What does floss mean?
Word: Floss
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Floss means a soft, thin thread used to clean between your teeth. To floss is to clean your teeth with it.
How do you spell floss?
Syllables: floss
Tricky part: Floss ends in a double s. Many short words that end in this hiss do the same: miss, kiss and glass.
Watch out for: flos, flosse, flauss
Memory tip: Floss ends with two s's, like the two ends of the thread you hold tight between your fingers.
Floss in a sentence
Example 1: My sister flosses before she goes to bed.
Example 2: Floss comes in a tiny box that fits in a pocket.
Example 3: A bit of corn stayed stuck in my teeth until I used floss.
Fun Fact
Candy floss is made by spinning hot melted sugar into very thin threads.
Practise the CREST Way
Sound Check
Which word does not rhyme with floss?
a) boss
b) gross
c) cross
d) toss
Show answer
b) gross. Gross is said with a long o, as in dose; boss, toss and cross keep the short o of floss.
Jumble Tumble
Which option has letters that you can rearrange to form the name of a thing you use to clean your teeth?
a) ssluf
b) sfslo
c) esfsl
d) lsfas
Show answer
b) sfslo. Only s, f, s, l and o build floss; the other sets make no real word.
Word Champ
Choose the correct word for the blank:
Grandma showed me how to ______ gently between my back teeth.
a) float
b) floss
c) flash
d) flick
Show answer
b) floss. Cleaning between teeth with a thread is to floss; to float is to stay on water.
Spell Spies
Choose the option with no spelling errors:
a) floss, toothpast, mirrer, towel
b) floss, toothpaste, miror, towle
c) floss, tothpaste, mirror, taul
d) floss, toothpaste, mirror, towel
Show answer
d) floss, toothpaste, mirror, towel. Toothpaste, mirror and towel are spelt correctly only in this list.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Who is most likely to tell you to floss?
a) a farmer
b) a dentist
c) a pilot
d) a plumber
Show answer
b) a dentist
2. Flossing every day mainly helps to keep your ...
a) hair shiny
b) nails strong
c) gums healthy
d) eyes sharp
Show answer
c) gums healthy
