Spell Bee Word: Clumsy

What does clumsy mean?

Word: Clumsy

Part of Speech: Adjective

Meaning: Clumsy means moving or doing things without much control, so that you often drop things or bump into them.

Synonyms: awkward, careless

Antonyms: skilful

How do you spell clumsy?

Syllables: clum - sy

Tricky part: The s in clumsy sounds like a z, so clumzy is an easy slip to make.

Watch out for: clumzy, klumsy, clumsi

Memory tip: A clumsy person might slip on a slippery s, and that is the letter in the middle, even though you hear a buzzing z.

Clumsy in a sentence

Example 1: I was so clumsy today that I spilt milk on my homework.

Example 2: The baby giraffe looked clumsy on its long, wobbly legs.

Example 3: Adam felt clumsy in his new shoes, which were a size too big.

Fun Fact

Clumsy comes from an old word, clumse, which meant to be numb or stiff with cold, like fingers on a winter morning.

Practise the CREST Way

Word Connection

Choose the antonym of the word: clumsy

a) bumbling
b) graceful
c) lazy
d) noisy

Spell-o-Spell

Choose the incorrectly spelt word:

a) stumble
b) nervous
c) awkward
d) clumsey

Word Cookie

Find the extra letter in the word:

clumbsy

a) b
b) u
c) s
d) m

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which action is clumsy?

a) dancing smoothly across the stage
b) pouring juice without spilling
c) catching a ball neatly
d) knocking over a glass by mistake

2. The new waiter is clumsy. Which of these is he likely to do?

a) arrive late for work
b) give the wrong change
c) forget a customer's order
d) drop a tray of cups