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 I had not had a moment's sleep during the night.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading At seven in the morning I heard my wife shifting restlessly and moaning in her bedroom.
AtprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At seven in the morning I heard my wife shifting restlessly and moaning in her bedroom.
awake
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading My eyes closed occasionally from weariness, but sleep did not come to me; nor did I woo it, for I felt the necessity of keeping awake, lest Barbara should create a disturbance.
Barbara
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading My eyes closed occasionally from weariness, but sleep did not come to me; nor did I woo it, for I felt the necessity of keeping awake, lest Barbara should create a disturbance.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading In whatever form it presented itself I must be prepared to cope with it; and it behoved me, therefore, to keep on the watch.
bedroom
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At seven in the morning I heard my wife shifting restlessly and moaning in her bedroom.
behoved
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In whatever form it presented itself I must be prepared to cope with it; and it behoved me, therefore, to keep on the watch.
bitter
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Her condition was a new and bitter experience to me, and I did not know what form it might take.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading My eyes closed occasionally from weariness, but sleep did not come to me; nor did I woo it, for I felt the necessity of keeping awake, lest Barbara should create a disturbance.
closed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading My eyes closed occasionally from weariness, but sleep did not come to me; nor did I woo it, for I felt the necessity of keeping awake, lest Barbara should create a disturbance.
comenounUS /come/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading My eyes closed occasionally from weariness, but sleep did not come to me; nor did I woo it, for I felt the necessity of keeping awake, lest Barbara should create a disturbance.
condition
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Her condition was a new and bitter experience to me, and I did not know what form it might take.
cope
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In whatever form it presented itself I must be prepared to cope with it; and it behoved me, therefore, to keep on the watch.
create
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading My eyes closed occasionally from weariness, but sleep did not come to me; nor did I woo it, for I felt the necessity of keeping awake, lest Barbara should create a disturbance.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading My eyes closed occasionally from weariness, but sleep did not come to me; nor did I woo it, for I felt the necessity of keeping awake, lest Barbara should create a disturbance.
disturbance
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading My eyes closed occasionally from weariness, but sleep did not come to me; nor did I woo it, for I felt the necessity of keeping awake, lest Barbara should create a disturbance.
duringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading I had not had a moment's sleep during the night.
experience
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Her condition was a new and bitter experience to me, and I did not know what form it might take.
eyes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading My eyes closed occasionally from weariness, but sleep did not come to me; nor did I woo it, for I felt the necessity of keeping awake, lest Barbara should create a disturbance.
felt
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading My eyes closed occasionally from weariness, but sleep did not come to me; nor did I woo it, for I felt the necessity of keeping awake, lest Barbara should create a disturbance.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading My eyes closed occasionally from weariness, but sleep did not come to me; nor did I woo it, for I felt the necessity of keeping awake, lest Barbara should create a disturbance.
form
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Her condition was a new and bitter experience to me, and I did not know what form it might take.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading My eyes closed occasionally from weariness, but sleep did not come to me; nor did I woo it, for I felt the necessity of keeping awake, lest Barbara should create a disturbance.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I had not had a moment's sleep during the night.
heard
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At seven in the morning I heard my wife shifting restlessly and moaning in her bedroom.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading At seven in the morning I heard my wife shifting restlessly and moaning in her bedroom.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading At seven in the morning I heard my wife shifting restlessly and moaning in her bedroom.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading At seven in the morning I heard my wife shifting restlessly and moaning in her bedroom.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading My eyes closed occasionally from weariness, but sleep did not come to me; nor did I woo it, for I felt the necessity of keeping awake, lest Barbara should create a disturbance.
itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading In whatever form it presented itself I must be prepared to cope with it; and it behoved me, therefore, to keep on the watch.
keep
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In whatever form it presented itself I must be prepared to cope with it; and it behoved me, therefore, to keep on the watch.
keeping
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading My eyes closed occasionally from weariness, but sleep did not come to me; nor did I woo it, for I felt the necessity of keeping awake, lest Barbara should create a disturbance.
knownounUS /know/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Her condition was a new and bitter experience to me, and I did not know what form it might take.
lestconjunctionUS /lest/
in order that something should not happen
From this reading My eyes closed occasionally from weariness, but sleep did not come to me; nor did I woo it, for I felt the necessity of keeping awake, lest Barbara should create a disturbance.
mepronounUS /miː/
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading My eyes closed occasionally from weariness, but sleep did not come to me; nor did I woo it, for I felt the necessity of keeping awake, lest Barbara should create a disturbance.
mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading Her condition was a new and bitter experience to me, and I did not know what form it might take.
moaning
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At seven in the morning I heard my wife shifting restlessly and moaning in her bedroom.
moment's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I had not had a moment's sleep during the night.
morningnounUS /morning/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading At seven in the morning I heard my wife shifting restlessly and moaning in her bedroom.
mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading In whatever form it presented itself I must be prepared to cope with it; and it behoved me, therefore, to keep on the watch.
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading At seven in the morning I heard my wife shifting restlessly and moaning in her bedroom.
necessity
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading My eyes closed occasionally from weariness, but sleep did not come to me; nor did I woo it, for I felt the necessity of keeping awake, lest Barbara should create a disturbance.
new
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Her condition was a new and bitter experience to me, and I did not know what form it might take.
night
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I had not had a moment's sleep during the night.
norconjunctionUS /nɔːr/
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading My eyes closed occasionally from weariness, but sleep did not come to me; nor did I woo it, for I felt the necessity of keeping awake, lest Barbara should create a disturbance.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I had not had a moment's sleep during the night.
occasionally
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading My eyes closed occasionally from weariness, but sleep did not come to me; nor did I woo it, for I felt the necessity of keeping awake, lest Barbara should create a disturbance.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading My eyes closed occasionally from weariness, but sleep did not come to me; nor did I woo it, for I felt the necessity of keeping awake, lest Barbara should create a disturbance.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading In whatever form it presented itself I must be prepared to cope with it; and it behoved me, therefore, to keep on the watch.
prepared
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In whatever form it presented itself I must be prepared to cope with it; and it behoved me, therefore, to keep on the watch.
presented
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In whatever form it presented itself I must be prepared to cope with it; and it behoved me, therefore, to keep on the watch.
restlessly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At seven in the morning I heard my wife shifting restlessly and moaning in her bedroom.
seven
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At seven in the morning I heard my wife shifting restlessly and moaning in her bedroom.
shifting
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At seven in the morning I heard my wife shifting restlessly and moaning in her bedroom.
shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading My eyes closed occasionally from weariness, but sleep did not come to me; nor did I woo it, for I felt the necessity of keeping awake, lest Barbara should create a disturbance.
sleep
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I had not had a moment's sleep during the night.
takenounUS /take/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Her condition was a new and bitter experience to me, and I did not know what form it might take.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading At seven in the morning I heard my wife shifting restlessly and moaning in her bedroom.
thereforeadverbUS /ˈðerfɔːr/
for that reason; as a result
From this reading In whatever form it presented itself I must be prepared to cope with it; and it behoved me, therefore, to keep on the watch.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading My eyes closed occasionally from weariness, but sleep did not come to me; nor did I woo it, for I felt the necessity of keeping awake, lest Barbara should create a disturbance.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Her condition was a new and bitter experience to me, and I did not know what form it might take.
watch
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In whatever form it presented itself I must be prepared to cope with it; and it behoved me, therefore, to keep on the watch.
weariness
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading My eyes closed occasionally from weariness, but sleep did not come to me; nor did I woo it, for I felt the necessity of keeping awake, lest Barbara should create a disturbance.
whatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Her condition was a new and bitter experience to me, and I did not know what form it might take.
whateverdeterminerUS /ˌwʌˈtevər/
any or all of a kind, it does not matter which
From this reading In whatever form it presented itself I must be prepared to cope with it; and it behoved me, therefore, to keep on the watch.
wife
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At seven in the morning I heard my wife shifting restlessly and moaning in her bedroom.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading In whatever form it presented itself I must be prepared to cope with it; and it behoved me, therefore, to keep on the watch.
woo
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading My eyes closed occasionally from weariness, but sleep did not come to me; nor did I woo it, for I felt the necessity of keeping awake, lest Barbara should create a disturbance.
