Basic Details
Word: Categorise
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: To put people or things into groups according to their type.
Synonyms: classify, sort, group, arrange
How to Spell Categorise
Syllables: cat - e - go - rise
Tricky part: The vowel after t is e, not a, and the next one is o: cat-e-go-rise. Catagorise is the most common mistake.
Watch out for: catagorise, catogorise, categorice
Memory tip: Start from category, which you already know, and swap its final y for ise.
Usage Examples
Example 1: We had to categorise the leaves by shape for the biology project.
Example 2: The shop categorises its books by age group.
Example 3: It is hard to categorise her music; it mixes folk and rock.
Fun Fact
Category comes from Greek kategoria, which could mean an accusation; the philosopher Aristotle used it for the main classes into which things can be sorted.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word categorise as used in the sentence:
At the recycling centre, volunteers categorise waste into paper, plastic and glass.
a) classify
b) burn
c) scatter
d) collect
Show answer
a) classify. To categorise is to sort into groups, which is what classify means.
Word Cookie
Choose the letters that complete the word:
cat_g_rise
a) a, o
b) e, a
c) e, o
d) i, o
Show answer
c) e, o. Think of category: cat-e-go-ry gives e then o.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one word in the list is spelt correctly. Choose the meaning of that word.
1. memorrise 2. analize 3. categorise 4. organaise
a) examine something closely to understand it
b) put things into groups by type
c) learn something by heart
d) plan and arrange things in order
Show answer
b) put things into groups by type. Analyse ends -yse, organise has no a after n, and memorise has one r.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which pair could you use to categorise animals?
a) those with backbones and those without
b) those you like and those you have drawn
c) those named in Hindi and English
d) those seen on Monday and Tuesday
Show answer
a) those with backbones and those without
2. What do you get when you categorise things?
a) pictures
b) colours
c) groups
d) prices
Show answer
c) groups
