weeks before that I might have the pick of her geese for a Christmas present, and I knew that she was always as good as her word.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “My sister had told me some weeks before that I might have the pick of her geese for a Christmas present, and I knew that she was always as good as her word.
weeks
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “My sister had told me some weeks before that I might have the pick of her geese for a Christmas present, and I knew that she was always as good as her word.
white
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a little shed in the yard, and behind this I drove one of the birds—a fine big one, white, with a barred tail.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading There was a little shed in the yard, and behind this I drove one of the birds—a fine big one, white, with a barred tail.
word
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “My sister had told me some weeks before that I might have the pick of her geese for a Christmas present, and I knew that she was always as good as her word.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading I would take my goose now, and in it I would carry my stone to Kilburn.
yard
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a little shed in the yard, and behind this I drove one of the birds—a fine big one, white, with a barred tail.
