What does obelisk mean?
Word: Obelisk
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Obelisk means a tall, narrow stone pillar with four sides and a pointed top, put up to honour a person or an event.
How do you spell obelisk?
Syllables: ob - e - lisk
Tricky part: The ending trips students up. It sounds as if it could be esk or isque, but it is isk.
Watch out for: obelesk, obelisque
Memory tip: Climbing an obelisk would be a big risk. Hang on to that sentence and the two words will end alike.
Obelisk in a sentence
Example 1: Tourists stopped to photograph the ancient Egyptian obelisk.
Example 2: An obelisk in the park honours the town's first doctor.
Example 3: The shadow of the obelisk moved slowly across the courtyard as the sun rose higher.
Fun Fact
Cleopatra's Needle on the River Thames in London is an Egyptian obelisk about 3,500 years old. It was carved many centuries before Cleopatra was born.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
obellisk
a) b
b) l
c) s
d) k
Show answer
b) l. One letter here has been doubled by mistake; say the three syllables and you will hear it only once.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
The schoolchildren sat in a neat circle around the tall obalisk in the town square and copied its carved patterns into their drawing books.
a) patterns
b) schoolchildren
c) obalisk
d) circle
Show answer
c) obalisk. The middle vowel of this monument is a soft e.
Mingle-Mangle
The sentence hides a jumbled word. Choose the word:
The kbliseo of red granite rises from the lawn in front of the palace.
a) abolish
b) obstacle
c) oblique
d) obelisk
Show answer
d) obelisk. A k, an s and an e with one i: seven letters that fit a tall granite monument.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one of these words is spelt correctly. Choose the meaning of that word.
1. maelstorm 2. obelisk 3. paraphenalia 4. manouvre
a) a slender four-sided monument that tapers to a point
b) all the small items needed for an activity
c) a powerful whirl of water at sea
d) a skilful movement that needs great care
Show answer
a) a slender four-sided monument that tapers to a point. Manoeuvre has oeu, paraphernalia has an r before the n, and maelstrom closes in strom, so the pillar word is the right one.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which object is closest in shape to an obelisk?
a) a sharpened pencil standing on its end
b) a football resting on the ground
c) a wide dome over a large hall
d) a long bench set beside a wall
Show answer
a) a sharpened pencil standing on its end
2. Who would be most likely to study one from ancient Egypt?
a) a plumber
b) a dentist
c) a pilot
d) a historian
Show answer
d) a historian
