What does decrease mean?
Word: Decrease
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: Decrease means to become less in size or number, or to make something do so. As a noun, a decrease is a fall in size or number.
How do you spell decrease?
Syllables: de - crease
Tricky part: The long vowel near the end is the trap. Children write decrese or decreese, but the word closes with ease.
Watch out for: decrese, decreese
Memory tip: Think of sea water drawing back at low tide. The long sound here is spelt with the same two letters as in sea, and a quiet e closes the word.
Decrease in a sentence
Example 1: The number of sparrows in our city began to decrease.
Example 2: Turn the knob to decrease the volume.
Example 3: There was a small decrease in the price of tomatoes.
Fun Fact
The stress in this word moves. As a verb it falls on the second syllable, but as a noun it usually falls on the opening one.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:
d__rease
a) e, s
b) i, c
c) i, s
d) e, c
Show answer
d) e, c. The word opens with de, and a hard c comes before the r.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the correctly spelt word:
a) diffrence
b) subtracsion
c) multipley
d) decrease
Show answer
d) decrease. Difference needs its middle e, subtraction ends in tion, and multiply has no e before the y.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word:
decrease
a) shrink
b) lessen
c) dwindle
d) increase
Show answer
d) increase. This one means to grow; the others all mean to get smaller.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
cseardee
a) edcrease
b) decrease
c) dcerease
d) dercease
Show answer
b) decrease. This word means to get smaller; just one option spells it.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Mangoes cost 100 rupees a kilo last week and cost 80 rupees now. What is the decrease?
a) 180 rupees
b) 100 rupees
c) 80 rupees
d) 20 rupees
Show answer
d) 20 rupees
2. How could you decrease the noise in a classroom?
a) open windows on the busy road
b) clap along to a loud song
c) switch off the rattling fan
d) turn the radio up louder
Show answer
c) switch off the rattling fan
