Home / Free Study Material / Spell Bee Summer / Class 5 Spell Bee Summer Words / foretell

Spell Bee Word: Foretell


Basic Details

Word: Foretell

Part of Speech: Verb

Meaning: To say what will happen in the future.

Synonyms: predict, forecast, prophesy

How to Spell Foretell

Syllables: fore - tell

Tricky part: Keep the e of fore and the double l of tell. Fortell and foretel are the usual slips.

Watch out for: fortell, foretel, fourtell

Memory tip: To foretell is to tell before it happens: fore (before) + tell, with nothing dropped.

Usage Examples

Example 1: No one can foretell exactly when the monsoon will reach Kerala.

Example 2: The old woman in the story claimed she could foretell the future from tea leaves.

Example 3: Dark clouds over the hills often foretell a stormy evening.

Fun Fact

Tell once meant count as well as speak. That old sense survives in teller, the name for a bank clerk and for the people who count votes in the British Parliament.

Practise the CREST Way

Word Connection

Choose the synonym of the word foretell as used in the sentence:

The village elders claimed that the flowering of the bamboo could foretell a famine.

a) predict
b) cause
c) prevent
d) end

Show answer

a) predict. To foretell a famine is to say it is coming, which is to predict it.

Word Cookie

Fill in the missing letters to complete the word:

f_ret_ll

a) o, i
b) a, e
c) o, e
d) u, e

Show answer

c) o, e. Both halves are words you know: fore and tell.

Mingle-Mangle

Unscramble the jumbled word in the sentence and choose the correct word:

The fortune teller said she could ltrofeel your future from a single card.

a) retell
b) foretold
c) forestall
d) foretell

Show answer

d) foretell. Foretold needs a d and an extra o, forestall needs an s and an a, and retell has no f.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. A person who claims to foretell events is often called a ____.

a) pilot
b) painter
c) prophet
d) plumber

Show answer

c) prophet

2. In 'The smell of wet earth foretold the coming rain', foretold means ____.

a) held back
b) washed away
c) gave a sign of
d) kept away

Show answer

c) gave a sign of

Associated Words

confessedharmonypredecessorintegrationcarelessness
observereternityhangmanremembrancedozed

Next steps

How to participate in CREST International Spell Bee

The CREST International Spell Bee (CSB) is conducted in two editions – CREST International Spell Bee - Summer (CSB) and CREST International Spell Bee - Winter (CSBW) – giving students across the globe an opportunity to showcase and enhance their spelling proficiency. Designed for young learners from Senior KG to Class 8, the competition focuses on word-building, pronunciation, and vocabulary enrichment, helping students develop strong linguistic skills.

Steps to Participate:

Step 1: Visit the registration page and complete the registration with your desired subject.

Step 2: After Registration done, do login at www.crestolympiads.com/login.

Step 3: After login, go to dashboard and click on Book slot/Take Exam

Step 4: Schedule your exam date and preferred time.

Step 5: Log in with your credentials on the exam day at the scheduled time and take the exam.

70%