Basic Details
Word: Irony
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Saying the opposite of what you really mean, often to be funny; also a situation that turns out the opposite of what was expected.
Synonyms: sarcasm, paradox
Word origin: Comes from Greek eironeia, pretending not to know.
How to Spell Irony
Syllables: i - ro - ny
Tricky part: It is spelt iron + y, but said EYE-ruh-nee, so students who spell by sound write irany or ironey.
Watch out for: irany, ironey, ironie
Memory tip: Write the metal iron and then add y. The letters do not change even though the sound does.
Usage Examples
Example 1: There was irony in the fact that the safety poster fell on someone's head.
Example 2: Rahul used gentle irony when he called the leaking roof our swimming pool.
Example 3: Our English teacher asked us to find the irony in the last line of the story.
Fun Fact
There is a second, much rarer word irony that means like iron or containing iron. It is spelt the same but said EYE-uh-nee.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word irony as used in the sentence:
The irony of the situation was that the weather department's own picnic was ruined by rain.
a) comedy
b) danger
c) accident
d) paradox
Show answer
d) paradox. A forecaster caught in the rain is a contradiction, which is what paradox means.
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
ironey
a) e
b) n
c) o
d) y
Show answer
a) e. The word is just iron plus y, so the e has no place in it.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one word in the list is spelt correctly. Choose the meaning of that word.
1. similie 2. irony 3. personnification 4. metafor
a) a comparison using like or as
b) saying the opposite of what you mean
c) giving human qualities to things
d) describing something as if it were something else
Show answer
b) saying the opposite of what you mean. Metaphor uses ph, simile has no i after the l, and personification has only one n after the o.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A speaker who uses irony often ____.
a) uses very long words
b) repeats every sentence twice
c) speaks only in rhymes
d) says the opposite of what she means
Show answer
d) says the opposite of what she means
2. The Greek word that irony comes from meant ____.
a) made of metal
b) pretending not to know
c) an old story
d) a loud laugh
Show answer
b) pretending not to know
