What does ideal mean?
Word: Ideal
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Ideal means exactly right for a purpose, or the best you could hope for.
Synonyms: best, just right
Antonyms: imperfect, unsuitable
How do you spell ideal?
Syllables: i - de - al
Tricky part: The word has three beats, i-de-al, but children often hear two and write ideel or idial. The ending is eal.
Watch out for: ideel, idial, ideale
Memory tip: Write the word idea and add an l at the end: idea + l = ideal. A good idea can be an ideal one.
Ideal in a sentence
Example 1: A cool, cloudy morning is ideal for a long walk.
Example 2: This big box is ideal for keeping my crayons.
Example 3: Ooty is an ideal place for a summer holiday.
Fun Fact
Ideal goes back to the Greek word idea, which meant the form or look of something.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the correctly spelt word:
a) exellent
b) preferd
c) sutable
d) ideal
Show answer
d) ideal. Ideal is right as it stands; sutable, exellent and preferd all have letters missing.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word: ideal
a) perfect
b) ordinary
c) poor
d) flawed
Show answer
a) perfect. Something ideal is exactly right, which is what perfect means too; poor and flawed point the other way.
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
iddeal
a) d
b) l
c) e
d) a
Show answer
a) d. Ideal has just one d, right after the first i.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
Saturday is an ideal day for a picnik in the park.
a) ideal
b) day
c) picnik
d) park
Show answer
c) picnik. Picnic ends in a plain c; ideal is spelt right here.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which day would be ideal for flying a kite?
a) a wet day with heavy rain
b) a still day with no wind at all
c) a dry day with a steady breeze
d) a stormy day with thunder
Show answer
c) a dry day with a steady breeze
2. Riya says the library is an ideal place to study. Which reason fits best?
a) It is the only place open.
b) It is quiet and has good light.
c) It is far away from her home.
d) It is noisy at lunchtime.
Show answer
b) It is quiet and has good light.
