What does inference mean?
Word: Inference
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Inference means an idea you work out by thinking about clues, when nobody has told you the answer directly.
Synonyms: deduction
How do you spell inference?
Syllables: in - fer - ence
Tricky part: Said quickly, the e after the r almost disappears, so children write infrence. And although inferring doubles its r, inference keeps just one.
Watch out for: infrence, infference, imference
Memory tip: Listen for the stress. In inferring the beat lands on fer, so the r doubles; in inference the beat moves to the front, so the r stays single.
Inference in a sentence
Example 1: Reading the last page, I made an inference about who had taken the cake.
Example 2: The teacher asked us to write one inference about the character's feelings.
Example 3: Her inference was right: the shop was closed because it was a holiday.
Fun Fact
The verb infer comes from Latin inferre, which means to bring in or to carry in.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Makeup
Choose the suffix that completes the word:
infer
a) ense
b) anse
c) ence
d) ance
Show answer
c) ence. Infer takes the same ending as difference and conference.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the correctly spelt word:
a) detectiv
b) inference
c) riddel
d) evedence
Show answer
b) inference. Detective needs its final e, riddle ends in le and evidence has an i after the v, so inference is the word to choose.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
From the wet umbrellas at the door, Tara made the inference that it was raning outside.
a) umbrellas
b) outside
c) raning
d) inference
Show answer
c) raning. Raining keeps the ai of rain before the ing.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word:
inference
a) conclusion
b) beginning
c) question
d) mistake
Show answer
a) conclusion. An inference is the conclusion you come to after looking at the clues.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Elena hears a whistle and sees people hurrying towards the platform with their bags. Which is a sensible inference?
a) The platform is closed for repairs.
b) The station is being cleaned.
c) A train is about to arrive.
d) A train has just been cancelled.
Show answer
c) A train is about to arrive.
2. A dog keeps sniffing its empty bowl. Which of these is an inference, not something you can see?
a) The dog has brown fur and a long tail.
b) The bowl is made of shiny steel.
c) The dog must be hungry for its dinner.
d) The dog is sitting next to the door.
Show answer
c) The dog must be hungry for its dinner.
