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adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading WÄRLI, the little hunchback postman, a cheery soul, came whistling up the Kurhaus stairs, carrying with him that precious parcel of registered letters, which gave him the position of being the most important person in Petershof.
agreeable
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From this reading He was a linguist, too, was Wärli, and could speak broken English in a most fascinating way, agreeable to every one, but intelligible only to himself.
ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading CONCERNING WÄRLI AND MARIE.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading WÄRLI, the little hunchback postman, a cheery soul, came whistling up the Kurhaus stairs, carrying with him that precious parcel of registered letters, which gave him the position of being the most important person in Petershof.
blithe
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From this reading Well, he came whistling up the stairs when he heard Marie's blithe voice humming her favourite spinning-song.
brokennounUS /broken/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading He was a linguist, too, was Wärli, and could speak broken English in a most fascinating way, agreeable to every one, but intelligible only to himself.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He was a linguist, too, was Wärli, and could speak broken English in a most fascinating way, agreeable to every one, but intelligible only to himself.
came
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From this reading WÄRLI, the little hunchback postman, a cheery soul, came whistling up the Kurhaus stairs, carrying with him that precious parcel of registered letters, which gave him the position of being the most important person in Petershof.
carrying
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From this reading WÄRLI, the little hunchback postman, a cheery soul, came whistling up the Kurhaus stairs, carrying with him that precious parcel of registered letters, which gave him the position of being the most important person in Petershof.
cheery
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From this reading WÄRLI, the little hunchback postman, a cheery soul, came whistling up the Kurhaus stairs, carrying with him that precious parcel of registered letters, which gave him the position of being the most important person in Petershof.
CONCERNING
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From this reading CONCERNING WÄRLI AND MARIE.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading He was a linguist, too, was Wärli, and could speak broken English in a most fascinating way, agreeable to every one, but intelligible only to himself.
Ei
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From this reading "Ei, Ei!" he said to himself; "Marie is in a good temper to-day.
English
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From this reading He was a linguist, too, was Wärli, and could speak broken English in a most fascinating way, agreeable to every one, but intelligible only to himself.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading He was a linguist, too, was Wärli, and could speak broken English in a most fascinating way, agreeable to every one, but intelligible only to himself.
fascinating
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From this reading He was a linguist, too, was Wärli, and could speak broken English in a most fascinating way, agreeable to every one, but intelligible only to himself.
favourite
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From this reading Well, he came whistling up the stairs when he heard Marie's blithe voice humming her favourite spinning-song.
gave
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From this reading WÄRLI, the little hunchback postman, a cheery soul, came whistling up the Kurhaus stairs, carrying with him that precious parcel of registered letters, which gave him the position of being the most important person in Petershof.
goodnounUS /good/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading "Ei, Ei!" he said to himself; "Marie is in a good temper to-day.
HepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was a linguist, too, was Wärli, and could speak broken English in a most fascinating way, agreeable to every one, but intelligible only to himself.
heard
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From this reading Well, he came whistling up the stairs when he heard Marie's blithe voice humming her favourite spinning-song.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Well, he came whistling up the stairs when he heard Marie's blithe voice humming her favourite spinning-song.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading WÄRLI, the little hunchback postman, a cheery soul, came whistling up the Kurhaus stairs, carrying with him that precious parcel of registered letters, which gave him the position of being the most important person in Petershof.
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading He was a linguist, too, was Wärli, and could speak broken English in a most fascinating way, agreeable to every one, but intelligible only to himself.
humming
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From this reading Well, he came whistling up the stairs when he heard Marie's blithe voice humming her favourite spinning-song.
hunchback
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From this reading WÄRLI, the little hunchback postman, a cheery soul, came whistling up the Kurhaus stairs, carrying with him that precious parcel of registered letters, which gave him the position of being the most important person in Petershof.
important
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From this reading WÄRLI, the little hunchback postman, a cheery soul, came whistling up the Kurhaus stairs, carrying with him that precious parcel of registered letters, which gave him the position of being the most important person in Petershof.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading WÄRLI, the little hunchback postman, a cheery soul, came whistling up the Kurhaus stairs, carrying with him that precious parcel of registered letters, which gave him the position of being the most important person in Petershof.
intelligible
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From this reading He was a linguist, too, was Wärli, and could speak broken English in a most fascinating way, agreeable to every one, but intelligible only to himself.
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Ei, Ei!" he said to himself; "Marie is in a good temper to-day.
Kurhaus
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From this reading WÄRLI, the little hunchback postman, a cheery soul, came whistling up the Kurhaus stairs, carrying with him that precious parcel of registered letters, which gave him the position of being the most important person in Petershof.
letters
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From this reading WÄRLI, the little hunchback postman, a cheery soul, came whistling up the Kurhaus stairs, carrying with him that precious parcel of registered letters, which gave him the position of being the most important person in Petershof.
linguist
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From this reading He was a linguist, too, was Wärli, and could speak broken English in a most fascinating way, agreeable to every one, but intelligible only to himself.
littlenounUS /little/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading WÄRLI, the little hunchback postman, a cheery soul, came whistling up the Kurhaus stairs, carrying with him that precious parcel of registered letters, which gave him the position of being the most important person in Petershof.
MARIE
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From this reading CONCERNING WÄRLI AND MARIE.
Marie's
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From this reading Well, he came whistling up the stairs when he heard Marie's blithe voice humming her favourite spinning-song.
most
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From this reading WÄRLI, the little hunchback postman, a cheery soul, came whistling up the Kurhaus stairs, carrying with him that precious parcel of registered letters, which gave him the position of being the most important person in Petershof.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading WÄRLI, the little hunchback postman, a cheery soul, came whistling up the Kurhaus stairs, carrying with him that precious parcel of registered letters, which gave him the position of being the most important person in Petershof.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading He was a linguist, too, was Wärli, and could speak broken English in a most fascinating way, agreeable to every one, but intelligible only to himself.
only
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From this reading He was a linguist, too, was Wärli, and could speak broken English in a most fascinating way, agreeable to every one, but intelligible only to himself.
parcel
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From this reading WÄRLI, the little hunchback postman, a cheery soul, came whistling up the Kurhaus stairs, carrying with him that precious parcel of registered letters, which gave him the position of being the most important person in Petershof.
person
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From this reading WÄRLI, the little hunchback postman, a cheery soul, came whistling up the Kurhaus stairs, carrying with him that precious parcel of registered letters, which gave him the position of being the most important person in Petershof.
Petershof
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From this reading WÄRLI, the little hunchback postman, a cheery soul, came whistling up the Kurhaus stairs, carrying with him that precious parcel of registered letters, which gave him the position of being the most important person in Petershof.
position
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From this reading WÄRLI, the little hunchback postman, a cheery soul, came whistling up the Kurhaus stairs, carrying with him that precious parcel of registered letters, which gave him the position of being the most important person in Petershof.
postman
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From this reading WÄRLI, the little hunchback postman, a cheery soul, came whistling up the Kurhaus stairs, carrying with him that precious parcel of registered letters, which gave him the position of being the most important person in Petershof.
preciousadjectiveUS /ˈpreʃəs/
rare and worth a great deal
From this reading WÄRLI, the little hunchback postman, a cheery soul, came whistling up the Kurhaus stairs, carrying with him that precious parcel of registered letters, which gave him the position of being the most important person in Petershof.
registered
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From this reading WÄRLI, the little hunchback postman, a cheery soul, came whistling up the Kurhaus stairs, carrying with him that precious parcel of registered letters, which gave him the position of being the most important person in Petershof.
said
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From this reading "Ei, Ei!" he said to himself; "Marie is in a good temper to-day.
soul
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From this reading WÄRLI, the little hunchback postman, a cheery soul, came whistling up the Kurhaus stairs, carrying with him that precious parcel of registered letters, which gave him the position of being the most important person in Petershof.
speak
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From this reading He was a linguist, too, was Wärli, and could speak broken English in a most fascinating way, agreeable to every one, but intelligible only to himself.
spinning-song
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From this reading Well, he came whistling up the stairs when he heard Marie's blithe voice humming her favourite spinning-song.
stairs
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From this reading WÄRLI, the little hunchback postman, a cheery soul, came whistling up the Kurhaus stairs, carrying with him that precious parcel of registered letters, which gave him the position of being the most important person in Petershof.
temper
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From this reading "Ei, Ei!" he said to himself; "Marie is in a good temper to-day.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading WÄRLI, the little hunchback postman, a cheery soul, came whistling up the Kurhaus stairs, carrying with him that precious parcel of registered letters, which gave him the position of being the most important person in Petershof.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading WÄRLI, the little hunchback postman, a cheery soul, came whistling up the Kurhaus stairs, carrying with him that precious parcel of registered letters, which gave him the position of being the most important person in Petershof.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He was a linguist, too, was Wärli, and could speak broken English in a most fascinating way, agreeable to every one, but intelligible only to himself.
to-day
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Ei, Ei!" he said to himself; "Marie is in a good temper to-day.
too
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was a linguist, too, was Wärli, and could speak broken English in a most fascinating way, agreeable to every one, but intelligible only to himself.
up
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From this reading WÄRLI, the little hunchback postman, a cheery soul, came whistling up the Kurhaus stairs, carrying with him that precious parcel of registered letters, which gave him the position of being the most important person in Petershof.
voice
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Well, he came whistling up the stairs when he heard Marie's blithe voice humming her favourite spinning-song.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He was a linguist, too, was Wärli, and could speak broken English in a most fascinating way, agreeable to every one, but intelligible only to himself.
way
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From this reading He was a linguist, too, was Wärli, and could speak broken English in a most fascinating way, agreeable to every one, but intelligible only to himself.
Well
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From this reading Well, he came whistling up the stairs when he heard Marie's blithe voice humming her favourite spinning-song.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading Well, he came whistling up the stairs when he heard Marie's blithe voice humming her favourite spinning-song.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading WÄRLI, the little hunchback postman, a cheery soul, came whistling up the Kurhaus stairs, carrying with him that precious parcel of registered letters, which gave him the position of being the most important person in Petershof.
whistling
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From this reading WÄRLI, the little hunchback postman, a cheery soul, came whistling up the Kurhaus stairs, carrying with him that precious parcel of registered letters, which gave him the position of being the most important person in Petershof.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading WÄRLI, the little hunchback postman, a cheery soul, came whistling up the Kurhaus stairs, carrying with him that precious parcel of registered letters, which gave him the position of being the most important person in Petershof.
WÄRLI
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From this reading CONCERNING WÄRLI AND MARIE.