Basic Details
Word: Identity
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Who or what a person or thing is; the qualities that make someone themselves and different from others.
Synonyms: individuality, self, character
How to Spell Identity
Syllables: i - den - ti - ty
Tricky part: There is no n before the d, even though some speakers say 'in-dentity'. The ending is ity, not ety.
Watch out for: indentity, identety, idenity
Memory tip: Say 'I', then 'den', then 'tity', and write each beat: i-den-ti-ty. Saying 'I-den' clearly stops an n from creeping in before the d.
Usage Examples
Example 1: The superhero hides his identity behind a mask.
Example 2: Her school ID card showed her photo, name and identity number.
Example 3: Folk songs are part of the identity of a region.
Fun Fact
Identity comes from the Latin idem, meaning the same, the word also behind identical and the short form id., used in references.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
indentity
a) t
b) i
c) n
d) d
Show answer
c) n. The word begins iden, with no n between i and d.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the meaning of the only correctly spelt word:
1. similarety 2. identity 3. generousity 4. curiousity
a) willingness to give freely
b) the state of being alike
c) who or what a person or thing is
d) a strong wish to know or learn
Show answer
c) who or what a person or thing is. Curious and generous drop their u before ity, and similar keeps its a: curiosity, generosity, similarity. Identity alone is right.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters in the sentence to form a meaningful word:
The spy kept his true tdyineti a secret even from his own family.
a) identify
b) identity
c) density
d) dentistry
Show answer
b) identity. The jumble has a y but no f, so it is identity, not identify.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A police officer checking your identity wants to know ____.
a) who you are
b) where you shop
c) how tall you are
d) what you ate
Show answer
a) who you are
2. Which of these is part of a person's identity?
a) their name
b) the weather
c) a shop's price list
d) a bus timetable
Show answer
a) their name
