What does allotment mean?
Word: Allotment
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Allotment means a share of something given out to a person or group. In Britain it is also a small piece of land rented by one person.
Synonyms: share, portion
Word origin: From the verb allot, which came into English from Old French.
How do you spell allotment?
Syllables: al - lot - ment
Tricky part: The t is the trap. Because allotted has two, students carry the pair across and write allottment. Before -ment it stays single.
Watch out for: allottment, allotement
Memory tip: An allotment is your lot, your share, and lot has just one t.
Allotment in a sentence
Example 1: The allotment of seats for the annual day was pinned on the noticeboard.
Example 2: Each class gets an allotment of two hours in the computer lab every week.
Example 3: My uncle in Leeds grows carrots and beans on his allotment.
Fun Fact
In many British towns people wait for years for an allotment, because there are too few plots for all who want one.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell Spies
Choose the pair which has a spelling error:
a) argue : argument
b) govern : goverment
c) allot : allotment
d) enjoy : enjoyment
Show answer
b) govern : goverment. Govern keeps its n in government; the other three pairs are right, even argument, which drops the e of argue.
Word Puzzle
Match the words with their meanings:
1. allotment 2. assignment 3. consignment a. a batch of goods sent to a buyer b. a task set for a student c. a rented patch where someone raises vegetables and flowers
a) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b
b) 1-c, 2-b, 3-a
c) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a
d) 1-a, 2-b, 3-c
Show answer
b) 1-c, 2-b, 3-a. A garden plot, a set task and a load of goods: only the meanings tell these three apart.
Spell Probe
Find the misspelt word in the sentence and choose its meaning:
The housing board will announce the allotmant of flats next Monday, and families can check their names on its website.
a) a set of rooms on one floor of a building
b) the act of deciding who gets which share
c) a group that runs a company
d) a set of linked pages on the internet
Show answer
b) the act of deciding who gets which share. Allotmant should read allotment, the sharing out that the board will announce.
Sound Check
In which word is 'ot' pronounced differently?
a) forgot
b) cotton
c) motion
d) allotment
Show answer
c) motion. In motion the letters give a long "oh" sound; the other three use the short o of hot.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A sports club shares 40 tickets equally among 8 members. What is the allotment for each member?
a) 32 tickets
b) 48 tickets
c) 8 tickets
d) 5 tickets
Show answer
d) 5 tickets
2. Which verb describes what an office does when it makes an allotment?
a) assigns
b) repairs
c) returns
d) borrows
Show answer
a) assigns
