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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 From up the river two men were racing a dog team toward them on an uncovered stretch of ice.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading From up the river two men were racing a dog team toward them on an uncovered stretch of ice.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading But even as they looked, the pair struck the water and began to flounder through.
angles
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Through this opening the river rushed out upon them to their waists, burying the sled and swinging the dogs off at right angles in a drowning tangle.
animals
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From this reading But the men stopped their flight to give the animals a fighting chance, and they groped hurriedly in the cold confusion, slashing at the detaining traces with their sheath-knives.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading But even as they looked, the pair struck the water and began to flounder through.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Through this opening the river rushed out upon them to their waists, burying the sled and swinging the dogs off at right angles in a drowning tangle.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Behind, where their feet had sped the moment before, the ice broke up and turned turtle.
begannounUS /began/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading But even as they looked, the pair struck the water and began to flounder through.
BehindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading Behind, where their feet had sped the moment before, the ice broke up and turned turtle.
broke
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Behind, where their feet had sped the moment before, the ice broke up and turned turtle.
burying
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Through this opening the river rushed out upon them to their waists, burying the sled and swinging the dogs off at right angles in a drowning tangle.
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But even as they looked, the pair struck the water and began to flounder through.
chance
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From this reading But the men stopped their flight to give the animals a fighting chance, and they groped hurriedly in the cold confusion, slashing at the detaining traces with their sheath-knives.
cold
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From this reading But the men stopped their flight to give the animals a fighting chance, and they groped hurriedly in the cold confusion, slashing at the detaining traces with their sheath-knives.
confusion
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From this reading But the men stopped their flight to give the animals a fighting chance, and they groped hurriedly in the cold confusion, slashing at the detaining traces with their sheath-knives.
detaining
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From this reading But the men stopped their flight to give the animals a fighting chance, and they groped hurriedly in the cold confusion, slashing at the detaining traces with their sheath-knives.
dog
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From up the river two men were racing a dog team toward them on an uncovered stretch of ice.
dogs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Through this opening the river rushed out upon them to their waists, burying the sled and swinging the dogs off at right angles in a drowning tangle.
drowning
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Through this opening the river rushed out upon them to their waists, burying the sled and swinging the dogs off at right angles in a drowning tangle.
evennounUS /even/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading But even as they looked, the pair struck the water and began to flounder through.
feet
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Behind, where their feet had sped the moment before, the ice broke up and turned turtle.
fighting
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the men stopped their flight to give the animals a fighting chance, and they groped hurriedly in the cold confusion, slashing at the detaining traces with their sheath-knives.
flight
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the men stopped their flight to give the animals a fighting chance, and they groped hurriedly in the cold confusion, slashing at the detaining traces with their sheath-knives.
flounder
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But even as they looked, the pair struck the water and began to flounder through.
FromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading From up the river two men were racing a dog team toward them on an uncovered stretch of ice.
give
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the men stopped their flight to give the animals a fighting chance, and they groped hurriedly in the cold confusion, slashing at the detaining traces with their sheath-knives.
groped
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the men stopped their flight to give the animals a fighting chance, and they groped hurriedly in the cold confusion, slashing at the detaining traces with their sheath-knives.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Behind, where their feet had sped the moment before, the ice broke up and turned turtle.
hurriedly
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From this reading But the men stopped their flight to give the animals a fighting chance, and they groped hurriedly in the cold confusion, slashing at the detaining traces with their sheath-knives.
ice
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From up the river two men were racing a dog team toward them on an uncovered stretch of ice.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Through this opening the river rushed out upon them to their waists, burying the sled and swinging the dogs off at right angles in a drowning tangle.
lookednounUS /looked/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading But even as they looked, the pair struck the water and began to flounder through.
men
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From up the river two men were racing a dog team toward them on an uncovered stretch of ice.
moment
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From this reading Behind, where their feet had sped the moment before, the ice broke up and turned turtle.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading From up the river two men were racing a dog team toward them on an uncovered stretch of ice.
off
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Through this opening the river rushed out upon them to their waists, burying the sled and swinging the dogs off at right angles in a drowning tangle.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading From up the river two men were racing a dog team toward them on an uncovered stretch of ice.
opening
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Through this opening the river rushed out upon them to their waists, burying the sled and swinging the dogs off at right angles in a drowning tangle.
out
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Through this opening the river rushed out upon them to their waists, burying the sled and swinging the dogs off at right angles in a drowning tangle.
pair
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But even as they looked, the pair struck the water and began to flounder through.
racing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From up the river two men were racing a dog team toward them on an uncovered stretch of ice.
rightnounUS /right/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Through this opening the river rushed out upon them to their waists, burying the sled and swinging the dogs off at right angles in a drowning tangle.
river
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From up the river two men were racing a dog team toward them on an uncovered stretch of ice.
rushed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Through this opening the river rushed out upon them to their waists, burying the sled and swinging the dogs off at right angles in a drowning tangle.
sheath-knives
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the men stopped their flight to give the animals a fighting chance, and they groped hurriedly in the cold confusion, slashing at the detaining traces with their sheath-knives.
slashing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the men stopped their flight to give the animals a fighting chance, and they groped hurriedly in the cold confusion, slashing at the detaining traces with their sheath-knives.
sled
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Through this opening the river rushed out upon them to their waists, burying the sled and swinging the dogs off at right angles in a drowning tangle.
sped
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Behind, where their feet had sped the moment before, the ice broke up and turned turtle.
stoppednounUS /stopped/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading But the men stopped their flight to give the animals a fighting chance, and they groped hurriedly in the cold confusion, slashing at the detaining traces with their sheath-knives.
stretch
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From up the river two men were racing a dog team toward them on an uncovered stretch of ice.
strucknounUS /struck/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading But even as they looked, the pair struck the water and began to flounder through.
swinging
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Through this opening the river rushed out upon them to their waists, burying the sled and swinging the dogs off at right angles in a drowning tangle.
tangle
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Through this opening the river rushed out upon them to their waists, burying the sled and swinging the dogs off at right angles in a drowning tangle.
team
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From up the river two men were racing a dog team toward them on an uncovered stretch of ice.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading From up the river two men were racing a dog team toward them on an uncovered stretch of ice.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Behind, where their feet had sped the moment before, the ice broke up and turned turtle.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading From up the river two men were racing a dog team toward them on an uncovered stretch of ice.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But even as they looked, the pair struck the water and began to flounder through.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Through this opening the river rushed out upon them to their waists, burying the sled and swinging the dogs off at right angles in a drowning tangle.
throughnounUS /ˈthrough/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading But even as they looked, the pair struck the water and began to flounder through.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But even as they looked, the pair struck the water and began to flounder through.
towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/
in the direction of
From this reading From up the river two men were racing a dog team toward them on an uncovered stretch of ice.
traces
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the men stopped their flight to give the animals a fighting chance, and they groped hurriedly in the cold confusion, slashing at the detaining traces with their sheath-knives.
turned
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Behind, where their feet had sped the moment before, the ice broke up and turned turtle.
turtle
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Behind, where their feet had sped the moment before, the ice broke up and turned turtle.
two
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From up the river two men were racing a dog team toward them on an uncovered stretch of ice.
uncovered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From up the river two men were racing a dog team toward them on an uncovered stretch of ice.
up
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From up the river two men were racing a dog team toward them on an uncovered stretch of ice.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Through this opening the river rushed out upon them to their waists, burying the sled and swinging the dogs off at right angles in a drowning tangle.
waists
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Through this opening the river rushed out upon them to their waists, burying the sled and swinging the dogs off at right angles in a drowning tangle.
water
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But even as they looked, the pair struck the water and began to flounder through.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading From up the river two men were racing a dog team toward them on an uncovered stretch of ice.
whereconjunctionUS /wer/
in or at the place that
From this reading Behind, where their feet had sped the moment before, the ice broke up and turned turtle.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading But the men stopped their flight to give the animals a fighting chance, and they groped hurriedly in the cold confusion, slashing at the detaining traces with their sheath-knives.