Basic Details
Word: Parenthesis
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: A word or phrase added to a sentence as an extra explanation, usually inside brackets or between dashes. It is also a name for one of the round brackets ( ).
Synonyms: bracket, aside
How to Spell Parenthesis
Syllables: pa - ren - the - sis
Tricky part: The third syllable is the, not tha or thi, and the ending is sis. Students often write paranthesis because the first vowel is weak.
Watch out for: paranthesis, parenthasis, parenthisis
Memory tip: Parenthesis splits into parent + he + sis. Picture a parent holding he and sis inside its arms, just as brackets hold words.
Usage Examples
Example 1: The sentence has a parenthesis set off by two dashes.
Example 2: The writer added a short parenthesis to explain the term.
Example 3: In maths, the parentheses tell you which sum to do first.
Fun Fact
The plural is parentheses, said with seez at the end, the way thesis becomes theses.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the meaning of the only correctly spelt word:
1. parenthesis 2. hyphan 3. apostrofe 4. semicolan
a) an extra remark set inside brackets in a sentence
b) a mark between two closely linked parts of a sentence
c) a mark that shows ownership or missing letters
d) a short line that joins two words
Show answer
a) an extra remark set inside brackets in a sentence. Apostrophe uses ph, semicolon ends in on and hyphen ends in en, so parenthesis is the one to pick.
Word Cookie
Fill in the missing letters to complete the word:
par_nth_s_s
a) e, i, e
b) a, e, i
c) e, e, i
d) e, a, i
Show answer
c) e, e, i. Find parent, then he, then sis: e, e and i.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters to find the word that fits the sentence:
Put the extra remark inside a phsitareesn so the sentence still makes sense without it.
a) parenthesis
b) hypothesis
c) prosthesis
d) parentheses
Show answer
a) parenthesis. Parentheses is the plural and has no i; the singular, with an i, is what the jumble gives.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. In 'My uncle (a pilot) flies to Dubai every week', the words in parenthesis tell us ____.
a) how often he flies
b) more about the uncle
c) where Dubai is
d) what the weather was
Show answer
b) more about the uncle
2. Instead of brackets, a parenthesis can also be set off by ____.
a) a full stop
b) an apostrophe
c) a pair of dashes
d) a question mark
Show answer
c) a pair of dashes
