What does peruse mean?
Word: Peruse
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: Peruse means to read something carefully, paying attention to the details. It is a formal word.
Synonyms: read through
How do you spell peruse?
Syllables: pe - ruse
Tricky part: The last sound is a z, so pupils reach for that letter. The buzz in this word is spelt with an s.
Watch out for: peruze, perusse
Memory tip: Imagine a bee buzzing over the page while you read: you hear a z, but the bee is wearing a big letter s.
Peruse in a sentence
Example 1: The principal will peruse each application before the interviews.
Example 2: You are welcome to peruse the menu while we find you a table.
Example 3: Grandfather likes to peruse the newspaper over his morning tea.
Fun Fact
When it first appeared in English, in the late 1400s, peruse meant to use up or wear out. The sense of reading closely came later.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Choose the letters that complete the word:
p_r_se
a) u, e
b) e, u
c) a, u
d) e, o
Show answer
b) e, u. Say the word and listen to the two parts: a weak vowel first, then the long oo sound.
Word Cookie
One letter in this word is not needed. Find it:
perruse
a) p
b) e
c) r
d) s
Show answer
c) r. A doubled letter has crept in; the word has just one of them.
Word Connection
Choose the word closest in meaning to peruse as used in the sentence:
Priya took a quiet hour to peruse the old atlas in the school library.
a) borrow
b) carry
c) study
d) dust
Show answer
c) study. She may have done the others too, but only this word means looking at it with care.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the meaning of the only correctly spelt word:
1. peruse 2. manuskript 3. bibliografy 4. synopsys
a) a short account of a book or film
b) a list of the books used in a piece of writing
c) a text written out before it is printed
d) to go through a text with close attention
Show answer
d) to go through a text with close attention. Sounds spelt the wrong way give them away: manuscript needs a c, synopsis an i and bibliography a ph.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. After perusing the rules of a quiz, a player will ____.
a) have written them all out alone
b) know exactly what is allowed
c) want the quiz moved to Monday
d) have lost the sheet they were on
Show answer
b) know exactly what is allowed
2. Which scene suits the word peruse best?
a) a reader with a map in a quiet room
b) a cook beside a hot kitchen stove
c) a runner on a crowded school track
d) a child on a busy playground swing
Show answer
a) a reader with a map in a quiet room
