What does fathom mean?
Word: Fathom
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: Fathom means to understand something difficult after thinking about it carefully. As a noun, a fathom is a unit for measuring the depth of water, equal to six feet.
Synonyms: grasp
How do you spell fathom?
Syllables: fath - om
Tricky part: The second syllable is a weak, quick sound, so pupils guess at um or em. The vowel there is an o.
Watch out for: fathum, fathem, fatham
Memory tip: Say it as FATH-OM with a big round o, as if you were calling down a deep well.
Fathom in a sentence
Example 1: It took Ravi a whole week to fathom the new rules of the quiz.
Example 2: Divers found the old anchor lying under ten fathoms of water off the Cornish coast.
Example 3: Scientists are still trying to fathom how Arctic terns find their way across the oceans.
Fun Fact
Riverboat crews called out 'mark twain' when the water was two fathoms deep, and the writer Samuel Clemens took his pen name, Mark Twain, from that call.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
faithom
a) i
b) t
c) a
d) h
Show answer
a) i. The first vowel is the short one in cat, written with one letter.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the word in the sentence and choose it:
Even after three readings, I could not hmtoaf why the answer to the puzzle was right.
a) fasten
b) fashion
c) phantom
d) fathom
Show answer
d) fathom. Six letters with no s, n or p rule out the three other words.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word fathom as used in the sentence:
Nobody at the table could fathom how the magician had moved the ring into the sealed box.
a) comprehend
b) believe
c) measure
d) remember
Show answer
a) comprehend. The guests could not work out the trick, and comprehend carries that sense here.
Spell-o-Spell
Pick out the misspelt word in the list and choose its meaning.
1. colleague 2. phathom 3. mahogany 4. apparatus
a) a hard reddish-brown wood
b) the equipment needed for a particular job
c) a person you work with
d) to work out what something puzzling means
Show answer
d) to work out what something puzzling means. The word opens with a plain f, not ph; the other three are spelt correctly.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A friend says, 'I can't fathom this recipe.' What is the problem?
a) The steps make no sense to her
b) The dish tasted far too salty
c) The book is on a high shelf
d) The kitchen has run out of rice
Show answer
a) The steps make no sense to her
2. Which sentence uses fathom as a noun?
a) He tried to fathom the puzzle.
b) Few could fathom such a plan.
c) I cannot fathom her odd reply.
d) The reef lies at forty fathoms.
Show answer
d) The reef lies at forty fathoms.
