What does physical mean?
Word: Physical
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Physical means connected with your body rather than your mind or feelings.
Synonyms: bodily
Antonyms: mental
How do you spell physical?
Syllables: phys - i - cal
Tricky part: The short i sound after ph is spelt with a y, as in gym. Children often write phisical.
Watch out for: phisical, fisical
Memory tip: The y looks like a child stretching both arms up in a games lesson. Put that stretching y straight after ph.
Physical in a sentence
Example 1: Swimming is a good physical activity for the whole family.
Example 2: Our physical education lesson is on the school ground every Friday.
Example 3: Carrying heavy sacks of rice is hard physical work.
Fun Fact
Physical comes from physis, a Greek word for nature. That is why physics, the science of how nature works, looks so like it.
Practise the CREST Way
Spellacadabra
Choose the correct option to make a meaningful word:
physic__
a) el
b) al
c) ul
d) le
Show answer
b) al. The ending is the same one you see in musical and magical.
Jumble Tumble
What is the meaning of the word that can be formed from the given letters?
lhiysapc
a) to do with songs, tunes and playing in a band
b) to do with maps, rivers and faraway lands
c) to do with strength, fitness and how you move
d) to do with kings, queens and days long past
Show answer
c) to do with strength, fitness and how you move. The eight letters spell a word about the body, so the option on strength and fitness fits.
Spell Spies
Choose the option with no spelling errors:
a) physical, excercise, athletics, musle
b) physical, exercise, athlatics, muscel
c) physical, exercise, athletics, muscle
d) physical, excersize, athletics, mussle
Show answer
c) physical, exercise, athletics, muscle. Only this list has every word right; each of the others has two slips.
Sound Check
In which word is 'ph' pronounced differently?
a) physical
b) shepherd
c) graph
d) photo
Show answer
b) shepherd. Shepherd has no f sound in it at all; the other three do.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of these is a physical activity?
a) skipping with a rope
b) listening to a song
c) doing a crossword
d) reading a comic
Show answer
a) skipping with a rope
2. Which of these is a physical change as a child grows up?
a) growing taller
b) becoming braver
c) making new friends
d) learning new words
Show answer
a) growing taller
