What does sensitivity mean?
Word: Sensitivity
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Sensitivity means how easily someone or something feels, notices or is affected by things such as hurt feelings, heat or light.
Synonyms: delicacy, awareness
Antonyms: insensitivity
How do you spell sensitivity?
Syllables: sen - si - tiv - i - ty
Tricky part: Sensitivity is sensitive with its last e taken off before the ending is added, the same change as active to activity.
Watch out for: sensitiveity, sensativity, sensitivty
Memory tip: Count the i's as you write: sen-si-tiv-i-ty has three of them, and the last letter is y.
Sensitivity in a sentence
Example 1: Some plants show sensitivity to touch and fold up their leaves.
Example 2: Our teacher spoke with great sensitivity about the sad news.
Example 3: A cat's whiskers have a high sensitivity to touch.
Fun Fact
A dog's nose has a sensitivity to smells thousands of times greater than a human nose.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the correctly spelt word:
a) electrisity
b) sensitivity
c) curiousity
d) posibility
Show answer
b) sensitivity. Curiosity drops the u of curious, possibility has a double s and electricity uses c, so only sensitivity is right.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
The dentist gave Arjun a special toothpaste for sencitivity to cold drinks.
a) drinks
b) dentist
c) sencitivity
d) toothpaste
Show answer
c) sencitivity. Both s sounds at the start of sensitivity are spelt with s.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
nsyiivttsei
a) senistivity
b) snesitivity
c) sensitivity
d) sensitviity
Show answer
c) sensitivity. Sensitviity, senistivity and snesitivity all end in ity but put two letters before it in the wrong order.
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
sensittivity
a) s
b) v
c) t
d) i
Show answer
c) t. Sensitive has one t after si, and it stays single in sensitivity.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A puppy has great sensitivity to sound. What does this mean?
a) it cannot hear well at all
b) it likes loud music best
c) it barks at every visitor
d) it hears very soft noises
Show answer
d) it hears very soft noises
2. Showing sensitivity to a friend's feelings means being ____.
a) thoughtful
b) brave
c) honest
d) cheerful
Show answer
a) thoughtful
