What does punctuality mean?
Word: Punctuality
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Punctuality means the habit or quality of being on time for things.
Synonyms: promptness, timeliness
Antonyms: tardiness
How do you spell punctuality?
Syllables: punc - tu - al - i - ty
Tricky part: It is built on punctual, so there is only one l. Doubling it to punctuallity is the usual slip.
Watch out for: punctuallity, puntuality
Memory tip: Punctuality has a single l, the same single l you see in actual and actuality.
Punctuality in a sentence
Example 1: Our school gives a punctuality award each term.
Example 2: Grandpa learnt punctuality during his years as a railway guard.
Example 3: The airline is proud of its punctuality record this year.
Fun Fact
Japan's Shinkansen bullet trains are famous for punctuality: their average delay is usually reported as only a minute or so.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Three of these words are spelt correctly. Choose the meaning of the misspelt one:
1. punctuality 2. dicipline 3. courtesy 4. diligence
a) careful, steady effort over time
b) keeping to agreed times
c) training people to obey rules and control themselves
d) polite, respectful behaviour
Show answer
c) training people to obey rules and control themselves. Discipline has sc in the middle, as science does; the version here drops the c.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word punctuality as used in the sentence:
The new bus company is proud of the punctuality of its drivers.
a) loudness
b) kindness
c) lateness
d) neatness
Show answer
c) lateness. Punctuality is being on time, and lateness is failing to be on time.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters in the sentence to form a meaningful word:
The headmaster praised the team for its cpiyalnuttu during the week of the camp.
a) punctuation
b) punctuality
c) practicality
d) spirituality
Show answer
b) punctuality. Take punctual and add i, t and y: that uses every letter, while punctuation, practicality and spirituality each need a letter the jumble lacks.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
Our coach praised the players for their punctualaty at the hockey camp, as nobody missed a single early-morning training session.
a) session
b) nobody
c) praised
d) punctualaty
Show answer
d) punctualaty. Like many nouns made from adjectives, it ends in ity, not aty.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which habit shows punctuality?
a) forgetting the time of a test
b) missing the bus most mornings
c) never handing homework in late
d) arriving after the bell daily
Show answer
c) never handing homework in late
2. What would spoil a railway's record for punctuality?
a) trains leaving forty minutes late
b) trains with clean, bright seats
c) stations with clear signboards
d) staff in neat uniforms
Show answer
a) trains leaving forty minutes late
