What does paragon mean?
Word: Paragon
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Paragon means a person or thing that is a perfect example of a good quality.
Synonyms: model, ideal
Word origin: Came through French from Italian paragone.
How do you spell paragon?
Syllables: par - a - gon
Tricky part: The end is the weak spot. Students write gan or gun, because the final vowel is barely sounded.
Watch out for: paragan, paragun, paragen
Memory tip: A paragon has gone beyond the rest: drop the final e of gone and you have the ending.
Paragon in a sentence
Example 1: Mira keeps a notebook that is a paragon of neatness.
Example 2: Our village library is a paragon of community effort.
Example 3: The old stationmaster was a paragon of good manners.
Fun Fact
Jewellers have a special use for the word: a flawless diamond of 100 carats or more is called a paragon.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell Spies
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) parragon
b) parasol
c) paradox
d) paraffin
Show answer
a) parragon. A single r is all this word needs, as in paradox and parasol.
Back to the Roots
Choose the correct option:
Paragon comes from the Italian word paragone. What did paragone name?
a) a cup for honoured visitors
b) a stone for testing gold
c) a ruler for marking lines
d) a bell for calling guests
Show answer
b) a stone for testing gold. A fine example is a kind of test for everything else, just as that stone tested gold.
Spellacadabra
Which word takes the same letter in both blanks?
a) s_l_tude
b) h_r_zon
c) p_r_gon
d) b_r_meter
Show answer
c) p_r_gon. Horizon, solitude and barometer each need two different vowels.
Word Tally
How many words are misspelt in the sentence?
Our captian, a paragon of calm, did not react when the umpire's decisian went against us in the final over.
a) 1
b) 0
c) 3
d) 2
Show answer
d) 2. Captain and decision are the two slips; everything else is fine.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A school is called 'a paragon of fairness'. Which claim does this make?
a) It charges the lowest fees.
b) It treats every pupil alike.
c) It has the largest playground.
d) It has the most pupils.
Show answer
b) It treats every pupil alike.
2. A paragon of punctuality is ____.
a) a teacher who is often delayed
b) a teacher who wears a big watch
c) a teacher who loves old clocks
d) a teacher never late for a class
Show answer
d) a teacher never late for a class
