What does chortle mean?
Word: Chortle
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: Chortle means to laugh loudly because something has delighted or amused you.
How do you spell chortle?
Syllables: chor - tle
Tricky part: The close of the word is the weak spot. It sounds a little like the end of the word turtle, and some pupils still write el or al there.
Watch out for: chortel, chortal, chortil
Memory tip: Picture a chortle at the dinner table: table and chortle finish with the same two letters.
Chortle in a sentence
Example 1: Nani chortled at her own joke before she could reach the end of it.
Example 2: We could hear my brother chortling over his comic from the next room.
Example 3: Even the strict umpire chortled when the ball landed in the sweet seller's basket.
Fun Fact
This word is younger than it looks. Lewis Carroll made it up for his nonsense poem Jabberwocky, printed in Through the Looking-Glass in 1871, and English speakers liked it enough to keep it.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:
c_o_tle
a) h, r
b) h, t
c) h, u
d) l, r
Show answer
a) h, r. The word opens with the same sound as cheese, and an r sits just before the t.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one word in the list is misspelt. Choose the meaning of that word.
1. whisper 2. mumble 3. chorttle 4. shout
a) to speak in a very loud voice
b) to speak so that the words are not clear
c) to speak very softly using your breath
d) to enjoy a joke with noisy glee
Show answer
d) to enjoy a joke with noisy glee. Chorttle has gained a t it does not need; mumble, whisper and shout are all spelt correctly.
Mingle-Mangle
The sentence contains a jumbled word. Choose the word it hides:
Dadaji began to otlcreh as the baby copied his loud sneeze.
a) startle
b) hurtle
c) chortle
d) chatter
Show answer
c) chortle. There is no a or u among the jumbled letters, which rules out the other three.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word chortle as used in the sentence:
The whole class began to chortle when the teacher's parrot greeted the headmaster by name.
a) guffaw
b) groan
c) mutter
d) sigh
Show answer
a) guffaw. Both words describe a loud laugh of real amusement; the other three show no enjoyment at all.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. At which moment is a person most likely to chortle?
a) while copying out a list of dates
b) while waiting for a delayed train
c) while watching a very silly puppet show
d) while hunting for a lost door key
Show answer
c) while watching a very silly puppet show
2. Reena says, "Papa chortled all the way through that film." What can you tell about the film?
a) He could not follow the story
b) He wanted to leave before the end
c) He found it rather slow and dull
d) He found it highly entertaining
Show answer
d) He found it highly entertaining
