What does characterization mean?
Word: Characterization
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Characterization means the way a writer creates the people in a story and shows what they are like through what they say and do. It can also mean describing the qualities of someone or something.
Synonyms: portrayal, description
How do you spell characterization?
Syllables: char - ac - ter - i - za - tion
Tricky part: The second syllable is ac, with an a. Students often write charecter-, and the slip carries into the long word.
Watch out for: charecterization, charicterization, characterzation
Memory tip: Find the word act inside charACTerization: in a play, the characters act out the story.
Characterization in a sentence
Example 1: Our English teacher praised the characterization of the grandmother in my story.
Example 2: Good characterization makes readers feel they really know the hero.
Example 3: The film's characterization of the villain was so clever that some viewers felt sorry for him.
Fun Fact
Characterization comes from character, which goes back to a Greek word for a mark stamped or engraved on something, such as a seal.
Practise the CREST Way
Spellacadabra
Choose the correct option to make a meaningful word:
charact__ization
a) ar
b) ur
c) er
d) or
Show answer
c) er. Character ends in -er, and -ization is added straight after it.
Word Puzzle
Match the words with the correct options:
1. characterization 2. narration 3. dialogue a. the way a writer builds and shows the people in a story b. the words that the characters say to each other c. the telling of the events of a story
a) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a
b) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b
c) 1-b, 2-a, 3-c
d) 1-a, 2-b, 3-c
Show answer
b) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b. Characterization is about the people, narration tells the events, and dialogue is the speech.
Sound Check
In which word is 'ch' pronounced differently?
a) chorus
b) chemist
c) characterization
d) cheetah
Show answer
d) cheetah. In characterization, chorus and chemist, ch says k; in cheetah it says the ch of chair.
Spell Probe
One word in the sentence is misspelt. Which option gives the meaning of that word?
The judges praised the characterizasion of the grumpy shopkeeper in Meena's prize-winning story.
a) bad-tempered and easily annoyed
b) the way a writer shows what the people in a story are like
c) the people who decide who wins a contest
d) a person who owns or runs a shop
Show answer
b) the way a writer shows what the people in a story are like. Characterizasion should end in -tion, like nation; the judges liked how the shopkeeper was brought to life.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A writer shows that a boy is kind by having him share his lunch. What does this tell readers?
a) how the story will end
b) where the story takes place
c) when the events happen
d) that he has a kind nature
Show answer
d) that he has a kind nature
2. Which of these is mainly about characterization?
a) choosing a font for the cover
b) drawing a map of the kingdom
c) describing how a grumpy king speaks
d) listing the chapters in order
Show answer
c) describing how a grumpy king speaks
