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Spell Bee Word: Opossum


What does opossum mean?

Word: Opossum

Part of Speech: Noun

Meaning: Opossum means a furry animal of North and South America, about the size of a cat, with a long bare tail. The mother carries her babies in a pouch.

Synonyms: possum

How do you spell opossum?

Syllables: o - pos - sum

Tricky part: Do not forget the o at the start: the animal is the opossum, even though many people just say possum.

Watch out for: possom, apossum

Memory tip: Say o-POSS-um and listen for the first o, which people often drop.

Opossum in a sentence

Example 1: An opossum climbed into the rubbish bin behind the cabin.

Example 2: The baby opossums rode on their mother's back.

Example 3: An opossum can hang from a branch by its tail.

Fun Fact

The opossum is the only marsupial, a mammal with a pouch, that lives wild north of Mexico.

Practise the CREST Way

Spell Spies

Choose the incorrectly spelt word:

a) kangaroo
b) platypus
c) wombat
d) oppossum

Show answer

d) oppossum. The p in opossum is single.

Word Tally

How many words are misspelt in the sentence?

Our guide in Canada pointed to an oposum climbing a fence beside the camp at dusk.

a) 3
b) 0
c) 2
d) 1

Show answer

d) 1. Opossum needs a double s; the rest of the sentence is right.

Jumble Tumble

Which option has letters that you can rearrange to form the name of an animal?

a) tenkalb
b) pkmuinp
c) mupssoo
d) tebinac

Show answer

c) mupssoo. Mupssoo rearranges into opossum; the others make cabinet, blanket and pumpkin.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. A Class 5 pupil in Mumbai is most likely to see an opossum ____.

a) at Juhu beach
b) in a wildlife film
c) in the school canteen
d) in her garden

Show answer

b) in a wildlife film

2. Which of these animals also has a pouch?

a) a fox
b) a koala
c) a rabbit
d) a squirrel

Show answer

b) a koala

Associated Words

More Class 5 Winter Spell Bee words starting with o: overturn, oregano, outburst, obliterate, overdue, onus

More words from this list

rainforest, spanner, vegetation, aversion, contour, emigrant, grapple, joyless

Next steps

How to participate in CREST International Spell Bee

The CREST International Spell Bee (CSB) is conducted in two editions – CREST International Spell Bee - Summer (CSB) and CREST International Spell Bee - Winter (CSBW) – giving students across the globe an opportunity to showcase and enhance their spelling proficiency. Designed for young learners from Senior KG to Class 8, the competition focuses on word-building, pronunciation, and vocabulary enrichment, helping students develop strong linguistic skills.

Steps to Participate:

Step 1: Visit the registration page and complete the registration with your desired subject.

Step 2: After Registration done, do login at www.crestolympiads.com/login.

Step 3: After login, go to dashboard and click on Book slot/Take Exam

Step 4: Schedule your exam date and preferred time.

Step 5: Log in with your credentials on the exam day at the scheduled time and take the exam.

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