What does persimmon mean?
Word: Persimmon
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Persimmon means a sweet orange fruit that looks rather like a tomato.
How do you spell persimmon?
Syllables: per - sim - mon
Tricky part: The middle of the word has a double m, and pupils who hear only one sound write persimon.
Watch out for: persimon, persiman, persimmone
Memory tip: Bite into a ripe one and you say mmm: keep that mm in the middle of the word.
Persimmon in a sentence
Example 1: Orchards in Himachal Pradesh grow persimmon trees that glow orange in late autumn.
Example 2: Papa cut a ripe persimmon into thin slices for our evening snack.
Example 3: In Japan, dried persimmon is a well-loved winter treat.
Fun Fact
The name came into English from an Algonquian language of North America, and it was changed along the way. In Japan, where it has been grown for centuries, the fruit is called kaki.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:
p_rs_mmon
a) e, e
b) u, i
c) e, i
d) a, i
Show answer
c) e, i. The opening is as in person, and the vowel before the double letter is short, as in swim.
Word Cookie
One word in this sentence is misspelt. Find it:
When the delicious smell of warm cardamom spread through the kitchen, my youngest brother abandoned his homework and asked our neighbour for one more perssimmon from her garden.
a) perssimmon
b) delicious
c) neighbour
d) cardamom
Show answer
a) perssimmon. Only the m is doubled in this word, so the s stays on its own.
Mingle-Mangle
The sentence contains a jumbled word. Choose the word it hides:
Aunt Kamala brought a single omrnmpesi home from the hill market for the children to taste.
a) parsnip
b) plantain
c) persimmon
d) pumpkin
Show answer
c) persimmon. The jumble has two m's and only one option can use both.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one word in the list is misspelt. Choose the meaning of that word.
1. persimmen 2. tangerine 3. apricot 4. guava
a) a small citrus fruit with loose peel
b) a soft, honey-sweet autumn fruit with smooth skin
c) a small round fruit with a large stone
d) a green tropical fruit with pink or white flesh
Show answer
b) a soft, honey-sweet autumn fruit with smooth skin. The misspelt word needs an o before its final n.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. In which dish would you most expect to find slices of persimmon?
a) a pot of lentil soup
b) a tray of cheese toast
c) a plate of fried fish
d) a bowl of fruit salad
Show answer
d) a bowl of fruit salad
2. Why do people wait until many kinds of persimmon are fully ripe before eating them?
a) Unripe fruit tastes harsh and dry
b) Unripe fruit costs more at the market
c) Unripe fruit is hard to find in shops
d) Unripe fruit has a very strong smell
Show answer
a) Unripe fruit tastes harsh and dry
