What does dangle mean?
Word: Dangle
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: Dangle means to hang loosely and swing a little.
How do you spell dangle?
Syllables: dan - gle
Tricky part: The ending is spelt le, though your ear hears something more like ul. That is why dangel and dangal turn up so often.
Watch out for: dangel, dangal, dangul
Memory tip: Picture a little charm that dangles from a bag. Little and dangle finish with the same two letters.
Dangle in a sentence
Example 1: Paper stars dangle from the ceiling of our classroom.
Example 2: The monkey let its long tail dangle from the branch.
Example 3: My sister's long earrings dangle when she laughs.
Fun Fact
Dangle has been in English for over 400 years, and it may have come from a Scandinavian word with a similar sound.
Practise the CREST Way
Spellacadabra
Choose the correct option to make a meaningful word:
da_ _le
a) ng
b) nk
c) mg
d) nj
Show answer
a) ng. These two letters make the hum you hear at the end of sing and long.
Sound Check
Which of the following words has the 'a' sound as in dangle?
a) camel
b) cake
c) ball
d) car
Show answer
a) camel. Say them aloud: only camel has that short, flat a.
Word Champ
Which of the words cannot be made using the letters in the given word?
dangle
a) lane
b) ladle
c) lead
d) glad
Show answer
b) ladle. Count the l's: ladle wants a pair, but dangle can offer just one.
Spell Spies
Choose the option with no spelling errors:
a) dangle, sweeng, flote, climb
b) dangle, sweeng, float, clim
c) dangle, swing, flote, clim
d) dangle, swing, float, climb
Show answer
d) dangle, swing, float, climb. Every word in this list is right: swing has an i, float has oa and climb has a silent b.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of these is most likely to dangle?
a) a book on a shelf
b) a rug on the floor
c) a stone on the road
d) a key on a long string
Show answer
d) a key on a long string
2. Rita's legs dangle from a high bench. What is true?
a) She is standing on the bench.
b) Her legs are folded under her.
c) She is lying on the floor.
d) Her feet cannot reach the floor.
Show answer
d) Her feet cannot reach the floor.
