What does marionette mean?
Word: Marionette
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Marionette means a puppet moved by strings fixed to its arms, legs and body.
Synonyms: puppet
Word origin: Came into English from French in the early 1600s.
How do you spell marionette?
Syllables: mar - i - o - nette
Tricky part: The end sounds like net, so students stop too early and write marionet. The word keeps a French ending of four letters.
Watch out for: marionet, marionett
Memory tip: See the two t letters as two strings, with the e dangling below them like the little figure.
Marionette in a sentence
Example 1: The marionette bowed to the children as the puppeteer gently tugged its strings.
Example 2: At the Jaipur fair we watched a marionette dance to the beat of a dholak.
Example 3: She carved the head of her first marionette from a block of soft wood.
Fun Fact
The kathputli shows of Rajasthan are a centuries-old form of marionette theatre, with brightly dressed wooden figures.
Practise the CREST Way
Back to the Roots
Choose the correct option: ___ comes from French and names a small figure that performs when its threads are pulled.
a) marionette
b) marrianette
c) marrionette
d) marianette
Show answer
a) marionette. The word has one r, and the vowels after it are i then o.
Jumble Tumble
What is the meaning of the word that can be formed from the given letters?
tnaeimoetr
a) a short stage play acted out without any spoken words
b) a lit screen used for showing shadow figures to a crowd
c) a musical instrument played with two small wooden hammers
d) a stage figure that moves only when its handler pulls threads
Show answer
d) a stage figure that moves only when its handler pulls threads. Sorted out, the jumble reads marionette, the figure on threads.
Word Champ
Read the statements and choose the correct option:
1. A trapeze is a high swing used by circus acrobats. 2. A tightrope walker keeps his balence on a high wire. 3. A marionette is a figure worked with strings.
a) only 2 and 3 are true
b) only 1 and 2 are true
c) only 1 and 3 are true
d) all three are true
Show answer
c) only 1 and 3 are true. Statement 2 misspells balance; the other two are spelt correctly and say what is true.
Spell Spies
Choose the pair which has a spelling error:
a) ventriloquist : dumy
b) juggler : skittles
c) puppeteer : marionette
d) magician : wand
Show answer
a) ventriloquist : dumy. Dummy has a double m; each other pair links a performer correctly with what they use.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A glove puppet is worked from below the stage. Where does a marionette performer usually work from?
a) a seat among the audience
b) the space above the figure
c) the space inside the figure
d) a box under the stage floor
Show answer
b) the space above the figure
2. Which skill matters most for a marionette performer?
a) a very loud and powerful voice
b) quick mental arithmetic with sums
c) steady, careful control of the hands
d) speed over a long-distance run
Show answer
c) steady, careful control of the hands
