What does prattle mean?
Word: Prattle
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: Prattle means to talk a lot about silly or unimportant things.
Synonyms: babble
How do you spell prattle?
Syllables: prat - tle
Tricky part: Two t's sit in the middle, and a single one is the common slip, because the ear catches only one sound.
Watch out for: pratle, pratlle
Memory tip: It takes two people to keep the talk going, so give each of them a t.
Prattle in a sentence
Example 1: My little sister will prattle on about her dolls all the way to school.
Example 2: Stop prattling and finish your maths homework, Mum said with a smile.
Example 3: The two old friends sat on the porch and prattled about the weather.
Fun Fact
English took this word from Low German in the sixteenth century. As a noun it can describe the cheerful, half-sensible talk of toddlers.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
During the long train ride to Shimla, the younger cousins would prattel cheerfully about cartoons while the adults tried to read.
a) cousins
b) cartoons
c) prattel
d) cheerfully
Show answer
c) prattel. The l comes before the e, just as in little.
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to complete the word:
p__ttle
a) r, o
b) r, a
c) r, e
d) l, a
Show answer
b) r, a. The word begins with pr, and the vowel is the short one in cat.
Spell-o-Spell
Three of these words are spelt correctly. Choose the meaning of the misspelt word:
1. prattle 2. cantankerus 3. quintessential 4. vivacious
a) bad-tempered and quick to argue
b) being the purest example of a kind
c) lively and full of high spirits
d) to talk on and on about nothing much
Show answer
a) bad-tempered and quick to argue. Cantankerous is one letter short: it needs ous at the end.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word prattle as used in the sentence:
The toddlers continued to prattle in the back seat long after the film had ended.
a) chatter
b) argue
c) sulk
d) sigh
Show answer
a) chatter. Chatter is quick, light talk, just what toddlers do.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. What would a speaker mean by the idle prattle of a waiting room?
a) urgent news about a sudden change
b) serious advice from a trained expert
c) light, aimless talk that passes the time
d) clear directions to the exit door
Show answer
c) light, aimless talk that passes the time
2. A friend who says sorry for prattling will probably ____
a) pause and let you have a turn
b) begin a long and careful speech
c) hand you a written report
d) ask you to repeat your answer
Show answer
a) pause and let you have a turn
