What does apportion mean?
Word: Apportion
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: Apportion means to divide something and give each person or group a part of it.
How do you spell apportion?
Syllables: ap - por - tion
Tricky part: The p is doubled, and the sound gives no hint of that, so pupils often write only one.
Watch out for: aportion, apportsion
Memory tip: Two p's, like two equal plates sharing one meal.
Apportion in a sentence
Example 1: Mum apportioned the cake so that the twins got equal slices.
Example 2: The committee must apportion the funds between the library and the science lab.
Example 3: Let us apportion the packing so that no one carries too much.
Fun Fact
The word has a special use in politics: seats in a parliament are often apportioned to regions according to the number of people living there.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:
app_rt_on
a) o, i
b) u, i
c) a, i
d) o, e
Show answer
a) o, i. Say por, then listen for the tion ending used in station.
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
apporrtion
a) o
b) r
c) n
d) t
Show answer
b) r. The r after the o stands alone.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters in the sentence to form a meaningful word:
The club will pnriotapo the prize money among its three teams.
a) appoint
b) apportion
c) approve
d) account
Show answer
b) apportion. Two o's, an r and an i are all needed: appoint has one o and no r, approve has a v and account a c.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word apportion as used in the sentence:
The class monitor had to apportion the craft paper among six groups.
a) collect
b) allot
c) postpone
d) cancel
Show answer
b) allot. To allot is to hand out shares, as the monitor did with the paper.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A school has 30,000 pounds to spend on three clubs. Which plan apportions it?
a) Return the 30,000 pounds to the donor
b) Give each of the three clubs 10,000 pounds
c) Keep all of the 30,000 pounds in the bank
d) Ask each club for another 10,000 pounds
Show answer
b) Give each of the three clubs 10,000 pounds
2. A trek leader apportions the load before the climb. What happens?
a) the bags are left behind at camp
b) one trekker carries all of it
c) each trekker carries a share of it
d) the load is sold in the village
Show answer
c) each trekker carries a share of it
