What does malfunction mean?
Word: Malfunction
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Malfunction means a fault that stops a machine or system from working properly. As a verb, a machine that malfunctions fails to work as it should.
Synonyms: fault, breakdown, failure, glitch
How do you spell malfunction?
Syllables: mal - func - tion
Tricky part: Students drop the c (malfuntion) because it is hard to hear before the t.
Watch out for: malfuntion, malfunktion
Memory tip: Hear the c in the middle, malfunc-tion, like the click of a switch that will not work.
Malfunction in a sentence
Example 1: A malfunction in the signal system delayed all the trains to the coast.
Example 2: The washing machine malfunctioned and flooded the bathroom floor.
Example 3: The pilot reported a small malfunction before the plane took off.
Fun Fact
The prefix mal- comes from the Latin male, badly, and it appears in other words for things gone wrong, such as malpractice and malware.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Champ
Choose the correct word for the blank:
When a machine suddenly stops working properly, it has a ___.
a) malfunction
b) makeover
c) masterpiece
d) mainland
Show answer
a) malfunction. A makeover improves something and a masterpiece is a great work, so neither describes a fault.
Word Tally
How many words are misspelt in the given sentence?
A malfunction in the school bell meant it rang every ten minutes, much to everyone's amusment.
a) 0
b) 1
c) 2
d) 3
Show answer
b) 1. Amusement keeps the e of amuse before -ment, so amusment is the one error.
Spell Spies
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) eruption
b) junction
c) instruction
d) malfuction
Show answer
d) malfuction. Function, and so malfunction, has an n after the u, the same nc pattern you see in junction.
Spell Probe
Choose the meaning of the misspelt word in the given sentence:
During the science fair, a malfuncsion in the motor of our model windmill left the judges waiting for ten minutes.
a) a small copy of a larger object or building
b) a machine part that turns electric power into movement
c) people who decide who wins a competition
d) a problem that keeps a device from running normally
Show answer
d) a problem that keeps a device from running normally. Malfuncsion is the slip: the ending is -tion, as in function.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. The office fan has a malfunction. What happens when Ravi switches it on?
a) the fan runs more quietly than before
b) the room cools down quickly
c) the blades do not turn at all
d) the blades spin at full speed
Show answer
c) the blades do not turn at all
2. If a traffic light malfunctions, it ____.
a) changes colour at exactly the right times
b) is given a fresh coat of paint
c) shows the wrong colours or none at all
d) is moved to the next crossing
Show answer
c) shows the wrong colours or none at all
