What does comprehend mean?
Word: Comprehend
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: Comprehend means to understand something fully.
Synonyms: understand
Antonyms: misunderstand
How do you spell comprehend?
Syllables: com - pre - hend
Tricky part: The middle is pre, not per. Children often swap the r and the e and write comperhend.
Watch out for: comperhend, compehrend
Memory tip: Think of the pre in prepare: in comprehend the r also comes before the e.
Comprehend in a sentence
Example 1: I could not comprehend the long sum until Miss explained it.
Example 2: Babies comprehend more words than they can say.
Example 3: Some jokes are hard to comprehend until someone explains them.
Fun Fact
Hidden in comprehend is the Latin prehendere, to grab: understanding an idea is like getting a firm grip on it.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) imagine
b) explane
c) remember
d) discover
Show answer
b) explane. Explain ends in ain, as rain does.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word:
comprehend
a) ignore
b) grasp
c) forget
d) confuse
Show answer
b) grasp. To grasp an idea is to take it in fully, which is what comprehend means.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
phnemeocrd
a) compelled
b) comprehend
c) compressed
d) apprehend
Show answer
b) comprehend. Compressed and compelled have no h at all, and apprehend has no c or o, which leaves comprehend.
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:
c_mpreh_nd
a) o, e
b) u, e
c) a, e
d) o, a
Show answer
a) o, e. The word starts with com, and the last part is hend, not hand.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. What would most help you comprehend a hard passage?
a) reading it again slowly
b) reading it as fast as you can
c) reading only the title
d) skipping the long words
Show answer
a) reading it again slowly
2. When you comprehend a lesson, you are most likely able to ____.
a) explain it to a friend
b) skip it in the test
c) forget it the next day
d) find it very confusing
Show answer
a) explain it to a friend
