What does parquet mean?
Word: Parquet
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Parquet means flooring made of small blocks of wood fitted together in a pattern.
How do you spell parquet?
Syllables: par - quet
Tricky part: It is said 'par-kay', so the ending looks nothing like it sounds. The final t is silent, a habit from French.
Watch out for: parkay, parquay
Memory tip: Imagine the final t hiding under the wooden blocks: you cannot hear it, but it is still holding the floor down.
Parquet in a sentence
Example 1: The old palace library has a floor of parquet in oak and teak.
Example 2: We take off our shoes so that we do not scratch the parquet.
Example 3: Sunlight fell across the polished parquet of the music room.
Fun Fact
The Palace of Versailles in France gave its name to a famous parquet pattern of large woven squares. The word itself is French for a small enclosed space.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
parrquet
a) t
b) p
c) q
d) r
Show answer
d) r. This letter closes the first syllable, and the noun needs it only once.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
The carpenter laid the parquet in a zigzag pattern that looked magnificant in the morning light of the old reading room.
a) magnificant
b) carpenter
c) pattern
d) parquet
Show answer
a) magnificant. Magnificent ends in ent, like the word cent.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the word in the sentence and choose it:
The school hall has a polished qtuerpa floor that squeaks under our gym shoes.
a) pageant
b) parquet
c) parapet
d) racquet
Show answer
b) parquet. The letters give a q but only one a, which rules out racquet's c and parapet's second a.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one word in the list is misspelt. Choose the meaning of that word.
1. parquet 2. ubiquitus 3. idiosyncrasy 4. pragmatic
a) a patterned surface of wooden pieces underfoot
b) seeming to be everywhere at once
c) an odd habit special to one person
d) dealing with things in a sensible way
Show answer
b) seeming to be everywhere at once. Ubiquitous has lost a vowel near its end, and the other three stand as they should.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Where would parquet be the best choice of floor?
a) a formal dance hall
b) a garden shed
c) a wet bathroom
d) an open car park
Show answer
a) a formal dance hall
2. What must a worker lay first when fitting this flooring?
a) a coat of wall paint
b) a set of window frames
c) a row of roof tiles
d) a smooth, level base
Show answer
d) a smooth, level base
