What does anachronism mean?
Word: Anachronism
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Anachronism means something placed in the wrong period of history, or a custom that seems left over from the past.
How do you spell anachronism?
Syllables: a - nach - ro - nism
Tricky part: The k sound is spelt ch, and it hides in the middle of the word, where students often write k.
Watch out for: anakronism, anacronism
Memory tip: Spot an anachronism in your school history project: school has the very ch that makes the k sound here.
Anachronism in a sentence
Example 1: Spotting a plastic bottle in the historical film, we laughed at the anachronism.
Example 2: Some people call the fountain pen an anachronism in the age of the laptop.
Example 3: The director removed one anachronism after a viewer pointed out a modern street lamp.
Fun Fact
Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar, set in ancient Rome, has a clock striking the hour, over a thousand years before such clocks existed.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Three words in the list are spelt correctly and one is misspelt. Choose the meaning of the misspelt word.
1. anachronizm 2. tradition 3. antiquity 4. heritage
a) the ancient past
b) a custom kept up for many years
c) what a country passes down from its history
d) an item or idea out of step with its age
Show answer
d) an item or idea out of step with its age. English spells this sound with an s here, not a z.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters to find the word that fits the sentence:
A wristwatch on a Mughal emperor's arm in the painting would be a glaring mihscnaoran.
a) anarchism
b) antagonism
c) activism
d) anachronism
Show answer
d) anachronism. An h and two n's are among the letters; antagonism has a g, activism a v, and anarchism is two letters short.
Word Cookie
Insert the correct letters to form a word:
an_chron_sm
a) a, e
b) e, i
c) o, i
d) a, i
Show answer
d) a, i. The stressed a comes after the n, and a short i sits near the end.
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
annachronism
a) c
b) n
c) a
d) s
Show answer
b) n. Only one n follows the opening a.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. In a story set in ancient India, you would call ____ an anachronism.
a) a potter shaping wet clay by hand
b) a trader travelling with his camels
c) a character checking a text message
d) a farmer ploughing with a pair of oxen
Show answer
c) a character checking a text message
2. Why might a film company hire a history expert for a film set in the 1700s?
a) to sell tickets at city cinemas
b) to write catchy songs for the film
c) to catch details that do not belong there
d) to find cheaper hotels for the cast
Show answer
c) to catch details that do not belong there
