Basic Details
Word: Idiomatic
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Using expressions that sound natural to a native speaker, or containing an idiom.
Synonyms: natural, colloquial, fluent
Antonyms: stilted, unnatural
How to Spell Idiomatic
Syllables: id - i - o - mat - ic
Tricky part: It starts idio, like idiom, not ideo. The t is single, so idiomattic is wrong.
Watch out for: ideomatic, idiomattic, idiamatic
Memory tip: Begin with idiom and add atic, as in system, systematic. Idiom keeps all its letters: idiom + atic.
Usage Examples
Example 1: Her English sounds idiomatic because she reads storybooks every day.
Example 2: 'Break a leg' is an idiomatic way to wish someone luck.
Example 3: The translator gave the Hindi poem an idiomatic English version.
Fun Fact
Idiom comes from the Greek idios, meaning one's own, so an idiom is a way of speaking that belongs to one language.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Choose the correct letters to fill in the blanks:
id_om_tic
a) e, a
b) e, e
c) i, e
d) i, a
Show answer
d) i, a. Spell idiom first, then add the atic ending.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the meaning of the only correctly spelt word:
1. vocabulery 2. sentance 3. dialouge 4. idiomatic
a) a group of words that makes complete sense
b) all the words a person knows
c) using expressions that sound natural to native speakers
d) a conversation in a book, play or film
Show answer
c) using expressions that sound natural to native speakers. Vocabulary has ary, dialogue has gue and sentence has two e's after the t; idiomatic is the word to define.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters in the sentence to form a meaningful word:
Raining cats and dogs is a coimdiati expression for very heavy rain.
a) dogmatic
b) idiomatic
c) automatic
d) diplomatic
Show answer
b) idiomatic. Diplomatic needs p and l, dogmatic needs g, automatic needs u; idiomatic has three i's like the jumble.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which sentence is idiomatic English?
a) A piece it is of cake.
b) It is a cake piece.
c) It's a piece of cake.
d) It is cake of a piece.
Show answer
c) It's a piece of cake.
2. An idiomatic phrase usually means ____.
a) exactly what each word says
b) nothing at all
c) something different from its exact words
d) the name of a place
Show answer
c) something different from its exact words
