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Spell Bee Word: Jailbird


Basic Details

Word: Jailbird

Part of Speech: Noun

Meaning: An informal word for a person who is in prison or has been in prison many times.

Synonyms: convict, prisoner, inmate

How to Spell Jailbird

Syllables: jail - bird

Tricky part: It is one word with no space or hyphen. Jail is spelt with ai, and bird with ir, not ur or ear.

Watch out for: jailburd, jalebird, jailbeard

Memory tip: Picture a bird locked inside a jail cell. The two words are locked together too: jail + bird, with no space between them.

Usage Examples

Example 1: The old jailbird promised the judge he would never steal again.

Example 2: In the cartoon, the jailbird tried to escape by digging with a spoon.

Example 3: Nobody guessed the kind shopkeeper had once been a jailbird.

Fun Fact

The old British spelling of jail is gaol, said exactly like jail. That is why some older books print gaolbird.

Practise the CREST Way

Word Connection

Choose the synonym of the word jailbird as used in the sentence:

The police recognised the jailbird from his photograph in old files.

a) convict
b) warden
c) lawyer
d) witness

Show answer

a) convict. A jailbird is someone who has served time, which is what a convict is.

Word Makeup

Only one of these compound words is spelt correctly. Choose it:

a) blackbord
b) jailbird
c) wheelchare
d) scarcrow

Show answer

b) jailbird. Scarecrow keeps the e of scare, blackboard needs board, and wheelchair needs chair.

Word Cookie

Find the misspelt word in the sentence:

In the comic, the clumsy jailburd escaped through a tunnel, only to come out in the middle of the police station.

a) jailburd
b) clumsy
c) tunnel
d) station

Show answer

a) jailburd. The second half is the bird with wings, spelt with ir.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Jailbird is an informal word for ____.

a) a judge
b) a prisoner
c) a caged parrot
d) a prison guard

Show answer

b) a prisoner

2. Which of these is also a compound word, like jailbird?

a) happiness
b) careful
c) quickly
d) lighthouse

Show answer

d) lighthouse

Associated Words

jeddahsyllableengenderedobserverchild
prematurelyalmirahexcludedsuspectedconversion

Next steps

How to participate in CREST International Spell Bee

The CREST International Spell Bee (CSB) is conducted in two editions – CREST International Spell Bee - Summer (CSB) and CREST International Spell Bee - Winter (CSBW) – giving students across the globe an opportunity to showcase and enhance their spelling proficiency. Designed for young learners from Senior KG to Class 8, the competition focuses on word-building, pronunciation, and vocabulary enrichment, helping students develop strong linguistic skills.

Steps to Participate:

Step 1: Visit the registration page and complete the registration with your desired subject.

Step 2: After Registration done, do login at www.crestolympiads.com/login.

Step 3: After login, go to dashboard and click on Book slot/Take Exam

Step 4: Schedule your exam date and preferred time.

Step 5: Log in with your credentials on the exam day at the scheduled time and take the exam.

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