Spell Bee Word: Paradox

What does paradox mean?

Word: Paradox

Part of Speech: Noun

Meaning: Paradox means a statement or situation that seems impossible or seems to contradict itself, but may still be true.

Synonyms: puzzle, contradiction

How do you spell paradox?

Syllables: par - a - dox

Tricky part: There is only one r in paradox. Parradox, with a double r, is the slip to avoid.

Watch out for: parradox, paradocks, paradoks

Memory tip: Paradox keeps things single: one r in the middle and one x to finish, never rr or cks.

Paradox in a sentence

Example 1: It is a paradox that the more you hurry, the slower you sometimes go.

Example 2: Our teacher set us a paradox to think about over the weekend.

Example 3: The story's paradox kept me puzzled till the last page.

Fun Fact

Paradox comes from a Greek word meaning against what people believe. Thinkers in ancient Greece loved paradoxes, such as the puzzle of a fast runner who seems never able to catch up with a tortoise.

Practise the CREST Way

Spell-o-Spell

Choose the correctly spelt word:

a) paradox
b) mistery
c) qestion
d) riddel

Word Cookie

Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:

p_r_dox

a) a, a
b) e, a
c) o, a
d) a, o

Mingle-Mangle

Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:

daxopar

a) parade
b) parody
c) paradise
d) paradox

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Read the four sentences. Which one is a paradox?

a) Some birds cannot fly.
b) The Moon has no light of its own.
c) This sentence is false.
d) Ice is made of water.

2. People call 'less is more' a paradox because it ____.

a) puts two opposite ideas together
b) is a very old saying
c) comes from another language
d) is hard to pronounce