What does refer mean?
Word: Refer
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: Refer means to speak about someone or something. It also means to turn to a book or list for information.
How do you spell refer?
Syllables: re - fer
Tricky part: The stress falls on the end, which is said like fur, but it is spelt er.
Watch out for: refur, refir
Memory tip: Read refer backwards and you get refer again, letter for letter.
Refer in a sentence
Example 1: If you forget a spelling, refer to the dictionary on the shelf.
Example 2: Grandma likes to refer to the old days in her village.
Example 3: The chef referred to his notebook before adding the spices.
Fun Fact
Referee, the person in charge of a football match, comes from this verb: it first meant a person a question was referred to for a decision.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) describe
b) discover
c) reffer
d) announce
Show answer
c) reffer. Describe, discover and announce are spelt correctly; the odd one has a letter too many.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word:
refer
a) mention
b) forget
c) answer
d) hide
Show answer
a) mention. When you refer to a trip in a story, you mention it.
Word Makeup
Choose the suffix that completes the word:
refer____
a) ense
b) ance
c) ince
d) ence
Show answer
d) ence. A book you look things up in is a reference book; the ending matches difference.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
Our teacher asked us to refer to the notes at the begining of the chapter.
a) teacher
b) notes
c) begining
d) chapter
Show answer
c) begining. Beginning doubles the n before ing.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. 'For the match dates, refer to the class timetable.' What is the timetable used for here?
a) covering the textbooks
b) keeping the match score
c) finding out the dates
d) drawing the team badge
Show answer
c) finding out the dates
2. The librarian referred Arjun to the atlas section. Where did she send him?
a) to the school canteen
b) to the shelves of maps
c) home for his lunch
d) out of the library
Show answer
b) to the shelves of maps
