What does neutral mean?
Word: Neutral
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Neutral means not supporting either side in a contest or disagreement. In science, a neutral substance is neither an acid nor an alkali.
Synonyms: impartial
Word origin: From Latin neutralis, based on neuter.
How do you spell neutral?
Syllables: neu - tral
Tricky part: The vowels near the start are the trap. They are easy to swap, so the u lands in front of the e.
Watch out for: nuetral, nutral
Memory tip: A neutral referee backs Neither team: the two words start with the same two letters.
Neutral in a sentence
Example 1: A good umpire stays neutral, however loudly the crowd shouts.
Example 2: The final was played on a neutral ground, so neither side had an advantage.
Example 3: Pure water is neutral, with a pH of 7.
Fun Fact
Cars borrow the word too: when the gear lever is in neutral, the engine can run without turning the wheels.
Practise the CREST Way
Spellacadabra
Choose the correct option to make a meaningful word:
neut_ _ _
a) ral
b) rul
c) rle
d) rel
Show answer
a) ral. The word closes just as central and natural do.
Jumble Tumble
Choose the correct sequence of the jumbled letters to form a meaningful word:
tnlauer 1234567
a) 3471562
b) 2561743
c) 2651743
d) 6251743
Show answer
c) 2651743. This order gives the word for someone who takes no side.
Word Puzzle
Match each word with its opposite:
1. neutral 2. transparent 3. tranquil a. biased b. turbulent c. opaque
a) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b
b) 1-a, 2-b, 3-c
c) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b
d) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a
Show answer
c) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b. A biased judge is not fair to both sides, opaque glass blocks the view, and turbulent water is far from calm.
Word Champ
Read the three statements and choose the correct option:
1. A neutral referee does not favour either team. 2. An opponant is a person you compete against. 3. An alkali turns red litmus paper blue.
a) only 1 and 2 are true
b) only 2 and 3 are true
c) only 1 and 3 are true
d) all three are true
Show answer
c) only 1 and 3 are true. Opponent ends in ent, so the statement with the faulty spelling fails.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Two friends quarrel and each asks you to agree. What does a neutral person do?
a) agrees with the louder friend
b) refuses to back either of them
c) joins the friend who is older
d) asks a third friend to take over
Show answer
b) refuses to back either of them
2. Which colour would a designer call neutral?
a) emerald
b) beige
c) scarlet
d) violet
Show answer
b) beige
