Being a word detective
When you read, you will meet words you do not know. You do not always need to stop and ask someone. You can be a word detective and look for clues!
The words, sentences and pictures around a word are called its context. A hint in the context that helps you is called a context clue.
Read this: The puppy was so exhausted after playing all day that he fell asleep in his food bowl.
What does exhausted mean? The puppy played all day and fell asleep. That is a clue. Exhausted must mean “very, very tired.”
Why it matters
Books are full of new words. If you stopped at every unknown word, reading would be slow and hard. Using context clues helps you:
- Keep reading without stopping.
- Understand the story or facts.
- Learn new words, which makes your vocabulary grow.
Most of the words people know, they learned from reading and listening, not from looking them up.
Kinds of context clues
Definition clue
Sometimes the sentence tells you the meaning right away. That is a definition clue.
A cub is a baby bear.
Molly put on her parka, a warm, puffy winter coat.
Look for words like is, means, called, or a comma after the word.
Example clue
Sometimes the sentence gives examples. That is an example clue.
We saw many reptiles at the zoo, like snakes, lizards and turtles.
Snakes, lizards and turtles are all reptiles, so a reptile is a cold-blooded animal with scales.
Look for words like like, such as, and for example.
Opposite clue
Sometimes the sentence uses an opposite word. That is an opposite clue.
The first test was easy, but the second one was difficult.
The word but tells you something different is coming. The opposite of easy is hard, so difficult means “hard.”
Look for words like but, not, unlike and instead.
Picture clue
In many books, the pictures help. If the words say The boy sat on the pier, and the picture shows a boy on a wooden walkway over water, you know what a pier is.
Clues from the whole story
Sometimes the clue is in the sentences before or after. Keep reading a little, then come back to the word.
How to use context clues
- Stop when you read a word you do not know.
- Reread the sentence.
- Look around: the sentence before, the sentence after, and the picture.
- Find a clue: definition, example, opposite or picture.
- Guess the meaning.
- Check it: put your meaning in place of the word. Does the sentence still make sense?
If you still cannot work it out, ask someone or use a dictionary.
Clues inside the word
Sometimes the word itself gives a clue. Look for a smaller word you already know.
- Helpful has help inside. Something helpful gives help.
- Unhappy has happy inside, and un- means “not.” So unhappy means “not happy.”
- Rainy has rain inside. A rainy day has lots of rain.
Using word parts together with context clues makes you an even stronger word detective.
Let’s try some examples
Example 1: The giraffe is the tallest animal. Its neck is enormous!
Clue: tallest, neck. Enormous means “very big.”
Example 2: Dad was furious when the dog chewed his new shoes. His face turned red and he stomped his feet.
Clue: red face, stomping. Furious means “very angry.”
Example 3: Instead of walking slowly, Tara dashed to the bus.
Clue: instead of walking slowly (opposite clue). Dashed means “ran fast.”
Example 4: My grandma loves vegetables, such as carrots, peas and broccoli.
Clue: such as carrots, peas and broccoli (example clue).
Common mistakes
- Skipping the word. Do not just skip it. Look for clues.
- Guessing without checking. Always put your meaning back into the sentence.
- Only looking at one sentence. The clue might be in the next sentence.
- Forgetting the picture. In picture books, pictures are a big help.
Try it yourself
What does the bold word mean? What clue helped you?
- The soup was scalding, so I waited until it cooled down.
- We packed supplies for the trip, such as water, snacks and a map.
- Ben was timid, but his sister was brave.
- A calf is a baby cow.
Answers: 1. Very hot (we had to wait until it cooled down). 2. Things you need (examples). 3. Shy or scared (opposite of brave). 4. A baby cow (definition clue).
Tip for families
When you read together and meet a new word, think aloud: “Hmm, I’m not sure what gloomy means. The sky is grey and everyone looks sad. Maybe it means dark and sad.” Then invite your child to try the next one.
Quick recap
- Context is the words and pictures around a word.
- Context clues help you work out what a word means.
- Look for definition, example, opposite and picture clues.
- Reread, find a clue, guess, then check.
- Use a dictionary if the clues are not enough.