Basic Details
Word: Discern
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: To notice or understand something that is not obvious; to tell the difference between things.
Synonyms: perceive, detect, distinguish, notice
Antonyms: overlook, miss
How to Spell Discern
Syllables: dis - cern
Tricky part: After dis comes c and then ern, so there is an s and a c together: discern. Students drop the c (disern) or write urn for ern.
Watch out for: disern, discurn, dicern
Memory tip: Look for the disc at the start: you discern a tiny scratch on a disc. Then add ern.
Usage Examples
Example 1: It is hard to discern the stars when the city lights are on.
Example 2: A good judge can discern the truth from a clever lie.
Example 3: I could not discern any difference between the two photos.
Fun Fact
Discern comes from the Latin discernere, to separate or sift, made of dis (apart) and cernere (to sift).
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the word closest in meaning to discern as used in the sentence:
Even experts find it hard to discern any difference between the copy and the original painting.
a) overlook
b) create
c) ignore
d) perceive
Show answer
d) perceive. To discern a difference is to perceive it; overlook and ignore mean missing it.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one word in the list is spelt correctly. Choose the meaning of that word.
1. concearn 2. discern 3. disiplin 4. fasinate
a) notice or understand something that is not obvious
b) training to obey rules
c) worry about something
d) attract strong interest
Show answer
a) notice or understand something that is not obvious. Concern, fascinate and discipline have each lost or gained letters here, so discern is the one to choose.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
From the top of the watchtower the guard could just disern a thin line of smoke rising from the hills, several kilometres beyond the village.
a) village
b) watchtower
c) disern
d) kilometres
Show answer
c) disern. A c must follow the s: dis-cern.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A discerning reader is one who ____.
a) reads every book very quickly
b) reads only comics and cartoons
c) can judge the quality of books well
d) never finishes a book once started
Show answer
c) can judge the quality of books well
2. Which word rhymes with discern?
a) design
b) disc
c) sign
d) concern
Show answer
d) concern
