What does compass mean?
Word: Compass
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Compass means an instrument with a needle that swings round to show the direction, so that you can find your way. It is also a tool for drawing circles, often called a pair of compasses in British English.
How do you spell compass?
Syllables: com - pass
Tricky part: It ends in a double s, which children often cut down to one: compas.
Watch out for: compas, compase
Memory tip: Picture a pair of compasses standing on paper: its two pointed legs are the two s's at the end of compass.
Compass in a sentence
Example 1: The sailors used a compass to find their way.
Example 2: I drew a perfect circle with my compass.
Example 3: Turn until the compass needle points north.
Fun Fact
Chinese writings from more than 900 years ago describe sailors using a magnetised needle to find their way at sea.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the correctly spelt word:
a) devider
b) sharpner
c) protracter
d) compass
Show answer
d) compass. Protractor ends in or, divider starts with di and sharpener keeps the e after the p.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
sapcoms
a) comapss
b) compass
c) copmass
d) cmopass
Show answer
b) compass. Sound out each choice slowly; only one matches the word you say.
Word Cookie
Insert the correct letters to form a word:
co_p_ss
a) n, e
b) m, u
c) n, a
d) m, a
Show answer
d) m, a. The middle needs m before p, and the second beat is spelt with an a.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
Our scout leader showed us how to read a campass in the forest.
a) leader
b) campass
c) scout
d) forest
Show answer
b) campass. The first vowel is o, even though it is said like the u in cup.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. What makes a compass needle swing round to point north?
a) it is turned by a spring
b) it is pulled by the sun
c) it is a tiny magnet
d) it is pushed by the wind
Show answer
c) it is a tiny magnet
2. Which job would use a compass most?
a) a school librarian
b) a shop's cashier
c) a hospital nurse
d) a ship's navigator
Show answer
d) a ship's navigator
