Spell Bee Word: Dune

What does dune mean?

Word: Dune

Part of Speech: Noun

Meaning: Dune means a hill or ridge of loose sand, found in deserts and along some beaches.

How do you spell dune?

Syllables: dune

Tricky part: The long u sound is made by the u together with a silent e at the end. Children who spell by sound often write doon or dewn instead.

Watch out for: doon, dewn, duen

Memory tip: Think of the e at the end as a quiet helper that makes the u say its own name, as in cube and flute.

Dune in a sentence

Example 1: We slid down a sand dune on a piece of cardboard at Jaisalmer.

Example 2: Our camel walked slowly up the side of a tall dune.

Example 3: From the top of the dune we could see the sea sparkling far away.

Fun Fact

The Great Dune of Pilat on the coast of France is often called the tallest sand dune in Europe, at more than 100 metres high.

Practise the CREST Way

Word Cookie

Find the extra letter in the word:

dunne

a) n
b) u
c) d
d) e

Spell-o-Spell

Choose the correctly spelt word:

a) cactas
b) dune
c) camle
d) dezert

Word Cookie

Find the misspelt word in the sentence:

The wind slowly pushed the dune acros the desert.

a) dune
b) slowly
c) acros
d) pushed

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Why does a dune often change shape from day to day?

a) Rain turns its sand into stone.
b) Plants pull it into new shapes.
c) Animals dig it away each night.
d) The wind keeps moving its sand.

2. Which of these helps to stop a dune from blowing away?

a) the hot sun shining on it
b) grass and plants growing on it
c) children sliding down it
d) snow lying on top of it