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 Over all the wilderness of links there was not a creature to be seen.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading The morning was grey, wild, and melancholy; the wind moderated before sunrise, and then went about, and blew in puffs from the shore; the sea began to go down, but the rain still fell without mercy.
alive
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yet I felt sure the neighbourhood was alive with skulking foes.
all
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From this reading Over all the wilderness of links there was not a creature to be seen.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading With the first peep of day, I retired from the open to my old lair among the sand-hills, there to await the coming of my wife.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The morning was grey, wild, and melancholy; the wind moderated before sunrise, and then went about, and blew in puffs from the shore; the sea began to go down, but the rain still fell without mercy.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The light that had been so suddenly and surprisingly flashed upon my face as I lay sleeping, and the hat that had been blown ashore by the wind from over Graden Floe, were two speaking signals of the peril that environed Clara and the party in the pavilion.
ashore
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The light that had been so suddenly and surprisingly flashed upon my face as I lay sleeping, and the hat that had been blown ashore by the wind from over Graden Floe, were two speaking signals of the peril that environed Clara and the party in the pavilion.
await
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading With the first peep of day, I retired from the open to my old lair among the sand-hills, there to await the coming of my wife.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Over all the wilderness of links there was not a creature to be seen.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The light that had been so suddenly and surprisingly flashed upon my face as I lay sleeping, and the hat that had been blown ashore by the wind from over Graden Floe, were two speaking signals of the peril that environed Clara and the party in the pavilion.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The morning was grey, wild, and melancholy; the wind moderated before sunrise, and then went about, and blew in puffs from the shore; the sea began to go down, but the rain still fell without mercy.
begannounUS /began/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The morning was grey, wild, and melancholy; the wind moderated before sunrise, and then went about, and blew in puffs from the shore; the sea began to go down, but the rain still fell without mercy.
blew
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The morning was grey, wild, and melancholy; the wind moderated before sunrise, and then went about, and blew in puffs from the shore; the sea began to go down, but the rain still fell without mercy.
blown
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The light that had been so suddenly and surprisingly flashed upon my face as I lay sleeping, and the hat that had been blown ashore by the wind from over Graden Floe, were two speaking signals of the peril that environed Clara and the party in the pavilion.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The morning was grey, wild, and melancholy; the wind moderated before sunrise, and then went about, and blew in puffs from the shore; the sea began to go down, but the rain still fell without mercy.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The light that had been so suddenly and surprisingly flashed upon my face as I lay sleeping, and the hat that had been blown ashore by the wind from over Graden Floe, were two speaking signals of the peril that environed Clara and the party in the pavilion.
Clara
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The light that had been so suddenly and surprisingly flashed upon my face as I lay sleeping, and the hat that had been blown ashore by the wind from over Graden Floe, were two speaking signals of the peril that environed Clara and the party in the pavilion.
coming
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading With the first peep of day, I retired from the open to my old lair among the sand-hills, there to await the coming of my wife.
creaturenounUS /ˈcreature/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading Over all the wilderness of links there was not a creature to be seen.
day
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading With the first peep of day, I retired from the open to my old lair among the sand-hills, there to await the coming of my wife.
down
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The morning was grey, wild, and melancholy; the wind moderated before sunrise, and then went about, and blew in puffs from the shore; the sea began to go down, but the rain still fell without mercy.
environed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The light that had been so suddenly and surprisingly flashed upon my face as I lay sleeping, and the hat that had been blown ashore by the wind from over Graden Floe, were two speaking signals of the peril that environed Clara and the party in the pavilion.
face
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The light that had been so suddenly and surprisingly flashed upon my face as I lay sleeping, and the hat that had been blown ashore by the wind from over Graden Floe, were two speaking signals of the peril that environed Clara and the party in the pavilion.
fell
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The morning was grey, wild, and melancholy; the wind moderated before sunrise, and then went about, and blew in puffs from the shore; the sea began to go down, but the rain still fell without mercy.
felt
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From this reading Yet I felt sure the neighbourhood was alive with skulking foes.
firstnounUS /first/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading With the first peep of day, I retired from the open to my old lair among the sand-hills, there to await the coming of my wife.
flashed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The light that had been so suddenly and surprisingly flashed upon my face as I lay sleeping, and the hat that had been blown ashore by the wind from over Graden Floe, were two speaking signals of the peril that environed Clara and the party in the pavilion.
Floe
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The light that had been so suddenly and surprisingly flashed upon my face as I lay sleeping, and the hat that had been blown ashore by the wind from over Graden Floe, were two speaking signals of the peril that environed Clara and the party in the pavilion.
foes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yet I felt sure the neighbourhood was alive with skulking foes.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading With the first peep of day, I retired from the open to my old lair among the sand-hills, there to await the coming of my wife.
go
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The morning was grey, wild, and melancholy; the wind moderated before sunrise, and then went about, and blew in puffs from the shore; the sea began to go down, but the rain still fell without mercy.
Graden
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The light that had been so suddenly and surprisingly flashed upon my face as I lay sleeping, and the hat that had been blown ashore by the wind from over Graden Floe, were two speaking signals of the peril that environed Clara and the party in the pavilion.
grey
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The morning was grey, wild, and melancholy; the wind moderated before sunrise, and then went about, and blew in puffs from the shore; the sea began to go down, but the rain still fell without mercy.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The light that had been so suddenly and surprisingly flashed upon my face as I lay sleeping, and the hat that had been blown ashore by the wind from over Graden Floe, were two speaking signals of the peril that environed Clara and the party in the pavilion.
hat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The light that had been so suddenly and surprisingly flashed upon my face as I lay sleeping, and the hat that had been blown ashore by the wind from over Graden Floe, were two speaking signals of the peril that environed Clara and the party in the pavilion.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading With the first peep of day, I retired from the open to my old lair among the sand-hills, there to await the coming of my wife.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The morning was grey, wild, and melancholy; the wind moderated before sunrise, and then went about, and blew in puffs from the shore; the sea began to go down, but the rain still fell without mercy.
lair
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading With the first peep of day, I retired from the open to my old lair among the sand-hills, there to await the coming of my wife.
lay
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The light that had been so suddenly and surprisingly flashed upon my face as I lay sleeping, and the hat that had been blown ashore by the wind from over Graden Floe, were two speaking signals of the peril that environed Clara and the party in the pavilion.
light
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The light that had been so suddenly and surprisingly flashed upon my face as I lay sleeping, and the hat that had been blown ashore by the wind from over Graden Floe, were two speaking signals of the peril that environed Clara and the party in the pavilion.
links
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Over all the wilderness of links there was not a creature to be seen.
melancholy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The morning was grey, wild, and melancholy; the wind moderated before sunrise, and then went about, and blew in puffs from the shore; the sea began to go down, but the rain still fell without mercy.
mercy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The morning was grey, wild, and melancholy; the wind moderated before sunrise, and then went about, and blew in puffs from the shore; the sea began to go down, but the rain still fell without mercy.
moderated
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The morning was grey, wild, and melancholy; the wind moderated before sunrise, and then went about, and blew in puffs from the shore; the sea began to go down, but the rain still fell without mercy.
morningnounUS /morning/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The morning was grey, wild, and melancholy; the wind moderated before sunrise, and then went about, and blew in puffs from the shore; the sea began to go down, but the rain still fell without mercy.
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading With the first peep of day, I retired from the open to my old lair among the sand-hills, there to await the coming of my wife.
neighbourhood
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yet I felt sure the neighbourhood was alive with skulking foes.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Over all the wilderness of links there was not a creature to be seen.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading With the first peep of day, I retired from the open to my old lair among the sand-hills, there to await the coming of my wife.
old
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading With the first peep of day, I retired from the open to my old lair among the sand-hills, there to await the coming of my wife.
openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/
To move from a closed position.
From this reading With the first peep of day, I retired from the open to my old lair among the sand-hills, there to await the coming of my wife.
OverprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Over all the wilderness of links there was not a creature to be seen.
partynounUS /party/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The light that had been so suddenly and surprisingly flashed upon my face as I lay sleeping, and the hat that had been blown ashore by the wind from over Graden Floe, were two speaking signals of the peril that environed Clara and the party in the pavilion.
pavilion
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The light that had been so suddenly and surprisingly flashed upon my face as I lay sleeping, and the hat that had been blown ashore by the wind from over Graden Floe, were two speaking signals of the peril that environed Clara and the party in the pavilion.
peep
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading With the first peep of day, I retired from the open to my old lair among the sand-hills, there to await the coming of my wife.
peril
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The light that had been so suddenly and surprisingly flashed upon my face as I lay sleeping, and the hat that had been blown ashore by the wind from over Graden Floe, were two speaking signals of the peril that environed Clara and the party in the pavilion.
puffs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The morning was grey, wild, and melancholy; the wind moderated before sunrise, and then went about, and blew in puffs from the shore; the sea began to go down, but the rain still fell without mercy.
rain
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The morning was grey, wild, and melancholy; the wind moderated before sunrise, and then went about, and blew in puffs from the shore; the sea began to go down, but the rain still fell without mercy.
retiredverbUS /rɪˈtaɪərd/
went away to a private place
From this reading With the first peep of day, I retired from the open to my old lair among the sand-hills, there to await the coming of my wife.
sand-hills
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading With the first peep of day, I retired from the open to my old lair among the sand-hills, there to await the coming of my wife.
sea
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The morning was grey, wild, and melancholy; the wind moderated before sunrise, and then went about, and blew in puffs from the shore; the sea began to go down, but the rain still fell without mercy.
seen
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Over all the wilderness of links there was not a creature to be seen.
shore
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The morning was grey, wild, and melancholy; the wind moderated before sunrise, and then went about, and blew in puffs from the shore; the sea began to go down, but the rain still fell without mercy.
signals
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The light that had been so suddenly and surprisingly flashed upon my face as I lay sleeping, and the hat that had been blown ashore by the wind from over Graden Floe, were two speaking signals of the peril that environed Clara and the party in the pavilion.
skulking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yet I felt sure the neighbourhood was alive with skulking foes.
sleeping
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The light that had been so suddenly and surprisingly flashed upon my face as I lay sleeping, and the hat that had been blown ashore by the wind from over Graden Floe, were two speaking signals of the peril that environed Clara and the party in the pavilion.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The light that had been so suddenly and surprisingly flashed upon my face as I lay sleeping, and the hat that had been blown ashore by the wind from over Graden Floe, were two speaking signals of the peril that environed Clara and the party in the pavilion.
speaking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The light that had been so suddenly and surprisingly flashed upon my face as I lay sleeping, and the hat that had been blown ashore by the wind from over Graden Floe, were two speaking signals of the peril that environed Clara and the party in the pavilion.
stillnounUS /still/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The morning was grey, wild, and melancholy; the wind moderated before sunrise, and then went about, and blew in puffs from the shore; the sea began to go down, but the rain still fell without mercy.
suddenlynounUS /ˈsuddenly/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading The light that had been so suddenly and surprisingly flashed upon my face as I lay sleeping, and the hat that had been blown ashore by the wind from over Graden Floe, were two speaking signals of the peril that environed Clara and the party in the pavilion.
sunrise
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The morning was grey, wild, and melancholy; the wind moderated before sunrise, and then went about, and blew in puffs from the shore; the sea began to go down, but the rain still fell without mercy.
surenounUS /sure/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Yet I felt sure the neighbourhood was alive with skulking foes.
surprisingly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The light that had been so suddenly and surprisingly flashed upon my face as I lay sleeping, and the hat that had been blown ashore by the wind from over Graden Floe, were two speaking signals of the peril that environed Clara and the party in the pavilion.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The light that had been so suddenly and surprisingly flashed upon my face as I lay sleeping, and the hat that had been blown ashore by the wind from over Graden Floe, were two speaking signals of the peril that environed Clara and the party in the pavilion.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading With the first peep of day, I retired from the open to my old lair among the sand-hills, there to await the coming of my wife.
then
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The morning was grey, wild, and melancholy; the wind moderated before sunrise, and then went about, and blew in puffs from the shore; the sea began to go down, but the rain still fell without mercy.
there
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading With the first peep of day, I retired from the open to my old lair among the sand-hills, there to await the coming of my wife.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading With the first peep of day, I retired from the open to my old lair among the sand-hills, there to await the coming of my wife.
two
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The light that had been so suddenly and surprisingly flashed upon my face as I lay sleeping, and the hat that had been blown ashore by the wind from over Graden Floe, were two speaking signals of the peril that environed Clara and the party in the pavilion.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The light that had been so suddenly and surprisingly flashed upon my face as I lay sleeping, and the hat that had been blown ashore by the wind from over Graden Floe, were two speaking signals of the peril that environed Clara and the party in the pavilion.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The morning was grey, wild, and melancholy; the wind moderated before sunrise, and then went about, and blew in puffs from the shore; the sea began to go down, but the rain still fell without mercy.
wentnounUS /went/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The morning was grey, wild, and melancholy; the wind moderated before sunrise, and then went about, and blew in puffs from the shore; the sea began to go down, but the rain still fell without mercy.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The light that had been so suddenly and surprisingly flashed upon my face as I lay sleeping, and the hat that had been blown ashore by the wind from over Graden Floe, were two speaking signals of the peril that environed Clara and the party in the pavilion.
wife
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading With the first peep of day, I retired from the open to my old lair among the sand-hills, there to await the coming of my wife.
wild
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The morning was grey, wild, and melancholy; the wind moderated before sunrise, and then went about, and blew in puffs from the shore; the sea began to go down, but the rain still fell without mercy.
wildernessnounUS /ˈwɪldərnəs/
a wild area where few people live
From this reading Over all the wilderness of links there was not a creature to be seen.
windnounUS /wind/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The morning was grey, wild, and melancholy; the wind moderated before sunrise, and then went about, and blew in puffs from the shore; the sea began to go down, but the rain still fell without mercy.
WithprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading With the first peep of day, I retired from the open to my old lair among the sand-hills, there to await the coming of my wife.
withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading The morning was grey, wild, and melancholy; the wind moderated before sunrise, and then went about, and blew in puffs from the shore; the sea began to go down, but the rain still fell without mercy.
YetconjunctionUS /jet/
but in spite of that
From this reading Yet I felt sure the neighbourhood was alive with skulking foes.
