spelling-book

A child opens a spelling-book on a wooden desk.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A textbook for learning to spell: A "spelling-book" is a book that contains lists of words, often arranged by difficulty or phonetic pattern, designed to teach children or learners how to spell correctly. It typically includes exercises, rules, and practice words.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The teacher handed out a new spelling-book to each student in the class. (A textbook for spelling practice.)
  • My grandmother used a spelling-book to learn English as a child. (A book that teaches spelling rules and word lists.)

Advanced Usage

• "to be in the spelling-book": to be included as a word to be learned for spelling.

  • The word "rhythm" is in the spelling-book this week. (It is one of the words to be studied.)

• "to work through a spelling-book": to systematically study and complete the exercises in a spelling-book.

  • She spent the summer working through a spelling-book to improve her writing. (She completed the lessons and activities.)

Variants and Related Words

• Speller (n): a person who spells words in a particular way, or a book used for spelling practice (synonymous with spelling-book).

  • He is a good speller, thanks to his old spelling-book. (A person skilled at spelling; the book itself.)

• Spelling (n): the process or activity of writing or naming the letters of a word in the correct order.

  • Spelling is an important skill taught in early education. (The skill of forming words correctly.)

Synonyms

• Primer: a basic textbook used to teach reading and spelling, especially for young children.
• ABC book: a book that teaches the alphabet and basic spelling.

Related Idioms

• "to spell it out": to explain something very clearly and in detail, often step by step.

  • The instructions were confusing, so the teacher had to spell it out for the class. (Explain explicitly, as if from a spelling-book.)

• "to be a spelling bee champion": to win a competition where participants are asked to spell words, often using a spelling-book for preparation.

  • She became a spelling bee champion after studying her spelling-book every night. (A contestant who excels at spelling.)