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 Mary Lennox knew they were roses because she had seen a great many roses in India.
alive
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All the ground was covered with grass of a wintry brown and out of it grew clumps of bushes which were surely rosebushes if they were alive.
All
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All the ground was covered with grass of a wintry brown and out of it grew clumps of bushes which were surely rosebushes if they were alive.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading All the ground was covered with grass of a wintry brown and out of it grew clumps of bushes which were surely rosebushes if they were alive.
ANYONEpronounUS /ˈeniwʌn/
any person at all
From this reading THE STRANGEST HOUSE ANYONE EVER LIVED IN It was the sweetest, most mysterious-looking place anyone could imagine.
becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/
for the reason that
From this reading Mary Lennox knew they were roses because she had seen a great many roses in India.
branches
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There were numbers of standard roses which had so spread their branches that they were like little trees.
brown
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All the ground was covered with grass of a wintry brown and out of it grew clumps of bushes which were surely rosebushes if they were alive.
bushes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All the ground was covered with grass of a wintry brown and out of it grew clumps of bushes which were surely rosebushes if they were alive.
climbing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The high walls which shut it in were covered with the leafless stems of climbing roses which were so thick that they were matted together.
clumps
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All the ground was covered with grass of a wintry brown and out of it grew clumps of bushes which were surely rosebushes if they were alive.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading THE STRANGEST HOUSE ANYONE EVER LIVED IN It was the sweetest, most mysterious-looking place anyone could imagine.
covered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The high walls which shut it in were covered with the leafless stems of climbing roses which were so thick that they were matted together.
EVERnounUS /ever/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading THE STRANGEST HOUSE ANYONE EVER LIVED IN It was the sweetest, most mysterious-looking place anyone could imagine.
grass
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All the ground was covered with grass of a wintry brown and out of it grew clumps of bushes which were surely rosebushes if they were alive.
greatnounUS /great/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Mary Lennox knew they were roses because she had seen a great many roses in India.
grew
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All the ground was covered with grass of a wintry brown and out of it grew clumps of bushes which were surely rosebushes if they were alive.
ground
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All the ground was covered with grass of a wintry brown and out of it grew clumps of bushes which were surely rosebushes if they were alive.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Mary Lennox knew they were roses because she had seen a great many roses in India.
high
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The high walls which shut it in were covered with the leafless stems of climbing roses which were so thick that they were matted together.
HOUSE
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE STRANGEST HOUSE ANYONE EVER LIVED IN It was the sweetest, most mysterious-looking place anyone could imagine.
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading All the ground was covered with grass of a wintry brown and out of it grew clumps of bushes which were surely rosebushes if they were alive.
imaginenounUS /ˈimagine/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading THE STRANGEST HOUSE ANYONE EVER LIVED IN It was the sweetest, most mysterious-looking place anyone could imagine.
INprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE STRANGEST HOUSE ANYONE EVER LIVED IN It was the sweetest, most mysterious-looking place anyone could imagine.
India
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mary Lennox knew they were roses because she had seen a great many roses in India.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading THE STRANGEST HOUSE ANYONE EVER LIVED IN It was the sweetest, most mysterious-looking place anyone could imagine.
knew
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mary Lennox knew they were roses because she had seen a great many roses in India.
leaflessadjectiveUS /ˈliːfləs/
having no leaves, usually because of the season
From this reading The high walls which shut it in were covered with the leafless stems of climbing roses which were so thick that they were matted together.
Lennox
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mary Lennox knew they were roses because she had seen a great many roses in India.
like
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There were numbers of standard roses which had so spread their branches that they were like little trees.
littlenounUS /little/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading There were numbers of standard roses which had so spread their branches that they were like little trees.
LIVED
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE STRANGEST HOUSE ANYONE EVER LIVED IN It was the sweetest, most mysterious-looking place anyone could imagine.
many
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mary Lennox knew they were roses because she had seen a great many roses in India.
Mary
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mary Lennox knew they were roses because she had seen a great many roses in India.
matted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The high walls which shut it in were covered with the leafless stems of climbing roses which were so thick that they were matted together.
most
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE STRANGEST HOUSE ANYONE EVER LIVED IN It was the sweetest, most mysterious-looking place anyone could imagine.
mysterious-looking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE STRANGEST HOUSE ANYONE EVER LIVED IN It was the sweetest, most mysterious-looking place anyone could imagine.
numbers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There were numbers of standard roses which had so spread their branches that they were like little trees.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The high walls which shut it in were covered with the leafless stems of climbing roses which were so thick that they were matted together.
out
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All the ground was covered with grass of a wintry brown and out of it grew clumps of bushes which were surely rosebushes if they were alive.
place
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE STRANGEST HOUSE ANYONE EVER LIVED IN It was the sweetest, most mysterious-looking place anyone could imagine.
rosebushes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All the ground was covered with grass of a wintry brown and out of it grew clumps of bushes which were surely rosebushes if they were alive.
roses
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The high walls which shut it in were covered with the leafless stems of climbing roses which were so thick that they were matted together.
seen
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mary Lennox knew they were roses because she had seen a great many roses in India.
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Mary Lennox knew they were roses because she had seen a great many roses in India.
shut
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The high walls which shut it in were covered with the leafless stems of climbing roses which were so thick that they were matted together.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The high walls which shut it in were covered with the leafless stems of climbing roses which were so thick that they were matted together.
spread
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There were numbers of standard roses which had so spread their branches that they were like little trees.
standard
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There were numbers of standard roses which had so spread their branches that they were like little trees.
stems
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The high walls which shut it in were covered with the leafless stems of climbing roses which were so thick that they were matted together.
STRANGESTadjectiveUS /ˈstreɪndʒɪst/
superlative of “strange” — being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading THE STRANGEST HOUSE ANYONE EVER LIVED IN It was the sweetest, most mysterious-looking place anyone could imagine.
surely
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All the ground was covered with grass of a wintry brown and out of it grew clumps of bushes which were surely rosebushes if they were alive.
sweetest
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE STRANGEST HOUSE ANYONE EVER LIVED IN It was the sweetest, most mysterious-looking place anyone could imagine.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The high walls which shut it in were covered with the leafless stems of climbing roses which were so thick that they were matted together.
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE STRANGEST HOUSE ANYONE EVER LIVED IN It was the sweetest, most mysterious-looking place anyone could imagine.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading There were numbers of standard roses which had so spread their branches that they were like little trees.
There
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There were numbers of standard roses which had so spread their branches that they were like little trees.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The high walls which shut it in were covered with the leafless stems of climbing roses which were so thick that they were matted together.
thick
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The high walls which shut it in were covered with the leafless stems of climbing roses which were so thick that they were matted together.
together
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The high walls which shut it in were covered with the leafless stems of climbing roses which were so thick that they were matted together.
trees
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There were numbers of standard roses which had so spread their branches that they were like little trees.
walls
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The high walls which shut it in were covered with the leafless stems of climbing roses which were so thick that they were matted together.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE STRANGEST HOUSE ANYONE EVER LIVED IN It was the sweetest, most mysterious-looking place anyone could imagine.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The high walls which shut it in were covered with the leafless stems of climbing roses which were so thick that they were matted together.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The high walls which shut it in were covered with the leafless stems of climbing roses which were so thick that they were matted together.
wintry
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All the ground was covered with grass of a wintry brown and out of it grew clumps of bushes which were surely rosebushes if they were alive.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading The high walls which shut it in were covered with the leafless stems of climbing roses which were so thick that they were matted together.
