Basic Details
Word: Quack
Part of Speech: Noun and verb
Meaning: As a noun, the harsh sound a duck makes, and also a person who falsely claims to have medical skill. As a verb, to make a duck's sound.
Synonyms: charlatan, fraud, impostor
How to Spell Quack
Syllables: quack
Tricky part: The word starts with qu: q and u almost always go together in English, and ends with ck. Students write kwack or quak.
Watch out for: quak, qwack, quac
Memory tip: A duck says qu-ACK: the q keeps its u, and the word ends in ck, just like duck itself.
Usage Examples
Example 1: We heard the ducks quack as they waddled to the pond.
Example 2: The villagers trusted a quack who sold coloured water as medicine.
Example 3: Always see a qualified doctor, not a quack.
Fun Fact
Quack for a fake doctor is short for quacksalver, an old word from Dutch for someone who boasted loudly about his salves or ointments.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
The ducks on the village pond began to quak loudly when the children threw handfuls of rice into the muddy water near the bank.
a) quak
b) muddy
c) village
d) handfuls
Show answer
a) quak. After a short a, the k sound at the end of a word is usually written ck, as in sack and duck.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word quack as used in the sentence:
The so-called doctor at the fair turned out to be a quack with no medical training at all.
a) fraud
b) surgeon
c) patient
d) nurse
Show answer
a) fraud. A quack only pretends to be a doctor, which makes him a fraud.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one of these words is spelt correctly. Choose its meaning:
1. remidy 2. quack 3. physican 4. fraudalent
a) a doctor of medicine
b) a person who falsely claims medical skill
c) meant to trick people dishonestly
d) a cure for an illness or a problem
Show answer
b) a person who falsely claims medical skill. Physician needs an i before an, remedy has an e and fraudulent has a u; quack stands alone as correct.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A quack remedy is one that ____.
a) does not really work
b) is given to ducks
c) is made by a hospital
d) tastes very sweet
Show answer
a) does not really work
2. Which animal makes the sound quack?
a) a duck
b) a crow
c) a frog
d) a goat
Show answer
a) a duck
