What does comprehension mean?
Word: Comprehension
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Comprehension means the ability to understand something; in school, an exercise where you read a passage and answer questions on it.
Synonyms: grasp, knowledge
Antonyms: ignorance, incomprehension, confusion
How do you spell comprehension?
Syllables: com - pre - hen - sion
Tricky part: Students often write tion where the word needs sion, and the h after pre is easy to forget.
Watch out for: comprehention, compreension, comprihension
Memory tip: Think of comprehend: its final d gives way to sion.
Comprehension in a sentence
Example 1: The English paper begins with a reading comprehension.
Example 2: Her comprehension of fractions improved after the extra classes.
Example 3: Grandpa read the newspaper slowly to aid his comprehension.
Fun Fact
Comprehend comes from Latin comprehendere, to seize or grasp. We still say we grasp an idea when we understand it.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Only one word in the list is spelt correctly. Choose the meaning of that word.
1. pasage 2. inferance 3. comprehension 4. analisis
a) a conclusion reached from clues
b) a short section of a piece of writing
c) a careful study of something in detail
d) being able to take in and grasp an idea
Show answer
d) being able to take in and grasp an idea. Comprehension is the only one spelt right; the others should read passage, inference and analysis.
Word Connection
Choose the word closest in meaning to comprehension as used in the sentence:
The rules of the new board game were beyond my comprehension.
a) patience
b) memory
c) strength
d) understanding
Show answer
d) understanding. Beyond my comprehension means beyond my understanding.
Word Cookie
Insert the correct letters to form a word:
co_preh_nsion
a) m, e
b) n, e
c) n, a
d) m, a
Show answer
a) m, e. Com begins the word, and the vowel after the h is an e, as in hen.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the word in the sentence and choose it:
Reading every day has improved Tanvi's nhoscmpeieonr of long stories.
a) apprehension
b) comprehensive
c) compression
d) comprehension
Show answer
d) comprehension. Apprehension has an a and two p's, comprehensive needs a v, and compression has two s's but no h; comprehension uses every letter.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A comprehension section in an English exam asks you to ____.
a) pick the correct spelling of hard words
b) study a short text and reply to questions on it
c) change sentences from active to passive
d) write a letter to a friend about a trip
Show answer
b) study a short text and reply to questions on it
2. The related word meaning 'covering everything' is ____.
a) comprehensible
b) comprehending
c) comprehensive
d) comprehended
Show answer
c) comprehensive
