What does resonance mean?
Word: Resonance
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Resonance means the quality of a sound that is deep and full and seems to carry on.
How do you spell resonance?
Syllables: res - o - nance
Tricky part: The vowel in the ending is weak and gives no clue, so pupils guess ence.
Watch out for: resonence, resonense, resonanse
Memory tip: Strike A Note and listen: that A comes just before the n at the end.
Resonance in a sentence
Example 1: The stone hall adds a lovely resonance to the sound of the flute.
Example 2: The cello's resonance filled the room long after the note was played.
Example 3: Her deep voice has a natural resonance that makes everyone stop and listen.
Fun Fact
In physics, resonance explains why small, well-timed pushes send a swing higher and higher, even though no single push is strong.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:
r_s_nance
a) e, a
b) a, o
c) e, o
d) i, o
Show answer
c) e, o. The word opens like rest and the second gap takes the vowel of sonic.
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
ressonance
a) c
b) s
c) n
d) o
Show answer
b) s. One s is enough in the opening part of this word.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters in the sentence to form a meaningful word:
Hollow gourds give the tanpura its warm renaceons.
a) relevance
b) renaissance
c) resistance
d) resonance
Show answer
d) resonance. Resistance, renaissance and relevance each need a letter missing here.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one word in the list is spelt correctly. Choose its meaning:
1. acoustiks 2. frequancy 3. resonance 4. vibrashun
a) the way sound behaves in a room
b) how often something happens
c) a quick, repeated shaking movement
d) the rich, lingering fullness of a tone
Show answer
d) the rich, lingering fullness of a tone. Vibration ends in tion, frequency has an e before the n, and acoustics ends in cs.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A singer's voice has great resonance. How would you describe it?
a) full and rich, filling the whole room
b) thin and soft, hardly heard at all
c) quick and sharp, stopping at once
d) harsh and flat, unpleasant to hear
Show answer
a) full and rich, filling the whole room
2. Which object would give the most resonance when tapped?
a) a large brass bell
b) a small ball of clay
c) a folded woollen blanket
d) a wet kitchen sponge
Show answer
a) a large brass bell
