Basic Details
Word: Rome
Part of Speech: Proper noun
Meaning: The capital city of Italy. In ancient times it was the centre of the Roman Empire.
Sounds like: roam (to wander about with no fixed plan)
How to Spell Rome
Syllables: rome
Tricky part: Rome sounds exactly like roam, to wander, so the city's spelling has to be learnt: R-o-m-e, with a capital R and a silent e that makes the o long.
Watch out for: Roame, Rhome, Romme
Memory tip: Rome follows the same magic-e pattern as home and dome. Picture the great dome of St Peter's rising above Rome.
Idioms and Phrases
- Rome was not built in a day: Big, important things take time and patience. Example: "Your handwriting will improve slowly; Rome was not built in a day."
- When in Rome, do as the Romans do: When you are in a new place, follow the customs of the people there. Example: "At the Japanese family's home we took off our shoes at the door; when in Rome, do as the Romans do."
Usage Examples
Example 1: Our neighbours sent us a postcard of the Colosseum from Rome.
Example 2: Rome stands on the banks of the River Tiber.
Example 3: Vatican City, the smallest country in the world, lies entirely inside Rome.
Fun Fact
Visitors throw more than a million euros a year into Rome's Trevi Fountain, and the coins are collected and given to charity.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Only one of these words is spelt correctly. Choose its meaning:
1. Grece 2. Brittain 3. Egipt 4. Rome
a) the country where the ancient Olympic Games began
b) the large island made up of England, Scotland and Wales
c) the capital city of Italy
d) the country of the pyramids and the Nile
Show answer
c) the capital city of Italy. Britain has one t, Egypt has a y and Greece has a double e, so Rome is the only one spelt right.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters in the sentence to form a meaningful word:
Julius Caesar was murdered in oerm in 44 BC.
a) Romeo
b) more
c) roam
d) Rome
Show answer
d) Rome. More uses the same four letters but is not a place, roam has an a, and Romeo is too long.
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
Romme
a) o
b) m
c) e
d) R
Show answer
b) m. Like home and dome, Rome has a single m before its silent e.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Rome is the capital of ____.
a) Spain
b) France
c) Italy
d) Greece
Show answer
c) Italy
2. The everyday language of ancient Rome was ____.
a) Persian
b) Arabic
c) Latin
d) Sanskrit
Show answer
c) Latin
