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Spell Bee Word: Becalmed


Basic Details

Word: Becalmed

Part of Speech: Adjective

Meaning: Of a sailing ship, unable to move because there is no wind; also, stuck and making no progress.

Synonyms: motionless, still, stranded

How to Spell Becalmed

Syllables: be - calmed

Tricky part: The l in calm is silent, so students write becamed or becammed. The prefix is be-, not bi-.

Watch out for: becamed, bicalmed, becalmd

Memory tip: Build it in three pieces, be + calm + ed: the sea is calm, so the ship is becalmed. Keep the silent l that calm always has.

Usage Examples

Example 1: The yacht lay becalmed for two days in the middle of the bay.

Example 2: With no breeze at all, the paper boats in the pond seemed becalmed.

Example 3: The talks between the two clubs have been becalmed for months.

Fun Fact

Sailors once called the calm belt near the equator the doldrums, where ships could be stuck without wind for weeks.

Practise the CREST Way

Word Makeup

Only one of these words takes the prefix be- to make a real word. Choose it:

be-

a) calm
b) silent
c) quick
d) honest

Show answer

a) calm. Be + calm gives becalm, and becalmed is its past form; bequick, behonest and besilent do not exist.

Word Cookie

Insert the correct letters to form a word:

beca_m_d

a) l, i
b) l, e
c) r, e
d) u, e

Show answer

b) l, e. Calm keeps its silent l, and the past ending is -ed.

Mingle-Mangle

Unjumble the letters in the sentence and choose the word they make:

With not a breath of wind, the old dhow sat demaclbe off the coast of Gujarat.

a) embalmed
b) becomes
c) blamed
d) becalmed

Show answer

d) becalmed. Embalmed would need two m's and becomes an o and s; the eight letters spell becalmed.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. A becalmed sailing boat ____.

a) has run aground on some hidden rocks
b) is sinking fast after a violent storm
c) is racing along at its top speed
d) cannot move because there is no wind

Show answer

d) cannot move because there is no wind

2. Becalmed is closest in meaning to ____.

a) speeding
b) shipwrecked
c) flooded
d) motionless

Show answer

d) motionless

Associated Words

capriciousforwardingparsimoniousalthoughquack
dictumwarehousenever-endingrefugefirmament

Next steps

How to participate in CREST International Spell Bee

The CREST International Spell Bee (CSB) is conducted in two editions – CREST International Spell Bee - Summer (CSB) and CREST International Spell Bee - Winter (CSBW) – giving students across the globe an opportunity to showcase and enhance their spelling proficiency. Designed for young learners from Senior KG to Class 8, the competition focuses on word-building, pronunciation, and vocabulary enrichment, helping students develop strong linguistic skills.

Steps to Participate:

Step 1: Visit the registration page and complete the registration with your desired subject.

Step 2: After Registration done, do login at www.crestolympiads.com/login.

Step 3: After login, go to dashboard and click on Book slot/Take Exam

Step 4: Schedule your exam date and preferred time.

Step 5: Log in with your credentials on the exam day at the scheduled time and take the exam.

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