Vocabulary: context clues, word parts, and figurative language (grade 4) · lesson

Synonyms and antonyms

💡 Synonyms mean almost the same thing, and antonyms mean the opposite.

Synonyms are words that mean almost the same thing, like fast and quick.

Antonyms are opposites, like full and empty.

Be careful with words that just go together. A pillow is soft, but soft is not a synonym for pillow.

🧠 Let's work it out

Word: silent.

Ask: which word means almost the same? Quiet. That is a synonym.
Which word means the opposite? Noisy. That is an antonym.
Which word only goes with it? Library. It is a quiet place, but it does not mean quiet.

What do you think comes next?

synonym: a word that means almost the same
antonym: a word that means the opposite

🔗 Vocabulary (grade 4) · Khan Academy ↗

Prefixes, suffixes, and roots

💡 Break a long word into parts, then put the meanings of the parts together.

A prefix goes in front. Mis- means wrongly. Dis- means not. A suffix goes at the end. -able means can be.

Many English words have Greek or Latin roots. Tele means far. Graph means write. Photo means light. Vis means see.

Put the parts together. Mis- + read means read wrongly. Photo + graph means a picture made with light.

🧠 Let's work it out

Word: dislike.

Ask: is there a prefix? Dis-, which means not.
The base is like.
So dislike means not like.

What do you think comes next?

prefix: a part added to the front of a word
suffix: a part added to the end of a word
root: a word part from another language that holds the main meaning

Context clues

💡 The sentences around a word often explain it, give an example, or tell what it is like.

A new word is often explained right after it. Look for clues in the next sentence.

The clue may be an example, a cause, or the opposite.

Try your guess in place of the word. Read the sentence again. If it makes sense, you have it.

🧠 Let's work it out

Read: The room was frigid. We could see our breath.

Ask: when can you see your breath? When it is very cold.
So frigid means very cold.
Check: The room was very cold. It fits.

What do you think comes next?

context: the words and sentences around a word

Similes and metaphors

💡 A simile compares with like or as, and a metaphor says one thing is another.

Both compare two things that are alike in some way.

A simile uses like or as: Her voice was like a bell. A metaphor does not: Her voice was a bell.

First look for like or as. Then ask how the two things are alike.

🧠 Let's work it out

Read: The hallway was an oven.

Ask: is there like or as? No. So it is a metaphor.
How is a hallway like an oven? It was very hot.
If the line said as hot as an oven, it would be a simile.

What do you think comes next?

simile: a comparison using like or as
metaphor: a comparison that says one thing is another

Idioms and sayings

💡 An idiom means something different from its words, and a saying gives advice about life.

An idiom is a phrase people use that does not mean what the words say. Break a leg means good luck.

A saying, or adage, is a short line that gives advice. Look before you leap means think before you act.

To figure one out, ask what the words would mean if they were real. Then ask what lesson or feeling that picture shows.

🧠 Let's work it out

Saying: The early bird gets the worm.

Ask: what happens to a bird that gets up early? It finds food first.
What is the lesson for people? If you start early, you get the best chance.

What do you think comes next?

idiom: a phrase that means something different from its words
adage: a short, well-known saying that gives advice