Basic Details
Word: Music
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Sounds arranged in a pleasing pattern by singing or playing instruments; also the written signs that show how to play it.
Synonyms: melody, tune
Antonyms: silence
Word origin: Comes through Latin from Greek mousike, the art of the Muses.
How to Spell Music
Syllables: mu - sic
Tricky part: The ending is ic with no k, and the s sounds like z. Writers who go by sound produce muzic or musik.
Watch out for: musik, muzic, musac
Memory tip: Music ends in ic like magic and comic. Music feels like magic, and both stop at c.
Idioms and Phrases
- music to my ears: news that makes you very happy. Example: "When the teacher said there was no test on Friday, it was music to my ears."
Usage Examples
Example 1: Carnatic music is taught at the temple hall every Sunday.
Example 2: She listens to music while she draws.
Example 3: The band played music all evening at my cousin's wedding.
Fun Fact
In Greek myths the nine Muses looked after the arts, and music takes its name from them. Museum comes from the same source: a place of the Muses.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Makeup
Only one of these words takes the suffix ian to name a person. Choose it.
ian
a) drum
b) music
c) song
d) dance
Show answer
b) music. Music + ian gives musician, where the c now sounds like sh; songian and drumian are not words.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
Every evening the sound of sitar muzic drifted from the house across the lane, and the neighbours stopped to listen.
a) listen
b) neighbours
c) muzic
d) drifted
Show answer
c) muzic. The z sound in music is written with an s.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the word in the sentence and choose it:
We danced to loud scimu in the courtyard after the wedding.
a) mucus
b) magic
c) music
d) mimic
Show answer
c) music. M, u, s, i and c make music, which also fits dancing; the other words need different letters.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which person writes music?
a) a sculptor
b) a surgeon
c) a composer
d) an author
Show answer
c) a composer
2. 'Music to my ears' describes something that is ____.
a) a song on the radio
b) hard to understand
c) pleasing to hear
d) too loud
Show answer
c) pleasing to hear
