What does mineral mean?
Word: Mineral
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Mineral means a natural solid substance, such as quartz, salt or gold, that forms in rocks and the ground. Some, such as iron and calcium, are also needed in small amounts in the food we eat.
How do you spell mineral?
Syllables: min - er - al
Tricky part: Minaral and minral are common slips: the middle vowel is e, and it is barely heard when the word is said.
Watch out for: minaral, minral
Memory tip: Minerals come out of the Earth, so let the e of Earth sit in the middle of the word.
Mineral in a sentence
Example 1: Our science teacher passed round a pink crystal of rose quartz, a mineral found in many parts of the world.
Example 2: The Natural History Museum in London has a whole hall of rocks and minerals from around the world.
Example 3: The hills of Western Australia are rich in iron ore and other minerals.
Fun Fact
Diamond and graphite, the soft grey material in pencil cores, are both minerals made of the same element, carbon.
Practise the CREST Way
Sound Check
In which word is 'min' pronounced differently?
a) minor
b) minimum
c) mineral
d) minister
Show answer
a) minor. In minor the i is long, as in mine; the other three have a short i, as in pin.
Spellacadabra
Choose the correct option to make a meaningful word:
miner__
a) al
b) ol
c) el
d) le
Show answer
a) al. The word ends the way animal and festival do.
Spell Probe
Find the misspelt word in the sentence and choose its meaning:
Milk, cheese and green leafy vegetables are good sources of calcium, the minneral that helps keep teeth strong.
a) the white liquid that cows and buffaloes give
b) the plants or plant parts that people cook and eat
c) a solid food made from milk, often sliced or grated
d) a natural substance found in rock and in some foods
Show answer
d) a natural substance found in rock and in some foods. One n is enough in the word that names what calcium is.
Word Champ
In which option are the given words arranged in alphabetical order?
1. mineral 2. miner 3. minimum 4. mindful
a) 4213
b) 2413
c) 2143
d) 4231
Show answer
a) 4213. Mindful comes first because d comes before e; miner is shorter than mineral, so it goes before it; minimum, with its i, comes last.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of these is a mineral?
a) mica
b) cotton
c) wool
d) rice
Show answer
a) mica
2. Bottles labelled "mineral water" hold water that has...
a) been frozen and then melted
b) been boiled with a little sugar
c) picked up natural salts from underground rock
d) been mixed with fresh fruit juice
Show answer
c) picked up natural salts from underground rock
