What does citadel mean?
Word: Citadel
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Citadel means a strong castle built on high ground in or near an old town.
Synonyms: stronghold
How do you spell citadel?
Syllables: cit - a - del
Tricky part: The final beat is weak, so pupils try citadle or citadal. The ending is el.
Watch out for: citadle, citadal
Memory tip: A small hotel beside the castle gate helps here: the two words finish with the same pair of letters.
Citadel in a sentence
Example 1: We climbed to the old citadel for a view of the whole plain.
Example 2: Morning mist still hides the citadel above the little town.
Example 3: The guide told us that the citadel was built more than five hundred years ago.
Fun Fact
The great citadel of Cairo was begun in the 1170s on a spur of the Mokattam Hills, and Egypt's rulers lived there for centuries.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word citadel as used in the sentence:
Tourists take the winding path up to the citadel before the midday sun grows too hot.
a) meadow
b) harbour
c) fortress
d) marketplace
Show answer
c) fortress. A fortress is a large, strong building, the sort of place tourists climb up to see.
Word Cookie
Fill in the missing letters to complete the word:
c_t_del
a) y, a
b) i, e
c) i, a
d) e, a
Show answer
c) i, a. A short i as in sit opens the word, and the weak middle beat is an a.
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
citaddel
a) l
b) t
c) a
d) d
Show answer
d) d. A single d stands between the two vowels.
Spell-o-Spell
Three of these words are spelt correctly. Choose the meaning of the misspelt word:
1. aqueduct 2. citadel 3. colonnade 4. rampert
a) a high wide wall of earth or stone around a castle
b) a row of evenly spaced columns
c) a high, well-defended castle
d) a bridge carrying water across a valley
Show answer
a) a high wide wall of earth or stone around a castle. Rampart has an a in its last beat, so rampert is the misspelling.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. What made such a place hard to reach for unwelcome visitors?
a) its open squares and gardens
b) its busy market and wide gates
c) its low site by a shallow river
d) its steep site and thick walls
Show answer
d) its steep site and thick walls
2. What does a writer mean by calling a college a 'citadel of learning'?
a) a building with very thick walls
b) a small, unknown tutoring room
c) a strong, respected centre of study
d) a college set on a high hill
Show answer
c) a strong, respected centre of study
