What does encouragement mean?
Word: Encouragement
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Encouragement means words or actions that give someone the confidence and hope to keep going.
Synonyms: support, inspiration, motivation, reassurance
Antonyms: discouragement, criticism
How do you spell encouragement?
Syllables: en - cour - age - ment
Tricky part: The e at the end of the verb stays when -ment is added; encouragment, without it, is the most common mistake.
Watch out for: encouragment, incouragement, encouragemant
Memory tip: The g is soft, as in page, and a soft g needs an e after it, so the e stays before -ment.
Encouragement in a sentence
Example 1: A few words of encouragement from the coach lifted the whole team.
Example 2: My grandmother's encouragement helped me finish the race.
Example 3: The young painter needed encouragement more than money.
Fun Fact
Sports scientists have found that shouting encouragement during a fitness test can help a person run or cycle a little longer before stopping.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Three of these words are spelt correctly. Choose the meaning of the misspelt word:
1. appreciation 2. perseverence 3. achievement 4. encouragement
a) words or acts that give someone hope
b) thanks and praise for what someone did
c) something good that you manage to do
d) the quality of sticking at a hard task
Show answer
d) the quality of sticking at a hard task. Perseverence has e where an a belongs in its ending; achievement, encouragement and appreciation are spelt correctly.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word encouragement as used in the sentence:
The cheers from the stands gave the tired swimmer the encouragement she needed for the last length.
a) applause
b) disapproval
c) heart
d) backing
Show answer
b) disapproval. Backing, applause and heart all lift a person up; disapproval does the opposite.
Word Cookie
Fill in the missing letters to complete the word:
en_our_gement
a) k, a
b) c, a
c) s, a
d) c, e
Show answer
b) c, a. The middle of the word is courage, so the gaps take its c and its a.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the word in the sentence and choose it:
The steady renugecoeatnm of her music teacher helped Riya sing on stage for the first time.
a) engagement
b) enlargement
c) encampment
d) encouragement
Show answer
d) encouragement. Enlargement needs an l, while engagement and encampment are too short and lack a u, so the letters spell encouragement.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which action shows encouragement?
a) cheering a friend before a race
b) borrowing a friend's bicycle
c) visiting a friend after school
d) forgetting a friend's birthday
Show answer
a) cheering a friend before a race
2. Giving encouragement to a friend means you ____.
a) do all of their homework for them
b) help them believe in themselves
c) stay away from them all week
d) point out all their mistakes
Show answer
b) help them believe in themselves
