What does lanky mean?
Word: Lanky
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Lanky means tall and thin, usually with long arms and legs that make a person look a little awkward.
Synonyms: gangly, lean, spindly, rangy
Antonyms: stocky, stout, squat
Word origin: Comes from an older word meaning thin and limp, which goes back to Old English hlanc, 'loose' or 'not filled out'.
How do you spell lanky?
Syllables: lan - ky
Tricky part: The k sound comes straight after the n with no c, as in bank and plank. Students who think of luck and lack write lancky.
Watch out for: lancky, lankky
Memory tip: Bank, tank and lanky: after an n, the k sound never needs a c in front of it.
Lanky in a sentence
Example 1: My cousin shot up fifteen centimetres in one year and is now lanky and always hungry.
Example 2: A lanky heron stood on one leg in the paddy field, waiting for a frog.
Example 3: The lanky fast bowler took a long run-up and made the ball bounce sharply.
Fun Fact
The older word lank is still used today in a different way: lank hair hangs straight, thin and limp, often because it needs washing.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell Spies
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) gawky
b) scrawny
c) spindly
d) lankey
Show answer
d) lankey. Gawky and scrawny show the pattern: the y follows the consonant directly, so lanky has no e.
Word Puzzle
Match the words with the correct options:
1. lanky 2. timid 3. verbose a. concise b. burly c. bold
a) 1-a, 2-b, 3-c
b) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a
c) 1-c, 2-b, 3-a
d) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b
Show answer
b) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a. A lanky build is the reverse of a burly one, a timid child is not bold, and verbose writing is the opposite of concise writing.
Word Tally
How many words are misspelt in the sentence?
The lanky goalkeper streched out his long arms and pushed the ball round the post with the tips of his fingers.
a) 1
b) 2
c) 0
d) 3
Show answer
b) 2. Goalkeeper needs ee in the middle and stretched needs a t before the ch; lanky itself is fine.
Word Champ
Choose the correct option:
1. A lanky boy is tall and thin. 2. A stocky wrestler is short and solid. 3. A gawky teenager moves very gracefully.
a) only 1 and 3 are true
b) only 1 is true
c) only 1 and 2 are true
d) all three are true
Show answer
c) only 1 and 2 are true. Gawky means awkward and clumsy, so statement 3 is false.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which detail in a story would best show that a character is lanky?
a) His round cheeks went pink whenever he laughed.
b) He could lift a full sack of rice with one hand.
c) His school trousers always looked too short for his legs.
d) He spoke so softly that nobody could hear him.
Show answer
c) His school trousers always looked too short for his legs.
2. Which word could NOT be used to describe a lanky person?
a) long-limbed
b) tall
c) plump
d) bony
Show answer
c) plump
