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 ‘Once upon a time’—and we pull in our deep chairs, you quietly, I with a quick impatient jerk that scrabbles up the hearth-rug and worries your tidy soul.
againnounUS /again/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Draw them close, lest the Zeppelins catch us at our story-telling, whilst I put the carpet to rights again and pile up logs (we sawed them ourselves, didn’t we?) upon the fire.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading ‘Once upon a time’—and we pull in our deep chairs, you quietly, I with a quick impatient jerk that scrabbles up the hearth-rug and worries your tidy soul.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Draw them close, lest the Zeppelins catch us at our story-telling, whilst I put the carpet to rights again and pile up logs (we sawed them ourselves, didn’t we?) upon the fire.
blank
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And now—you have your knitting and I the fountain-pen you gave me: it has not run out, for a wonder! pen and fat, blank scribbling book.
blinds
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But you yourself have forgotten the blinds!
book
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And now—you have your knitting and I the fountain-pen you gave me: it has not run out, for a wonder! pen and fat, blank scribbling book.
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But you yourself have forgotten the blinds!
carpet
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From this reading Draw them close, lest the Zeppelins catch us at our story-telling, whilst I put the carpet to rights again and pile up logs (we sawed them ourselves, didn’t we?) upon the fire.
catch
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From this reading Draw them close, lest the Zeppelins catch us at our story-telling, whilst I put the carpet to rights again and pile up logs (we sawed them ourselves, didn’t we?) upon the fire.
chairs
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From this reading ‘Once upon a time’—and we pull in our deep chairs, you quietly, I with a quick impatient jerk that scrabbles up the hearth-rug and worries your tidy soul.
close
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From this reading Draw them close, lest the Zeppelins catch us at our story-telling, whilst I put the carpet to rights again and pile up logs (we sawed them ourselves, didn’t we?) upon the fire.
deep
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From this reading ‘Once upon a time’—and we pull in our deep chairs, you quietly, I with a quick impatient jerk that scrabbles up the hearth-rug and worries your tidy soul.
didn't
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From this reading Draw them close, lest the Zeppelins catch us at our story-telling, whilst I put the carpet to rights again and pile up logs (we sawed them ourselves, didn’t we?) upon the fire.
Draw
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From this reading Draw them close, lest the Zeppelins catch us at our story-telling, whilst I put the carpet to rights again and pile up logs (we sawed them ourselves, didn’t we?) upon the fire.
electricity
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From this reading One must save the electricity these hard times.
fat
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From this reading And now—you have your knitting and I the fountain-pen you gave me: it has not run out, for a wonder! pen and fat, blank scribbling book.
fire
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Draw them close, lest the Zeppelins catch us at our story-telling, whilst I put the carpet to rights again and pile up logs (we sawed them ourselves, didn’t we?) upon the fire.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading And now—you have your knitting and I the fountain-pen you gave me: it has not run out, for a wonder! pen and fat, blank scribbling book.
forgottenadjectiveUS /fərˈɡɑːt.n̩/
Not remembered; lapsed from memory.
From this reading But you yourself have forgotten the blinds!
fountain-pen
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And now—you have your knitting and I the fountain-pen you gave me: it has not run out, for a wonder! pen and fat, blank scribbling book.
gave
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And now—you have your knitting and I the fountain-pen you gave me: it has not run out, for a wonder! pen and fat, blank scribbling book.
hard
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One must save the electricity these hard times.
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading And now—you have your knitting and I the fountain-pen you gave me: it has not run out, for a wonder! pen and fat, blank scribbling book.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading But you yourself have forgotten the blinds!
hearth-rug
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘Once upon a time’—and we pull in our deep chairs, you quietly, I with a quick impatient jerk that scrabbles up the hearth-rug and worries your tidy soul.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading ‘Once upon a time’—and we pull in our deep chairs, you quietly, I with a quick impatient jerk that scrabbles up the hearth-rug and worries your tidy soul.
impatient
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘Once upon a time’—and we pull in our deep chairs, you quietly, I with a quick impatient jerk that scrabbles up the hearth-rug and worries your tidy soul.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading ‘Once upon a time’—and we pull in our deep chairs, you quietly, I with a quick impatient jerk that scrabbles up the hearth-rug and worries your tidy soul.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading And now—you have your knitting and I the fountain-pen you gave me: it has not run out, for a wonder! pen and fat, blank scribbling book.
jerk
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘Once upon a time’—and we pull in our deep chairs, you quietly, I with a quick impatient jerk that scrabbles up the hearth-rug and worries your tidy soul.
knitting
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And now—you have your knitting and I the fountain-pen you gave me: it has not run out, for a wonder! pen and fat, blank scribbling book.
lestconjunctionUS /lest/
in order that something should not happen
From this reading Draw them close, lest the Zeppelins catch us at our story-telling, whilst I put the carpet to rights again and pile up logs (we sawed them ourselves, didn’t we?) upon the fire.
logs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Draw them close, lest the Zeppelins catch us at our story-telling, whilst I put the carpet to rights again and pile up logs (we sawed them ourselves, didn’t we?) upon the fire.
mepronounUS /miː/
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading And now—you have your knitting and I the fountain-pen you gave me: it has not run out, for a wonder! pen and fat, blank scribbling book.
mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading One must save the electricity these hard times.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading And now—you have your knitting and I the fountain-pen you gave me: it has not run out, for a wonder! pen and fat, blank scribbling book.
now
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And now—you have your knitting and I the fountain-pen you gave me: it has not run out, for a wonder! pen and fat, blank scribbling book.
Once
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘Once upon a time’—and we pull in our deep chairs, you quietly, I with a quick impatient jerk that scrabbles up the hearth-rug and worries your tidy soul.
OnepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One must save the electricity these hard times.
ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading ‘Once upon a time’—and we pull in our deep chairs, you quietly, I with a quick impatient jerk that scrabbles up the hearth-rug and worries your tidy soul.
ourselvespronounUS /aʊərˈselvz/
used when we are both doing the action and receiving it
From this reading Draw them close, lest the Zeppelins catch us at our story-telling, whilst I put the carpet to rights again and pile up logs (we sawed them ourselves, didn’t we?) upon the fire.
out
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And now—you have your knitting and I the fountain-pen you gave me: it has not run out, for a wonder! pen and fat, blank scribbling book.
pen
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And now—you have your knitting and I the fountain-pen you gave me: it has not run out, for a wonder! pen and fat, blank scribbling book.
pile
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Draw them close, lest the Zeppelins catch us at our story-telling, whilst I put the carpet to rights again and pile up logs (we sawed them ourselves, didn’t we?) upon the fire.
pull
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘Once upon a time’—and we pull in our deep chairs, you quietly, I with a quick impatient jerk that scrabbles up the hearth-rug and worries your tidy soul.
put
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Draw them close, lest the Zeppelins catch us at our story-telling, whilst I put the carpet to rights again and pile up logs (we sawed them ourselves, didn’t we?) upon the fire.
quick
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘Once upon a time’—and we pull in our deep chairs, you quietly, I with a quick impatient jerk that scrabbles up the hearth-rug and worries your tidy soul.
quietly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘Once upon a time’—and we pull in our deep chairs, you quietly, I with a quick impatient jerk that scrabbles up the hearth-rug and worries your tidy soul.
rights
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Draw them close, lest the Zeppelins catch us at our story-telling, whilst I put the carpet to rights again and pile up logs (we sawed them ourselves, didn’t we?) upon the fire.
run
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And now—you have your knitting and I the fountain-pen you gave me: it has not run out, for a wonder! pen and fat, blank scribbling book.
saveprepositionUS /seɪv/
except for; apart from
From this reading One must save the electricity these hard times.
sawed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Draw them close, lest the Zeppelins catch us at our story-telling, whilst I put the carpet to rights again and pile up logs (we sawed them ourselves, didn’t we?) upon the fire.
scrabbles
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘Once upon a time’—and we pull in our deep chairs, you quietly, I with a quick impatient jerk that scrabbles up the hearth-rug and worries your tidy soul.
scribbling
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And now—you have your knitting and I the fountain-pen you gave me: it has not run out, for a wonder! pen and fat, blank scribbling book.
soul
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘Once upon a time’—and we pull in our deep chairs, you quietly, I with a quick impatient jerk that scrabbles up the hearth-rug and worries your tidy soul.
story-telling
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Draw them close, lest the Zeppelins catch us at our story-telling, whilst I put the carpet to rights again and pile up logs (we sawed them ourselves, didn’t we?) upon the fire.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading ‘Once upon a time’—and we pull in our deep chairs, you quietly, I with a quick impatient jerk that scrabbles up the hearth-rug and worries your tidy soul.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading ‘Once upon a time’—and we pull in our deep chairs, you quietly, I with a quick impatient jerk that scrabbles up the hearth-rug and worries your tidy soul.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Draw them close, lest the Zeppelins catch us at our story-telling, whilst I put the carpet to rights again and pile up logs (we sawed them ourselves, didn’t we?) upon the fire.
thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading One must save the electricity these hard times.
tidy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘Once upon a time’—and we pull in our deep chairs, you quietly, I with a quick impatient jerk that scrabbles up the hearth-rug and worries your tidy soul.
timenounUS /time/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading ‘Once upon a time’—and we pull in our deep chairs, you quietly, I with a quick impatient jerk that scrabbles up the hearth-rug and worries your tidy soul.
times
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One must save the electricity these hard times.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Draw them close, lest the Zeppelins catch us at our story-telling, whilst I put the carpet to rights again and pile up logs (we sawed them ourselves, didn’t we?) upon the fire.
up
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘Once upon a time’—and we pull in our deep chairs, you quietly, I with a quick impatient jerk that scrabbles up the hearth-rug and worries your tidy soul.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading ‘Once upon a time’—and we pull in our deep chairs, you quietly, I with a quick impatient jerk that scrabbles up the hearth-rug and worries your tidy soul.
uspronounUS /ʌs/
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Draw them close, lest the Zeppelins catch us at our story-telling, whilst I put the carpet to rights again and pile up logs (we sawed them ourselves, didn’t we?) upon the fire.
wepronounUS /wiː/
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading ‘Once upon a time’—and we pull in our deep chairs, you quietly, I with a quick impatient jerk that scrabbles up the hearth-rug and worries your tidy soul.
whilstconjunctionUS /waɪlst/
an old and formal word for “while”
From this reading Draw them close, lest the Zeppelins catch us at our story-telling, whilst I put the carpet to rights again and pile up logs (we sawed them ourselves, didn’t we?) upon the fire.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading ‘Once upon a time’—and we pull in our deep chairs, you quietly, I with a quick impatient jerk that scrabbles up the hearth-rug and worries your tidy soul.
wonder
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And now—you have your knitting and I the fountain-pen you gave me: it has not run out, for a wonder! pen and fat, blank scribbling book.
worries
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘Once upon a time’—and we pull in our deep chairs, you quietly, I with a quick impatient jerk that scrabbles up the hearth-rug and worries your tidy soul.
youpronounUS /juː/
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading ‘Once upon a time’—and we pull in our deep chairs, you quietly, I with a quick impatient jerk that scrabbles up the hearth-rug and worries your tidy soul.
yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading ‘Once upon a time’—and we pull in our deep chairs, you quietly, I with a quick impatient jerk that scrabbles up the hearth-rug and worries your tidy soul.
yourselfpronounUS /jərˈself/
used when the person spoken to is also the object of the action
From this reading But you yourself have forgotten the blinds!
Zeppelins
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Draw them close, lest the Zeppelins catch us at our story-telling, whilst I put the carpet to rights again and pile up logs (we sawed them ourselves, didn’t we?) upon the fire.
