What does prestige mean?
Word: Prestige
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Prestige means the respect and high standing that come from being admired for success or quality.
Word origin: Through French from Latin praestigiae.
How do you spell prestige?
Syllables: pres - tige
Tricky part: The ending is the weak spot. It has the soft sound heard in the middle of measure, so students add letters that do not belong.
Watch out for: prestiege, prestidge
Memory tip: A grand word, a short ending: only three letters follow the t.
Prestige in a sentence
Example 1: Winning the state science award brought great prestige to our small school.
Example 2: For many players, wearing the national cap carries more prestige than any prize money.
Example 3: The old music academy still enjoys prestige across the country.
Fun Fact
Add -ious and the sound shifts: prestige keeps the soft sound of measure, but prestigious has the j of judge.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell Probe
Find the misspelt word in the sentence and choose its meaning:
Hosting the national debate final added to the pristige of the town's oldest college, and the hall was packed with proud students.
a) a formal argument between two sides
b) a place of higher study after school
c) the high regard in which a place is held
d) the last match in a competition
Show answer
c) the high regard in which a place is held. This word opens with pre, not pri, and it tells you how the college is regarded.
Back to the Roots
Choose the correct option:
Prestige goes back to the Latin word praestigiae, which means ___.
a) loud praise
b) royal crowns
c) conjuring tricks
d) great riches
Show answer
c) conjuring tricks. From tricks that dazzle the eye, the word moved towards the glow of admiration.
Sound Check
In which word is 'ge' pronounced differently?
a) vintage
b) beige
c) prestige
d) camouflage
Show answer
a) vintage. Vintage ends in the j sound of badge; in the other three the letters make the soft sound of measure.
Jumble Tumble
Choose the correct sequence of the jumbled letters to form a meaningful word:
geitpers 12345678
a) 16342875
b) 75284316
c) 57284316
d) 57824316
Show answer
c) 57284316. Follow this order and you reach a word for high standing.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A person who takes a job mainly for its prestige cares most about ___.
a) how long the holidays are
b) how easy the work will be
c) how near it is to home
d) how others look up to it
Show answer
d) how others look up to it
2. Which of these is most likely to carry prestige?
a) a morning bus ride
b) a routine team meeting
c) a national award ceremony
d) a weekly class test
Show answer
c) a national award ceremony
