Basic Details
Word: Dictate
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: To say words aloud so that someone else can write them down; also to tell people firmly what they must do.
Synonyms: command, order, impose, decree
Antonyms: obey, follow
Word origin: From Latin dictare, to say repeatedly, from dicere, to say.
How to Spell Dictate
Syllables: dic - tate
Tricky part: The k sound in the middle is spelt c, followed straight away by t. Students write dicktate or end it with tait.
Watch out for: dicktate, dictait, dectate
Memory tip: A dictator is a person who dictates. If you can spell dictat, you can spell both words.
Usage Examples
Example 1: The principal will dictate the notice and the clerk will type it.
Example 2: Good friends do not dictate what you should wear.
Example 3: The weather will dictate whether the picnic goes ahead.
Fun Fact
In ancient Rome a dictator was an official given full power during an emergency, usually for no more than six months.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word dictate as used in the sentence:
A strong team should not let the other side dictate the terms of the match.
a) discuss
b) accept
c) impose
d) refuse
Show answer
c) impose. To impose terms is to force them on others, which is what dictating them means.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters in the sentence to form a meaningful word:
A good captain does not ttacide every move; he listens to his players too.
a) dictate
b) indicate
c) dedicate
d) deviate
Show answer
a) dictate. Count the letters: seven, with two t's and no n or v, which fits dictate alone.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
Before the board meeting the manager would dictait her letters to an assistant who took them down in shorthand.
a) meeting
b) manager
c) assistant
d) dictait
Show answer
d) dictait. The verb ends with ate, like create and debate, not ait.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. When a teacher dictates a passage, the pupils ____.
a) draw a picture of it
b) act it out on stage
c) read it silently alone
d) write down what she says
Show answer
d) write down what she says
2. A person who dictates to everyone around him is ____.
a) shy
b) forgetful
c) sleepy
d) bossy
Show answer
d) bossy
