What does circumference mean?
Word: Circumference
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Circumference means the line that goes all the way round a circle, or the length of that line.
Synonyms: perimeter
Word origin: Comes from Latin, joining circum with the verb ferre.
How do you spell circumference?
Syllables: cir - cum - fer - ence
Tricky part: Said quickly, the third beat shrinks to almost nothing, and students leave out the e after the f, writing circumfrence.
Watch out for: circumfrence, sircumference
Memory tip: The third beat is fer, as in refer: keep its e, even when you say the word fast.
Circumference in a sentence
Example 1: We tied a string round the banyan trunk to measure its circumference.
Example 2: The circumference of the Earth at the equator is a little over 40,000 kilometres.
Example 3: Riya jogged the whole circumference of the lake before breakfast.
Fun Fact
Around 240 BC the Greek scholar Eratosthenes estimated the Earth's circumference by comparing the sun's shadows in two Egyptian cities, and his figure was surprisingly close to the modern one.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell Probe
Find the misspelt word in the sentence and choose its meaning:
The gardener worked out the circumferance of the round flower bed before ordering a low bamboo fence and a small gate to go with it.
a) the distance you cover by going once round a circle
b) a piece of ground where flowers are planted
c) a barrier of posts and rails round an area
d) a tall grass with hard, hollow stems
Show answer
a) the distance you cover by going once round a circle. Circumference is the misspelt word: it ends in -ence, and it names the distance round the bed.
Back to the Roots
Choose the correct option:
The fer in circumference comes from the Latin verb ferre. What did ferre mean?
a) to burn
b) to break
c) to carry
d) to count
Show answer
c) to carry. Ferre meant to carry, so the circumference is the line carried round the circle; transfer and refer share it.
Word Puzzle
Match the words with their meanings:
1. circumference 2. diameter 3. radius a. a straight line from the centre of a circle to its edge b. the length of the boundary of a circle c. a straight line across a circle through its centre
a) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b
b) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a
c) 1-c, 2-b, 3-a
d) 1-b, 2-a, 3-c
Show answer
b) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a. The radius runs from the centre out, the diameter crosses through the centre, and the circumference goes round the outside.
Word Champ
In which option are the given words arranged in alphabetical order?
1. circumstance 2. circumference 3. circumvent 4. circumspect
a) 2413
b) 2431
c) 2143
d) 4213
Show answer
a) 2413. All four share circum, so the next letters decide: f, then sp, then st, then v.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. An ant walks once round the edge of a coin whose circumference is 8 cm. How far does it walk?
a) 8 cm
b) 2 cm
c) 16 cm
d) 4 cm
Show answer
a) 8 cm
2. Which tool is most useful for measuring the circumference of a tree trunk?
a) a flexible measuring tape
b) a kitchen weighing scale
c) a straight wooden ruler
d) a glass thermometer
Show answer
a) a flexible measuring tape
