Basic Details
Word: Mystery
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Something that is hard to explain or understand, or a story or film about a puzzling crime.
Synonyms: puzzle, riddle, enigma, secret
How to Spell Mystery
Syllables: mys - ter - y
Tricky part: The vowel after m is y, not i, and there is an e before the r. Students write mistery or mystry.
Watch out for: mistery, mystry, mistary
Memory tip: Mystery and myth both start m-y. A myth is often a mystery from long ago.
Usage Examples
Example 1: How the cat got onto the roof is still a mystery.
Example 2: Tara loves reading mystery novels with a detective in them.
Example 3: The missing mango pickle remained a mystery until Grandpa smiled guiltily.
Fun Fact
The script of the Indus Valley Civilisation has still not been read, so what its signs say remains a mystery to scholars.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the meaning of the only correctly spelt word:
1. detecktive 2. suspekt 3. mystery 4. evidance
a) a person thought to have done a crime
b) a person whose job is to find out who did a crime
c) facts or objects that show something is true
d) something that is hard to explain or understand
Show answer
d) something that is hard to explain or understand. Detective has no k, evidence ends in ence and suspect ends ct, so mystery is the one to pick.
Word Cookie
Choose the letters that complete the word:
m_st_ry
a) i, a
b) y, a
c) i, e
d) y, e
Show answer
d) y, e. Think of myth for the y, and listen for ter in the middle.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters to find the word that fits the sentence:
Nobody could solve the ysmrtey of the missing school bell.
a) misery
b) mystery
c) monastery
d) mastery
Show answer
b) mystery. The jumble has two y's, and mystery is the only option with two.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A mystery novel usually tells the story of ____.
a) how to cook simple meals
b) the rules of a popular sport
c) a puzzling crime being solved
d) a famous person's real life
Show answer
c) a puzzling crime being solved
2. The adjective from mystery is ____.
a) mysterful
b) mysterious
c) mysteric
d) mysteral
Show answer
b) mysterious
