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 She spoke little, never of herself; but she grew visibly older, turning under Laura’s anxious eyes into a silent old woman, content to sit in the sun.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading The spring and summer passed like one of those interminable nightmares whose horror is in the fact that it is ever about to be revealed, and never is revealed, to the dreamer.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The spring and summer passed like one of those interminable nightmares whose horror is in the fact that it is ever about to be revealed, and never is revealed, to the dreamer.
anxious
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She spoke little, never of herself; but she grew visibly older, turning under Laura’s anxious eyes into a silent old woman, content to sit in the sun.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Mrs. Cloud and Laura opened their papers at breakfast, to read and shudder and murmur mechanically, “Their poor wives—God help them!” but the guilty sense of reprieve would be gone before the meal was ended.
aware
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But gradually Laura realized that she was aware of her own failing strength, that she husbanded it of set purpose, that her very quietude was deliberate.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The spring and summer passed like one of those interminable nightmares whose horror is in the fact that it is ever about to be revealed, and never is revealed, to the dreamer.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Mrs. Cloud and Laura opened their papers at breakfast, to read and shudder and murmur mechanically, “Their poor wives—God help them!” but the guilty sense of reprieve would be gone before the meal was ended.
breakfast
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. Cloud and Laura opened their papers at breakfast, to read and shudder and murmur mechanically, “Their poor wives—God help them!” but the guilty sense of reprieve would be gone before the meal was ended.
broke
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Fear was to be their portion rather than fact: and Mrs. Cloud, for one, broke under the burden.
burden
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Fear was to be their portion rather than fact: and Mrs. Cloud, for one, broke under the burden.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Mrs. Cloud and Laura opened their papers at breakfast, to read and shudder and murmur mechanically, “Their poor wives—God help them!” but the guilty sense of reprieve would be gone before the meal was ended.
Cloud
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. Cloud and Laura opened their papers at breakfast, to read and shudder and murmur mechanically, “Their poor wives—God help them!” but the guilty sense of reprieve would be gone before the meal was ended.
content
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She spoke little, never of herself; but she grew visibly older, turning under Laura’s anxious eyes into a silent old woman, content to sit in the sun.
deliberate
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But gradually Laura realized that she was aware of her own failing strength, that she husbanded it of set purpose, that her very quietude was deliberate.
dreamer
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The spring and summer passed like one of those interminable nightmares whose horror is in the fact that it is ever about to be revealed, and never is revealed, to the dreamer.
ended
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. Cloud and Laura opened their papers at breakfast, to read and shudder and murmur mechanically, “Their poor wives—God help them!” but the guilty sense of reprieve would be gone before the meal was ended.
evernounUS /ever/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The spring and summer passed like one of those interminable nightmares whose horror is in the fact that it is ever about to be revealed, and never is revealed, to the dreamer.
eyes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She spoke little, never of herself; but she grew visibly older, turning under Laura’s anxious eyes into a silent old woman, content to sit in the sun.
fact
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The spring and summer passed like one of those interminable nightmares whose horror is in the fact that it is ever about to be revealed, and never is revealed, to the dreamer.
failing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But gradually Laura realized that she was aware of her own failing strength, that she husbanded it of set purpose, that her very quietude was deliberate.
Fear
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Fear was to be their portion rather than fact: and Mrs. Cloud, for one, broke under the burden.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Fear was to be their portion rather than fact: and Mrs. Cloud, for one, broke under the burden.
God
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. Cloud and Laura opened their papers at breakfast, to read and shudder and murmur mechanically, “Their poor wives—God help them!” but the guilty sense of reprieve would be gone before the meal was ended.
gone
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. Cloud and Laura opened their papers at breakfast, to read and shudder and murmur mechanically, “Their poor wives—God help them!” but the guilty sense of reprieve would be gone before the meal was ended.
gradually
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But gradually Laura realized that she was aware of her own failing strength, that she husbanded it of set purpose, that her very quietude was deliberate.
grew
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She spoke little, never of herself; but she grew visibly older, turning under Laura’s anxious eyes into a silent old woman, content to sit in the sun.
guilty
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. Cloud and Laura opened their papers at breakfast, to read and shudder and murmur mechanically, “Their poor wives—God help them!” but the guilty sense of reprieve would be gone before the meal was ended.
helpnounUS /help/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Mrs. Cloud and Laura opened their papers at breakfast, to read and shudder and murmur mechanically, “Their poor wives—God help them!” but the guilty sense of reprieve would be gone before the meal was ended.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading But gradually Laura realized that she was aware of her own failing strength, that she husbanded it of set purpose, that her very quietude was deliberate.
herselfpronounUS /hərˈself/
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading She spoke little, never of herself; but she grew visibly older, turning under Laura’s anxious eyes into a silent old woman, content to sit in the sun.
horror
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The spring and summer passed like one of those interminable nightmares whose horror is in the fact that it is ever about to be revealed, and never is revealed, to the dreamer.
husbanded
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But gradually Laura realized that she was aware of her own failing strength, that she husbanded it of set purpose, that her very quietude was deliberate.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The spring and summer passed like one of those interminable nightmares whose horror is in the fact that it is ever about to be revealed, and never is revealed, to the dreamer.
interminable
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The spring and summer passed like one of those interminable nightmares whose horror is in the fact that it is ever about to be revealed, and never is revealed, to the dreamer.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading She spoke little, never of herself; but she grew visibly older, turning under Laura’s anxious eyes into a silent old woman, content to sit in the sun.
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The spring and summer passed like one of those interminable nightmares whose horror is in the fact that it is ever about to be revealed, and never is revealed, to the dreamer.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The spring and summer passed like one of those interminable nightmares whose horror is in the fact that it is ever about to be revealed, and never is revealed, to the dreamer.
Laura
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. Cloud and Laura opened their papers at breakfast, to read and shudder and murmur mechanically, “Their poor wives—God help them!” but the guilty sense of reprieve would be gone before the meal was ended.
Laura's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She spoke little, never of herself; but she grew visibly older, turning under Laura’s anxious eyes into a silent old woman, content to sit in the sun.
like
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The spring and summer passed like one of those interminable nightmares whose horror is in the fact that it is ever about to be revealed, and never is revealed, to the dreamer.
littlenounUS /little/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading She spoke little, never of herself; but she grew visibly older, turning under Laura’s anxious eyes into a silent old woman, content to sit in the sun.
meal
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. Cloud and Laura opened their papers at breakfast, to read and shudder and murmur mechanically, “Their poor wives—God help them!” but the guilty sense of reprieve would be gone before the meal was ended.
mechanically
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. Cloud and Laura opened their papers at breakfast, to read and shudder and murmur mechanically, “Their poor wives—God help them!” but the guilty sense of reprieve would be gone before the meal was ended.
Mrs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. Cloud and Laura opened their papers at breakfast, to read and shudder and murmur mechanically, “Their poor wives—God help them!” but the guilty sense of reprieve would be gone before the meal was ended.
murmur
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. Cloud and Laura opened their papers at breakfast, to read and shudder and murmur mechanically, “Their poor wives—God help them!” but the guilty sense of reprieve would be gone before the meal was ended.
nevernounUS /never/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The spring and summer passed like one of those interminable nightmares whose horror is in the fact that it is ever about to be revealed, and never is revealed, to the dreamer.
nightmares
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The spring and summer passed like one of those interminable nightmares whose horror is in the fact that it is ever about to be revealed, and never is revealed, to the dreamer.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The spring and summer passed like one of those interminable nightmares whose horror is in the fact that it is ever about to be revealed, and never is revealed, to the dreamer.
old
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She spoke little, never of herself; but she grew visibly older, turning under Laura’s anxious eyes into a silent old woman, content to sit in the sun.
older
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She spoke little, never of herself; but she grew visibly older, turning under Laura’s anxious eyes into a silent old woman, content to sit in the sun.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The spring and summer passed like one of those interminable nightmares whose horror is in the fact that it is ever about to be revealed, and never is revealed, to the dreamer.
opened
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. Cloud and Laura opened their papers at breakfast, to read and shudder and murmur mechanically, “Their poor wives—God help them!” but the guilty sense of reprieve would be gone before the meal was ended.
own
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But gradually Laura realized that she was aware of her own failing strength, that she husbanded it of set purpose, that her very quietude was deliberate.
papers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. Cloud and Laura opened their papers at breakfast, to read and shudder and murmur mechanically, “Their poor wives—God help them!” but the guilty sense of reprieve would be gone before the meal was ended.
passednounUS /passed/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The spring and summer passed like one of those interminable nightmares whose horror is in the fact that it is ever about to be revealed, and never is revealed, to the dreamer.
poornounUS /poor/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Mrs. Cloud and Laura opened their papers at breakfast, to read and shudder and murmur mechanically, “Their poor wives—God help them!” but the guilty sense of reprieve would be gone before the meal was ended.
portion
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Fear was to be their portion rather than fact: and Mrs. Cloud, for one, broke under the burden.
purpose
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But gradually Laura realized that she was aware of her own failing strength, that she husbanded it of set purpose, that her very quietude was deliberate.
quietude
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But gradually Laura realized that she was aware of her own failing strength, that she husbanded it of set purpose, that her very quietude was deliberate.
rather
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Fear was to be their portion rather than fact: and Mrs. Cloud, for one, broke under the burden.
read
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. Cloud and Laura opened their papers at breakfast, to read and shudder and murmur mechanically, “Their poor wives—God help them!” but the guilty sense of reprieve would be gone before the meal was ended.
realized
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But gradually Laura realized that she was aware of her own failing strength, that she husbanded it of set purpose, that her very quietude was deliberate.
reprieve
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. Cloud and Laura opened their papers at breakfast, to read and shudder and murmur mechanically, “Their poor wives—God help them!” but the guilty sense of reprieve would be gone before the meal was ended.
revealed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The spring and summer passed like one of those interminable nightmares whose horror is in the fact that it is ever about to be revealed, and never is revealed, to the dreamer.
sense
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. Cloud and Laura opened their papers at breakfast, to read and shudder and murmur mechanically, “Their poor wives—God help them!” but the guilty sense of reprieve would be gone before the meal was ended.
set
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But gradually Laura realized that she was aware of her own failing strength, that she husbanded it of set purpose, that her very quietude was deliberate.
ShepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She spoke little, never of herself; but she grew visibly older, turning under Laura’s anxious eyes into a silent old woman, content to sit in the sun.
shudder
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. Cloud and Laura opened their papers at breakfast, to read and shudder and murmur mechanically, “Their poor wives—God help them!” but the guilty sense of reprieve would be gone before the meal was ended.
silent
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She spoke little, never of herself; but she grew visibly older, turning under Laura’s anxious eyes into a silent old woman, content to sit in the sun.
sit
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She spoke little, never of herself; but she grew visibly older, turning under Laura’s anxious eyes into a silent old woman, content to sit in the sun.
spoke
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She spoke little, never of herself; but she grew visibly older, turning under Laura’s anxious eyes into a silent old woman, content to sit in the sun.
spring
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The spring and summer passed like one of those interminable nightmares whose horror is in the fact that it is ever about to be revealed, and never is revealed, to the dreamer.
strengthnounUS /ˈstrength/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading But gradually Laura realized that she was aware of her own failing strength, that she husbanded it of set purpose, that her very quietude was deliberate.
summer
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The spring and summer passed like one of those interminable nightmares whose horror is in the fact that it is ever about to be revealed, and never is revealed, to the dreamer.
sun
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She spoke little, never of herself; but she grew visibly older, turning under Laura’s anxious eyes into a silent old woman, content to sit in the sun.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Fear was to be their portion rather than fact: and Mrs. Cloud, for one, broke under the burden.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The spring and summer passed like one of those interminable nightmares whose horror is in the fact that it is ever about to be revealed, and never is revealed, to the dreamer.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The spring and summer passed like one of those interminable nightmares whose horror is in the fact that it is ever about to be revealed, and never is revealed, to the dreamer.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Mrs. Cloud and Laura opened their papers at breakfast, to read and shudder and murmur mechanically, “Their poor wives—God help them!” but the guilty sense of reprieve would be gone before the meal was ended.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Mrs. Cloud and Laura opened their papers at breakfast, to read and shudder and murmur mechanically, “Their poor wives—God help them!” but the guilty sense of reprieve would be gone before the meal was ended.
thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading The spring and summer passed like one of those interminable nightmares whose horror is in the fact that it is ever about to be revealed, and never is revealed, to the dreamer.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The spring and summer passed like one of those interminable nightmares whose horror is in the fact that it is ever about to be revealed, and never is revealed, to the dreamer.
turning
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She spoke little, never of herself; but she grew visibly older, turning under Laura’s anxious eyes into a silent old woman, content to sit in the sun.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading Fear was to be their portion rather than fact: and Mrs. Cloud, for one, broke under the burden.
very
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But gradually Laura realized that she was aware of her own failing strength, that she husbanded it of set purpose, that her very quietude was deliberate.
visibly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She spoke little, never of herself; but she grew visibly older, turning under Laura’s anxious eyes into a silent old woman, content to sit in the sun.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Mrs. Cloud and Laura opened their papers at breakfast, to read and shudder and murmur mechanically, “Their poor wives—God help them!” but the guilty sense of reprieve would be gone before the meal was ended.
whosedeterminerUS /huːz/
belonging to which person
From this reading The spring and summer passed like one of those interminable nightmares whose horror is in the fact that it is ever about to be revealed, and never is revealed, to the dreamer.
wives
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. Cloud and Laura opened their papers at breakfast, to read and shudder and murmur mechanically, “Their poor wives—God help them!” but the guilty sense of reprieve would be gone before the meal was ended.
woman
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She spoke little, never of herself; but she grew visibly older, turning under Laura’s anxious eyes into a silent old woman, content to sit in the sun.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Mrs. Cloud and Laura opened their papers at breakfast, to read and shudder and murmur mechanically, “Their poor wives—God help them!” but the guilty sense of reprieve would be gone before the meal was ended.
