English · Stage 4
Using a Thesaurus
Vocabulary — use a thesaurus to find synonyms, then pick the one that fits your meaning
✦ English📘 Stage 4 · S4⏱ ~10 min🧒 Ages 8–9★ Free to start
I can use a thesaurus to find a more precise word.
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Kavi's Word-Treasure Book
"I found a treasure book!" said Kavi. "It is called a thesaurus, and it is full of word-friends. Look up one word, like happy, and it gives you a whole list: glad, cheerful, joyful, thrilled. But here is the clever part — they are not all exactly the same! My job is to read my sentence and pick the one word that fits it best."
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What your child will learn
1A thesaurus lists synonyms — pick the one that fitsA thesaurus is a book of word-friends. For one word it gives you many synonyms — words that mean nearly the same. But they are not all the same! Read your sentence first, then pick the synonym that matches the exact meaning you want — not just any one.
2Synonyms for 'happy' — and their exact shadeTap each card to hear the word. These are all synonyms for 'happy', but each one has its own exact shade.
3whispered vs shoutedBoth are synonyms for 'said', but they do not mean the same thing. Tap each card.
4Hear the word that fitsTap each line to hear it. Notice how the precise synonym paints a clearer picture than the plain word.
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A peek inside
A thesaurus lists these synonyms for 'happy': glad, cheerful, thrilled. Which one means the MOST happy?
glad = a little happy; cheerful = happily smiling; thrilled = so happy and excited → thrilled is the strongest
Try this at home: A thesaurus lists words that mean nearly the same. What are those words called?
Ready to play and learn?
Start the free interactive lesson, or print the handout for screen-free play.
Part of English · Stage 4 · S4 on KAVI Academy — a secular, whole-child learning platform for ages 5–12.