What does leprechaun mean?
Word: Leprechaun
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Leprechaun means a small magical man in Irish folk stories.
How do you spell leprechaun?
Syllables: lep - re - chaun
Tricky part: The k sound in the last beat is spelt ch, which pupils often replace with c or k.
Watch out for: leprecaun, leprekaun
Memory tip: Imagine a chorus of tiny men singing: chorus spells the k sound the same way.
Leprechaun in a sentence
Example 1: In the story, a leprechaun tricks the farmer and runs away laughing.
Example 2: We drew a leprechaun with a tall green hat for our folk tale project.
Example 3: The Irish tale says a leprechaun must grant a wish if you catch him.
Fun Fact
The word is based on Old Irish words meaning small body, which suits a creature who is always described as tiny.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:
l_pr_chaun
a) a, e
b) e, a
c) e, e
d) i, e
Show answer
c) e, e. The same vowel fills both gaps.
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
lepprechaun
a) r
b) n
c) p
d) e
Show answer
c) p. Only one p comes before the r.
Mingle-Mangle
The sentence contains a jumbled word. Choose the word it hides:
In the old Irish tale, a nelauchrep hid his pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
a) leadership
b) lieutenant
c) leprechaun
d) lampshade
Show answer
c) leprechaun. Ten letters with a c, an h and a u and no s, d or t leave one word.
Spell-o-Spell
Three words in the list are spelt correctly and one is misspelt. Choose the meaning of the misspelt word.
1. mermade 2. leprechaun 3. goblin 4. pixie
a) an ugly, mischievous small creature in stories
b) a small fairy with pointed ears
c) a sea creature, half woman and half fish
d) a tiny man from Irish tales
Show answer
c) a sea creature, half woman and half fish. Mermaid ends in maid, as bridesmaid does.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which colour is a leprechaun usually shown wearing today?
a) orange
b) green
c) purple
d) black
Show answer
b) green
2. In the old tales, what job is a leprechaun usually said to do?
a) teaching young children
b) guarding ships at sea
c) making and mending shoes
d) baking bread for the village
Show answer
c) making and mending shoes
