What does equinox mean?
Word: Equinox
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Equinox means one of the two days in the year when day and night are almost the same length all over the world.
How do you spell equinox?
Syllables: e - qui - nox
Tricky part: The kw sound after the first e is spelt qu, as in equal and quick.
Watch out for: ekwinox, equanox
Memory tip: Day and night are nearly equal on the equinox, and equal and equinox open with the same three letters.
Equinox in a sentence
Example 1: On the day of the equinox, our class measured the shadow of a stick every hour.
Example 2: Our science teacher explained that the equinox happens twice a year.
Example 3: After the autumn equinox, the sun sets a little earlier every evening in London.
Fun Fact
On the equinox the sun rises almost due east and sets almost due west, almost everywhere on Earth.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Champ
Choose the correct option to make a meaningful word:
equin____
a) ocx
b) ox
c) ocks
d) oks
Show answer
b) ox. The word ends in a single x, which makes the ks sound by itself.
Word Puzzle
Match each word with its meaning:
1. equinox 2. eclipse 3. orbit a. the curved path that a planet or moon follows around something b. a time when the moon passes in front of the sun and hides it c. one of two dates in the year that fall roughly halfway between the longest and the shortest day
a) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a
b) 1-c, 2-b, 3-a
c) 1-a, 2-b, 3-c
d) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b
Show answer
b) 1-c, 2-b, 3-a. An orbit is a path, an eclipse hides the sun, and an equinox falls between the longest and shortest days.
Spell Spies
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) hemisphere
b) equinox
c) lattitude
d) solstice
Show answer
c) lattitude. Latitude has just one t before the i.
Sound Check
In which word is 'qu' pronounced differently?
a) equinox
b) request
c) liquid
d) unique
Show answer
d) unique. In unique, qu is said like a plain k; the other three have a kw sound.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. On which of these dates is an equinox most likely to fall?
a) 21 June
b) 1 January
c) 20 March
d) 25 December
Show answer
c) 20 March
2. If the sun rises at about 6 a.m. on the equinox, at about what time will it set?
a) 3 p.m.
b) midnight
c) 6 p.m.
d) 9 p.m.
Show answer
c) 6 p.m.
