What does magnolia mean?
Word: Magnolia
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Magnolia means a tree with large, sweet-smelling flowers, usually white, cream or pink.
How do you spell magnolia?
Syllables: mag - no - lia
Tricky part: The g comes before the n. Many pupils swap them and write mangolia, perhaps with mango in mind.
Watch out for: mangolia, megnolia
Memory tip: Picture a magnet pulling the g ahead of the n, and the two letters stay in the right order.
Magnolia in a sentence
Example 1: A magnolia stood by the gate, covered in white blossom.
Example 2: In Shillong we saw a magnolia flowering on a misty hillside.
Example 3: The scent of the magnolia by our window reaches the whole room in May.
Fun Fact
In Britain magnolia is also the name of a pale cream paint, once so popular that it covered the walls of a great many homes.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Champ
Choose the correct option to make a meaningful word:
magno___
a) lia
b) loa
c) lea
d) lya
Show answer
a) lia. The ending has the same letters as the close of Australia.
Jumble Tumble
Which option has letters that you can rearrange to form the name of a flowering tree?
a) lomeigna
b) lomaignag
c) lomaign
d) lomaigna
Show answer
d) lomaigna. Only this set has the right eight letters; the others have a letter changed, added or missing.
Sound Check
In which word is 'gn' pronounced differently?
a) magnolia
b) foreign
c) ignore
d) signal
Show answer
b) foreign. The g is silent in foreign; in the others you hear both g and n.
Word Tally
You get 3 marks for each misspelt word you find in the list. How many marks do you get?
magnolia, jasmine, hibiskus, orkid, lavender
a) 6
b) 3
c) 12
d) 9
Show answer
a) 6. Hibiscus and orchid have slipped up here, which earns 2 x 3 = 6 marks.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A gardener wants to plant a magnolia. What should she make room for?
a) a tree that will spread over the years
b) a low strip of grass along the path
c) a small pot on a kitchen shelf
d) a thin climber trained along a wire
Show answer
a) a tree that will spread over the years
2. Which line from a garden diary is most likely about a magnolia?
a) Long green beans climbed up the canes overnight.
b) The moss on the shady wall turned brown this week.
c) Tiny blue berries dropped from the hedge this morning.
d) Huge creamy blooms opened high on the branches today.
Show answer
d) Huge creamy blooms opened high on the branches today.
