What does precision mean?
Word: Precision
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Precision means the quality of being exact and careful in every detail.
Synonyms: exactness, care
Antonyms: inaccuracy, carelessness, vagueness
Word origin: Comes from a Latin verb meaning 'to cut short'; something done with precision has been trimmed exactly.
How do you spell precision?
Syllables: pre - ci - sion
Tricky part: The ending is -sion with one s, said zhun, as in decision; it is not -ssion or -tion.
Watch out for: precission, precition
Memory tip: Precision and decision share their ending: one s, then -ion, and both say zhun.
Precision in a sentence
Example 1: The dancers moved with such precision that they looked like one person.
Example 2: Diamond cutters work with great precision because one mistake can ruin the stone.
Example 3: We measured the length of the pendulum with precision before timing its swings.
Fun Fact
The best atomic clocks keep time with such precision that they would drift by less than one second in a hundred million years.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell Spies
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) provision
b) presision
c) revision
d) decision
Show answer
b) presision. The other three are correct; the word for exactness has a c, not an s, after pre.
Jumble Tumble
Choose the correct sequence of the jumbled letters to form a meaningful word:
123456789 NCSIEPROI
a) 765243981
b) 675243891
c) 675243981
d) 672543981
Show answer
c) 675243981. Reading P, R, E, C, I, S, I, O, N from those positions spells the word for exactness.
Word Tally
Give 3 marks for each misspelt word in the list. What is the total?
precision, rhythm, accomodate, conscience, embarrass, existance
a) 6
b) 12
c) 3
d) 9
Show answer
a) 6. Accommodate needs a double m and existence ends in -ence; the other four are correct, so 2 x 3 = 6.
Sound Check
In which word is 'sion' pronounced differently?
a) tension
b) decision
c) division
d) precision
Show answer
a) tension. Precision, division and decision end with a soft zh sound; tension ends with sh.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which task most needs precision?
a) stacking old newspapers
b) sweeping leaves off a path
c) carrying chairs to the hall
d) fitting tiny gears inside a watch
Show answer
d) fitting tiny gears inside a watch
2. Which instrument is made mainly for precision?
a) a broom
b) a sledgehammer
c) a screw gauge
d) a garden rake
Show answer
c) a screw gauge
