What does repertoire mean?
Word: Repertoire
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Repertoire means the full set of songs, pieces or plays that a performer is ready to present. It can also mean the range of skills someone has.
Synonyms: range, collection, stock
Word origin: Came into English from French in the 19th century, from a Late Latin word for a list or inventory.
How do you spell repertoire?
Syllables: rep - er - toire
Tricky part: The French ending is the trap: it sounds nothing like it looks, so pupils cut off the final e or write what they hear.
Watch out for: repertoir, repertwar
Memory tip: Say the end to yourself as toy-ree in a silly spelling voice. That voice keeps the oi and the closing e on the paper.
Repertoire in a sentence
Example 1: Meera's repertoire now includes two folk songs from Assam and a film tune.
Example 2: The school band has a small repertoire, so it plays the same six tunes at every event.
Example 3: Over the summer the magician widened his repertoire with a new card trick.
Fun Fact
Chess players use the word too: an opening repertoire is the set of starting moves a player has prepared in advance.
Practise the CREST Way
Spellacadabra
Choose the correct option to make a meaningful word:
rep__toire
a) ar
b) ir
c) or
d) er
Show answer
d) er. The stress falls on the opening syllable, so the vowel after it fades and the spelling has to be learnt by sight.
Word Tally
You get 2 marks for each correctly spelt word in the list. How many marks will you score?
repertoire, camouflage, rendevous, bouquet, silhouete, chauffeur
a) 6
b) 10
c) 4
d) 8
Show answer
d) 8. Rendezvous needs a z and silhouette a double t, so four words earn 2 marks each.
Sound Check
In which word is 'oi' pronounced differently?
a) memoir
b) repertoire
c) turmoil
d) reservoir
Show answer
c) turmoil. Turmoil has the oi of coin; the other three keep a French sound close to wah.
Word Champ
Read the statements and choose the correct option:
1. A cellist with a wide repertoire can play many kinds of music. 2. A soliloquy is a speech made by the whole cast together. 3. An encore is an extra piece played after a concert ends.
a) only 2 is true
b) only 1 and 2 are true
c) all three are true
d) only 1 and 3 are true
Show answer
d) only 1 and 3 are true. A soliloquy is spoken by one actor alone, so that statement fails.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A singer adds three old folk songs to her repertoire. What has she most likely done?
a) practised them for her shows
b) sold them to a record label
c) written a review of them
d) deleted them from her phone
Show answer
a) practised them for her shows
2. 'The chef's repertoire of dishes keeps growing.' What does this tell us about him?
a) He buys more pans every year.
b) He can cook more kinds of food.
c) He eats out more than before.
d) He serves larger plates now.
Show answer
b) He can cook more kinds of food.
