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 First, she described the place to which she had come; a ravishing spot, where any woman ought to be happy.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading For three months after this I had nothing but letters from Sylvia.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading She proved to be an excellent letter-writer, full of verve and colour.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She proved to be an excellent letter-writer, full of verve and colour.
any
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From this reading First, she described the place to which she had come; a ravishing spot, where any woman ought to be happy.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading She proved to be an excellent letter-writer, full of verve and colour.
border
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From this reading It was a little island, fringed with a border of cocoanut-palms, which rustled and whispered day and night in the breeze.
breeze
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From this reading It was a little island, fringed with a border of cocoanut-palms, which rustled and whispered day and night in the breeze.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading For three months after this I had nothing but letters from Sylvia.
cocoanut-palms
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From this reading It was a little island, fringed with a border of cocoanut-palms, which rustled and whispered day and night in the breeze.
colour
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From this reading She proved to be an excellent letter-writer, full of verve and colour.
comenounUS /come/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading First, she described the place to which she had come; a ravishing spot, where any woman ought to be happy.
day
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From this reading It was a little island, fringed with a border of cocoanut-palms, which rustled and whispered day and night in the breeze.
described
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From this reading First, she described the place to which she had come; a ravishing spot, where any woman ought to be happy.
domestic
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From this reading I would not say that she poured out her soul to me, but she gave me glimpses of her states of mind, and the progress of her domestic drama.
drama
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From this reading I would not say that she poured out her soul to me, but she gave me glimpses of her states of mind, and the progress of her domestic drama.
excellent
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From this reading She proved to be an excellent letter-writer, full of verve and colour.
FirstnounUS /first/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading First, she described the place to which she had come; a ravishing spot, where any woman ought to be happy.
ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For three months after this I had nothing but letters from Sylvia.
fringed
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From this reading It was a little island, fringed with a border of cocoanut-palms, which rustled and whispered day and night in the breeze.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading For three months after this I had nothing but letters from Sylvia.
full
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From this reading She proved to be an excellent letter-writer, full of verve and colour.
gave
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I would not say that she poured out her soul to me, but she gave me glimpses of her states of mind, and the progress of her domestic drama.
glimpses
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I would not say that she poured out her soul to me, but she gave me glimpses of her states of mind, and the progress of her domestic drama.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading For three months after this I had nothing but letters from Sylvia.
happy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading First, she described the place to which she had come; a ravishing spot, where any woman ought to be happy.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading I would not say that she poured out her soul to me, but she gave me glimpses of her states of mind, and the progress of her domestic drama.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading For three months after this I had nothing but letters from Sylvia.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It was a little island, fringed with a border of cocoanut-palms, which rustled and whispered day and night in the breeze.
island
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a little island, fringed with a border of cocoanut-palms, which rustled and whispered day and night in the breeze.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a little island, fringed with a border of cocoanut-palms, which rustled and whispered day and night in the breeze.
letter-writer
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She proved to be an excellent letter-writer, full of verve and colour.
letters
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For three months after this I had nothing but letters from Sylvia.
littlenounUS /little/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading It was a little island, fringed with a border of cocoanut-palms, which rustled and whispered day and night in the breeze.
mepronounUS /miː/
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I would not say that she poured out her soul to me, but she gave me glimpses of her states of mind, and the progress of her domestic drama.
mindnounUS /mind/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading I would not say that she poured out her soul to me, but she gave me glimpses of her states of mind, and the progress of her domestic drama.
months
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For three months after this I had nothing but letters from Sylvia.
night
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a little island, fringed with a border of cocoanut-palms, which rustled and whispered day and night in the breeze.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I would not say that she poured out her soul to me, but she gave me glimpses of her states of mind, and the progress of her domestic drama.
nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/
not one thing; not anything
From this reading For three months after this I had nothing but letters from Sylvia.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading She proved to be an excellent letter-writer, full of verve and colour.
oughtmodal verbUS /ɔːt/
used with “to” to say what is right or advisable
From this reading First, she described the place to which she had come; a ravishing spot, where any woman ought to be happy.
out
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I would not say that she poured out her soul to me, but she gave me glimpses of her states of mind, and the progress of her domestic drama.
place
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading First, she described the place to which she had come; a ravishing spot, where any woman ought to be happy.
poured
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I would not say that she poured out her soul to me, but she gave me glimpses of her states of mind, and the progress of her domestic drama.
progress
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I would not say that she poured out her soul to me, but she gave me glimpses of her states of mind, and the progress of her domestic drama.
proved
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She proved to be an excellent letter-writer, full of verve and colour.
ravishing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading First, she described the place to which she had come; a ravishing spot, where any woman ought to be happy.
rustled
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a little island, fringed with a border of cocoanut-palms, which rustled and whispered day and night in the breeze.
say
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I would not say that she poured out her soul to me, but she gave me glimpses of her states of mind, and the progress of her domestic drama.
ShepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She proved to be an excellent letter-writer, full of verve and colour.
soul
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I would not say that she poured out her soul to me, but she gave me glimpses of her states of mind, and the progress of her domestic drama.
spot
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading First, she described the place to which she had come; a ravishing spot, where any woman ought to be happy.
states
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I would not say that she poured out her soul to me, but she gave me glimpses of her states of mind, and the progress of her domestic drama.
Sylvia
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For three months after this I had nothing but letters from Sylvia.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I would not say that she poured out her soul to me, but she gave me glimpses of her states of mind, and the progress of her domestic drama.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I would not say that she poured out her soul to me, but she gave me glimpses of her states of mind, and the progress of her domestic drama.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading For three months after this I had nothing but letters from Sylvia.
three
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For three months after this I had nothing but letters from Sylvia.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading She proved to be an excellent letter-writer, full of verve and colour.
verve
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She proved to be an excellent letter-writer, full of verve and colour.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was a little island, fringed with a border of cocoanut-palms, which rustled and whispered day and night in the breeze.
whereconjunctionUS /wer/
in or at the place that
From this reading First, she described the place to which she had come; a ravishing spot, where any woman ought to be happy.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading First, she described the place to which she had come; a ravishing spot, where any woman ought to be happy.
whispered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a little island, fringed with a border of cocoanut-palms, which rustled and whispered day and night in the breeze.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading It was a little island, fringed with a border of cocoanut-palms, which rustled and whispered day and night in the breeze.
woman
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading First, she described the place to which she had come; a ravishing spot, where any woman ought to be happy.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading I would not say that she poured out her soul to me, but she gave me glimpses of her states of mind, and the progress of her domestic drama.
