What does plywood mean?
Word: Plywood
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Plywood means a building material made of several very thin sheets of wood glued firmly together into one board.
How do you spell plywood?
Syllables: ply - wood
Tricky part: The long i sound after the pl is spelt with a y, not an i or igh.
Watch out for: pliwood, plywod
Memory tip: Ask yourself, 'Why is plywood so strong?' The y of why is the y that gives plywood its long i sound.
Plywood in a sentence
Example 1: Our class built a puppet theatre out of plywood and paint.
Example 2: Plywood sheets are stacked in tall piles at the timber market.
Example 3: Kiran's model boat has a plywood deck and a paper sail.
Fun Fact
Plywood is strong because each thin layer is turned so that its grain crosses the one below, which stops the board from splitting easily.
Practise the CREST Way
Jumble Tumble
What is the meaning of the word that can be formed from the given letters?
lodyowp
a) a rough paper that is rubbed on wood to make it smooth
b) a very soft, light wood often used for model aeroplanes
c) a thick glue that sets hard when it dries
d) a light, strong board used for tabletops and cupboards
Show answer
d) a light, strong board used for tabletops and cupboards. The letters spell plywood; balsa, sandpaper and wood glue fit the other meanings.
Word Champ
In which option are the given words arranged in alphabetical order?
1. plywood 2. plumber 3. plural 4. plunge
a) 2341
b) 2413
c) 2431
d) 4231
Show answer
c) 2431. Plumber, plunge and plural all start plu- and go in the order m, n, r; plywood comes last because y follows u.
Sound Check
In which word is 'oo' pronounced differently?
a) plywood
b) wooden
c) football
d) balloon
Show answer
d) balloon. Balloon has the long oo of moon; the others share the short oo of book.
Word Tally
How many words are misspelt in the given sentence?
The carpenter fixed a sheet of plywood to the back of the old bookcase and painted it a cheerful yellow.
a) 2
b) 0
c) 1
d) 3
Show answer
b) 0. Every word is spelt correctly, including carpenter, cheerful and bookcase.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A carpenter wants to cover the whole back of a wardrobe with one piece. Why might plywood be a good choice?
a) It is heavier than solid oak
b) It comes in large, flat sheets
c) It can be fixed without any nails or glue
d) It never needs to be cut to size
Show answer
b) It comes in large, flat sheets
2. Which tool would a carpenter use to cut a sheet of plywood?
a) a ladle
b) a spanner
c) a saw
d) a trowel
Show answer
c) a saw
