What does inventory mean?
Word: Inventory
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Inventory means a complete list of the goods, furniture or other things kept in a building, such as a shop or a hotel.
How do you spell inventory?
Syllables: in - ven - to - ry
Tricky part: The end is spelt tory, but in quick speech the o is almost silent, so children often write inventry or inventary.
Watch out for: inventry, inventary
Memory tip: An inventory tells the story of everything on a shop's shelves, and it ends with the same letters as story.
Inventory in a sentence
Example 1: Every January, the bookshop closes for a day to do its inventory.
Example 2: Mum made an inventory of the kitchen cupboards before going shopping.
Example 3: The hotel keeps an inventory of every towel and pillow in its rooms.
Fun Fact
In many computer games, the inventory is the bag or list of items a player has collected. The word comes from the Latin inventarium, a list of things found.
Practise the CREST Way
Spellacadabra
Choose the correct option to make a meaningful word:
inv_ _tory
a) an
b) on
c) en
d) in
Show answer
c) en. The middle is spelt en, the same as in the verb invent.
Word Champ
In which option are the given words arranged in alphabetical order?
1. invitation 2. inventory 3. invoice 4. invisible
a) 2143
b) 2431
c) 4213
d) 2413
Show answer
d) 2413. After inv, look at the next letter: e comes before i and o, and invis comes before invit.
Word Puzzle
Match the words with their meanings:
1. receipt 2. inventory 3. invoice a. a note that lists the goods sold and the price the buyer must pay b. a slip that shows you have already paid c. a careful written count of everything a place has in stock
a) 1-c, 2-b, 3-a
b) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b
c) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a
d) 1-b, 2-a, 3-c
Show answer
c) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a. You get a receipt after paying, an invoice before paying, and an inventory when the stock is counted.
Spell Spies
Choose the pair which has a spelling error:
a) bakery : bakeries
b) monkey : monkies
c) valley : valleys
d) inventory : inventories
Show answer
b) monkey : monkies. When a vowel comes before the y, just add s: monkeys.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A shopkeeper checks her inventory and finds only two jars of honey left. What should she do next?
a) lower the price of bread
b) order more jars of honey
c) paint the shelves
d) close the shop for a week
Show answer
b) order more jars of honey
2. Which of these belongs on the inventory of a school library?
a) the number of books on each shelf
b) the names of the pupils' pets
c) the price of bus tickets
d) the weather last week
Show answer
a) the number of books on each shelf
