What does lighten mean?
Word: Lighten
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: Lighten means to make something lighter in colour or less heavy. It can also mean to become lighter or brighter.
Synonyms: brighten
Antonyms: darken
How do you spell lighten?
Syllables: light - en
Tricky part: The g and h in the middle are silent, so you hear only light and then a soft en, and those two quiet letters are easy to forget. Do not mix lighten up with lightning, the bright flash in a storm.
Watch out for: liten, lightten
Memory tip: Light is the root, and every light word keeps its silent gh: lighthouse, lightly, lighten.
Lighten in a sentence
Example 1: Mum added a little milk to lighten her dark tea.
Example 2: We painted the walls pale yellow to lighten the small room.
Example 3: Hana's funny song helped to lighten everyone's mood.
Fun Fact
When an artist lightens a colour by mixing in white, the new, paler shade is called a tint.
Practise the CREST Way
Spellacadabra
Choose the correct option to make a meaningful word:
light_n
a) a
b) e
c) i
d) o
Show answer
b) e. The ending is en, so the missing letter is e: lighten.
Word Champ
Which of the words cannot be made using the letters in the given word?
lighten
a) thing
b) tight
c) eight
d) night
Show answer
b) tight. Tight needs two t's, but lighten has only one.
Spell Spies
Choose the pair which has a spelling error:
a) push : pull
b) early : late
c) wide : narow
d) full : empty
Show answer
c) wide : narow. Narrow has a double r: n-a-r-r-o-w.
Jumble Tumble
Choose the correct sequence of the jumbled letters to form a meaningful word:
hnltige 1234567
a) 2741653
b) 3561472
c) 3561427
d) 3516472
Show answer
b) 3561472. Letters 3, 5, 6, 1, 4, 7, 2 are l, i, g, h, t, e, n, which spell lighten.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of these will lighten a heavy school bag?
a) adding a full lunch box
b) packing an extra jumper
c) taking out two big books
d) putting in a water bottle
Show answer
c) taking out two big books
2. When the sky begins to lighten early in the morning, the sun is ___.
a) setting
b) hidden
c) overhead
d) rising
Show answer
d) rising
