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 One day, however, a sea captain came and asked Halvor if he hadn’t a fancy to come with him and go to sea, and behold foreign lands.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading As there was no wind at all they lay there becalmed, and Halvor asked the skipper to give him leave to go on shore to look about him, for he would much rather do that than lie there and sleep.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading How long they sailed I have no idea, but after a long, long time there was a terrible storm, and when it was over and all had become calm again, they knew not where they were, for they had been driven away to a strange coast of which none of them had any knowledge.
againnounUS /again/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading How long they sailed I have no idea, but after a long, long time there was a terrible storm, and when it was over and all had become calm again, they knew not where they were, for they had been driven away to a strange coast of which none of them had any knowledge.
all
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How long they sailed I have no idea, but after a long, long time there was a terrible storm, and when it was over and all had become calm again, they knew not where they were, for they had been driven away to a strange coast of which none of them had any knowledge.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading One day, however, a sea captain came and asked Halvor if he hadn’t a fancy to come with him and go to sea, and behold foreign lands.
any
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How long they sailed I have no idea, but after a long, long time there was a terrible storm, and when it was over and all had become calm again, they knew not where they were, for they had been driven away to a strange coast of which none of them had any knowledge.
artauxiliary verbUS /ɑːrt/
an old form of “are”, used with “thou”
From this reading ‘Dost thou think that thou art fit to go where people can see thee?’ said the skipper; ‘thou hast no clothes but those rags thou art going about in!’
AsconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As there was no wind at all they lay there becalmed, and Halvor asked the skipper to give him leave to go on shore to look about him, for he would much rather do that than lie there and sleep.
askednounUS /asked/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading One day, however, a sea captain came and asked Halvor if he hadn’t a fancy to come with him and go to sea, and behold foreign lands.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading As there was no wind at all they lay there becalmed, and Halvor asked the skipper to give him leave to go on shore to look about him, for he would much rather do that than lie there and sleep.
away
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How long they sailed I have no idea, but after a long, long time there was a terrible storm, and when it was over and all had become calm again, they knew not where they were, for they had been driven away to a strange coast of which none of them had any knowledge.
becalmed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As there was no wind at all they lay there becalmed, and Halvor asked the skipper to give him leave to go on shore to look about him, for he would much rather do that than lie there and sleep.
become
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How long they sailed I have no idea, but after a long, long time there was a terrible storm, and when it was over and all had become calm again, they knew not where they were, for they had been driven away to a strange coast of which none of them had any knowledge.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading How long they sailed I have no idea, but after a long, long time there was a terrible storm, and when it was over and all had become calm again, they knew not where they were, for they had been driven away to a strange coast of which none of them had any knowledge.
behold
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One day, however, a sea captain came and asked Halvor if he hadn’t a fancy to come with him and go to sea, and behold foreign lands.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading How long they sailed I have no idea, but after a long, long time there was a terrible storm, and when it was over and all had become calm again, they knew not where they were, for they had been driven away to a strange coast of which none of them had any knowledge.
calm
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How long they sailed I have no idea, but after a long, long time there was a terrible storm, and when it was over and all had become calm again, they knew not where they were, for they had been driven away to a strange coast of which none of them had any knowledge.
came
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One day, however, a sea captain came and asked Halvor if he hadn’t a fancy to come with him and go to sea, and behold foreign lands.
canmodal verbUS /kæn/
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading ‘Dost thou think that thou art fit to go where people can see thee?’ said the skipper; ‘thou hast no clothes but those rags thou art going about in!’
captainnounUS /ˈcaptain/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading One day, however, a sea captain came and asked Halvor if he hadn’t a fancy to come with him and go to sea, and behold foreign lands.
clothes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘Dost thou think that thou art fit to go where people can see thee?’ said the skipper; ‘thou hast no clothes but those rags thou art going about in!’
coast
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How long they sailed I have no idea, but after a long, long time there was a terrible storm, and when it was over and all had become calm again, they knew not where they were, for they had been driven away to a strange coast of which none of them had any knowledge.
comenounUS /come/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading One day, however, a sea captain came and asked Halvor if he hadn’t a fancy to come with him and go to sea, and behold foreign lands.
day
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One day, however, a sea captain came and asked Halvor if he hadn’t a fancy to come with him and go to sea, and behold foreign lands.
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading As there was no wind at all they lay there becalmed, and Halvor asked the skipper to give him leave to go on shore to look about him, for he would much rather do that than lie there and sleep.
Dostauxiliary verbUS /dɑːst/
an old form of “do”, used with “thou”
From this reading ‘Dost thou think that thou art fit to go where people can see thee?’ said the skipper; ‘thou hast no clothes but those rags thou art going about in!’
driven
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How long they sailed I have no idea, but after a long, long time there was a terrible storm, and when it was over and all had become calm again, they knew not where they were, for they had been driven away to a strange coast of which none of them had any knowledge.
fancy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One day, however, a sea captain came and asked Halvor if he hadn’t a fancy to come with him and go to sea, and behold foreign lands.
fit
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘Dost thou think that thou art fit to go where people can see thee?’ said the skipper; ‘thou hast no clothes but those rags thou art going about in!’
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading And Halvor had a fancy for that, so he was not long in getting ready.
foreign
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One day, however, a sea captain came and asked Halvor if he hadn’t a fancy to come with him and go to sea, and behold foreign lands.
getting
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And Halvor had a fancy for that, so he was not long in getting ready.
give
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As there was no wind at all they lay there becalmed, and Halvor asked the skipper to give him leave to go on shore to look about him, for he would much rather do that than lie there and sleep.
go
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One day, however, a sea captain came and asked Halvor if he hadn’t a fancy to come with him and go to sea, and behold foreign lands.
going
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘Dost thou think that thou art fit to go where people can see thee?’ said the skipper; ‘thou hast no clothes but those rags thou art going about in!’
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading And Halvor had a fancy for that, so he was not long in getting ready.
hadn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One day, however, a sea captain came and asked Halvor if he hadn’t a fancy to come with him and go to sea, and behold foreign lands.
Halvor
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One day, however, a sea captain came and asked Halvor if he hadn’t a fancy to come with him and go to sea, and behold foreign lands.
hastauxiliary verbUS /hæst/
an old form of “have”, used with “thou”
From this reading ‘Dost thou think that thou art fit to go where people can see thee?’ said the skipper; ‘thou hast no clothes but those rags thou art going about in!’
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading How long they sailed I have no idea, but after a long, long time there was a terrible storm, and when it was over and all had become calm again, they knew not where they were, for they had been driven away to a strange coast of which none of them had any knowledge.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading One day, however, a sea captain came and asked Halvor if he hadn’t a fancy to come with him and go to sea, and behold foreign lands.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading One day, however, a sea captain came and asked Halvor if he hadn’t a fancy to come with him and go to sea, and behold foreign lands.
How
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How long they sailed I have no idea, but after a long, long time there was a terrible storm, and when it was over and all had become calm again, they knew not where they were, for they had been driven away to a strange coast of which none of them had any knowledge.
howeveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading One day, however, a sea captain came and asked Halvor if he hadn’t a fancy to come with him and go to sea, and behold foreign lands.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading How long they sailed I have no idea, but after a long, long time there was a terrible storm, and when it was over and all had become calm again, they knew not where they were, for they had been driven away to a strange coast of which none of them had any knowledge.
idea
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How long they sailed I have no idea, but after a long, long time there was a terrible storm, and when it was over and all had become calm again, they knew not where they were, for they had been driven away to a strange coast of which none of them had any knowledge.
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading One day, however, a sea captain came and asked Halvor if he hadn’t a fancy to come with him and go to sea, and behold foreign lands.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading And Halvor had a fancy for that, so he was not long in getting ready.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading How long they sailed I have no idea, but after a long, long time there was a terrible storm, and when it was over and all had become calm again, they knew not where they were, for they had been driven away to a strange coast of which none of them had any knowledge.
knew
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How long they sailed I have no idea, but after a long, long time there was a terrible storm, and when it was over and all had become calm again, they knew not where they were, for they had been driven away to a strange coast of which none of them had any knowledge.
knowledge
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How long they sailed I have no idea, but after a long, long time there was a terrible storm, and when it was over and all had become calm again, they knew not where they were, for they had been driven away to a strange coast of which none of them had any knowledge.
lands
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One day, however, a sea captain came and asked Halvor if he hadn’t a fancy to come with him and go to sea, and behold foreign lands.
lay
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As there was no wind at all they lay there becalmed, and Halvor asked the skipper to give him leave to go on shore to look about him, for he would much rather do that than lie there and sleep.
leave
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As there was no wind at all they lay there becalmed, and Halvor asked the skipper to give him leave to go on shore to look about him, for he would much rather do that than lie there and sleep.
lie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As there was no wind at all they lay there becalmed, and Halvor asked the skipper to give him leave to go on shore to look about him, for he would much rather do that than lie there and sleep.
longnounUS /long/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading And Halvor had a fancy for that, so he was not long in getting ready.
looknounUS /look/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading As there was no wind at all they lay there becalmed, and Halvor asked the skipper to give him leave to go on shore to look about him, for he would much rather do that than lie there and sleep.
much
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As there was no wind at all they lay there becalmed, and Halvor asked the skipper to give him leave to go on shore to look about him, for he would much rather do that than lie there and sleep.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading How long they sailed I have no idea, but after a long, long time there was a terrible storm, and when it was over and all had become calm again, they knew not where they were, for they had been driven away to a strange coast of which none of them had any knowledge.
nonepronounUS /nʌn/
not one, and not any
From this reading How long they sailed I have no idea, but after a long, long time there was a terrible storm, and when it was over and all had become calm again, they knew not where they were, for they had been driven away to a strange coast of which none of them had any knowledge.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading And Halvor had a fancy for that, so he was not long in getting ready.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading How long they sailed I have no idea, but after a long, long time there was a terrible storm, and when it was over and all had become calm again, they knew not where they were, for they had been driven away to a strange coast of which none of them had any knowledge.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading As there was no wind at all they lay there becalmed, and Halvor asked the skipper to give him leave to go on shore to look about him, for he would much rather do that than lie there and sleep.
OnepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One day, however, a sea captain came and asked Halvor if he hadn’t a fancy to come with him and go to sea, and behold foreign lands.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading How long they sailed I have no idea, but after a long, long time there was a terrible storm, and when it was over and all had become calm again, they knew not where they were, for they had been driven away to a strange coast of which none of them had any knowledge.
people
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘Dost thou think that thou art fit to go where people can see thee?’ said the skipper; ‘thou hast no clothes but those rags thou art going about in!’
rags
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘Dost thou think that thou art fit to go where people can see thee?’ said the skipper; ‘thou hast no clothes but those rags thou art going about in!’
rather
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As there was no wind at all they lay there becalmed, and Halvor asked the skipper to give him leave to go on shore to look about him, for he would much rather do that than lie there and sleep.
ready
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And Halvor had a fancy for that, so he was not long in getting ready.
said
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘Dost thou think that thou art fit to go where people can see thee?’ said the skipper; ‘thou hast no clothes but those rags thou art going about in!’
sailed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How long they sailed I have no idea, but after a long, long time there was a terrible storm, and when it was over and all had become calm again, they knew not where they were, for they had been driven away to a strange coast of which none of them had any knowledge.
sea
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One day, however, a sea captain came and asked Halvor if he hadn’t a fancy to come with him and go to sea, and behold foreign lands.
see
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘Dost thou think that thou art fit to go where people can see thee?’ said the skipper; ‘thou hast no clothes but those rags thou art going about in!’
shore
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As there was no wind at all they lay there becalmed, and Halvor asked the skipper to give him leave to go on shore to look about him, for he would much rather do that than lie there and sleep.
skippernounUS /ˈskɪpər/
the captain of a small ship or boat
From this reading As there was no wind at all they lay there becalmed, and Halvor asked the skipper to give him leave to go on shore to look about him, for he would much rather do that than lie there and sleep.
sleep
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As there was no wind at all they lay there becalmed, and Halvor asked the skipper to give him leave to go on shore to look about him, for he would much rather do that than lie there and sleep.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading And Halvor had a fancy for that, so he was not long in getting ready.
storm
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How long they sailed I have no idea, but after a long, long time there was a terrible storm, and when it was over and all had become calm again, they knew not where they were, for they had been driven away to a strange coast of which none of them had any knowledge.
strange
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How long they sailed I have no idea, but after a long, long time there was a terrible storm, and when it was over and all had become calm again, they knew not where they were, for they had been driven away to a strange coast of which none of them had any knowledge.
terriblenounUS /ˈterrible/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading How long they sailed I have no idea, but after a long, long time there was a terrible storm, and when it was over and all had become calm again, they knew not where they were, for they had been driven away to a strange coast of which none of them had any knowledge.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading As there was no wind at all they lay there becalmed, and Halvor asked the skipper to give him leave to go on shore to look about him, for he would much rather do that than lie there and sleep.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading And Halvor had a fancy for that, so he was not long in getting ready.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading As there was no wind at all they lay there becalmed, and Halvor asked the skipper to give him leave to go on shore to look about him, for he would much rather do that than lie there and sleep.
theepronounUS /ðiː/
an old word for “you”, as the object, speaking to one person
From this reading ‘Dost thou think that thou art fit to go where people can see thee?’ said the skipper; ‘thou hast no clothes but those rags thou art going about in!’
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading How long they sailed I have no idea, but after a long, long time there was a terrible storm, and when it was over and all had become calm again, they knew not where they were, for they had been driven away to a strange coast of which none of them had any knowledge.
there
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How long they sailed I have no idea, but after a long, long time there was a terrible storm, and when it was over and all had become calm again, they knew not where they were, for they had been driven away to a strange coast of which none of them had any knowledge.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading How long they sailed I have no idea, but after a long, long time there was a terrible storm, and when it was over and all had become calm again, they knew not where they were, for they had been driven away to a strange coast of which none of them had any knowledge.
thinknounUS /think/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading ‘Dost thou think that thou art fit to go where people can see thee?’ said the skipper; ‘thou hast no clothes but those rags thou art going about in!’
thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading ‘Dost thou think that thou art fit to go where people can see thee?’ said the skipper; ‘thou hast no clothes but those rags thou art going about in!’
thoupronounUS /ðaʊ/
an old word for “you”, as the subject, speaking to one person
From this reading ‘Dost thou think that thou art fit to go where people can see thee?’ said the skipper; ‘thou hast no clothes but those rags thou art going about in!’
timenounUS /time/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading How long they sailed I have no idea, but after a long, long time there was a terrible storm, and when it was over and all had become calm again, they knew not where they were, for they had been driven away to a strange coast of which none of them had any knowledge.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading One day, however, a sea captain came and asked Halvor if he hadn’t a fancy to come with him and go to sea, and behold foreign lands.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading And Halvor had a fancy for that, so he was not long in getting ready.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading How long they sailed I have no idea, but after a long, long time there was a terrible storm, and when it was over and all had become calm again, they knew not where they were, for they had been driven away to a strange coast of which none of them had any knowledge.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading How long they sailed I have no idea, but after a long, long time there was a terrible storm, and when it was over and all had become calm again, they knew not where they were, for they had been driven away to a strange coast of which none of them had any knowledge.
whereconjunctionUS /wer/
in or at the place that
From this reading How long they sailed I have no idea, but after a long, long time there was a terrible storm, and when it was over and all had become calm again, they knew not where they were, for they had been driven away to a strange coast of which none of them had any knowledge.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading How long they sailed I have no idea, but after a long, long time there was a terrible storm, and when it was over and all had become calm again, they knew not where they were, for they had been driven away to a strange coast of which none of them had any knowledge.
windnounUS /wind/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading As there was no wind at all they lay there becalmed, and Halvor asked the skipper to give him leave to go on shore to look about him, for he would much rather do that than lie there and sleep.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading One day, however, a sea captain came and asked Halvor if he hadn’t a fancy to come with him and go to sea, and behold foreign lands.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading As there was no wind at all they lay there becalmed, and Halvor asked the skipper to give him leave to go on shore to look about him, for he would much rather do that than lie there and sleep.
