What does buoy mean?
Word: Buoy
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Buoy means a brightly coloured object that floats on the water, held in one place, to show ships a safe path or mark something below the surface.
Sounds like: boy (a male child or young man)
How do you spell buoy?
Syllables: buoy
Tricky part: A silent u sits straight after the b. Nothing of it is heard when the word is said, so pupils who spell by sound leave it out.
Watch out for: boye, booy
Memory tip: Picture the letter u as a sailor hiding just behind the b: he is on board, but he never says a word.
Buoy in a sentence
Example 1: A yellow buoy marked the edge of the swimming area at the beach in Goa.
Example 2: Seagulls often rest on the buoy a little way off the shore.
Example 3: The fishing boat slowed down as it passed the red buoy.
Fun Fact
Many weather buoys far out at sea measure wind, waves and water temperature, then send the readings to forecasters by satellite.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Champ
Choose the correct option to make a meaningful word:
bu_ _
a) oy
b) ey
c) oi
d) oe
Show answer
a) oy. Only this ending gives the sea marker; the other three make no word.
Word Puzzle
Match each word with its meaning:
1. jetty 2. buoy 3. anchor a. a heavy metal weight lowered to hold a boat still b. a low platform built out into the sea for boats to stop at c. a sailor's sign that rides up and down on the waves
a) 1-b, 2-a, 3-c
b) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b
c) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b
d) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a
Show answer
d) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a. You tie up at a jetty, you follow a buoy and you lower an anchor.
Word Tally
You get 2 marks for each correctly spelt word in the list. How many marks do you get?
buoy, voyage, lighthose, captin, harbour
a) 8
b) 4
c) 6
d) 2
Show answer
c) 6. Buoy, voyage and harbour are right, while lighthouse and captain were misspelt, so 3 x 2 = 6.
Spell Spies
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) quay
b) buoy
c) wharf
d) yatch
Show answer
d) yatch. A yacht keeps its silent ch before the t; the other three look odd but are right.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Where would you be most likely to spot a buoy?
a) at the entrance to a busy port
b) on the roof of a railway station
c) in the middle of a wheat field
d) beside a steep mountain footpath
Show answer
a) at the entrance to a busy port
2. What keeps a buoy from drifting away?
a) a small engine inside it
b) a crew of sailors on board
c) a chain fixed to the sea bed
d) a rope held by a passing ship
Show answer
c) a chain fixed to the sea bed
