What does serenade mean?
Word: Serenade
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Serenade means a gentle piece of music performed for someone, traditionally outdoors in the evening.
Word origin: Came into English through French from Italian serenata.
How do you spell serenade?
Syllables: ser - e - nade
Tricky part: The end is a long 'ayd' sound, which many spellings could make, so students write serenaid or serenayd.
Watch out for: serenaid, serenayd, serenad
Memory tip: A silent e keeps the last a long, just as it does in made and shade.
Serenade in a sentence
Example 1: The violin students played a serenade for the retiring principal.
Example 2: On Teachers' Day, Class 7 surprised Mrs Rao with a serenade in the corridor.
Example 3: Frogs in the pond gave us a noisy serenade all night.
Fun Fact
Mozart's Eine kleine Nachtmusik, one of the best-known pieces of classical music, is a serenade for strings.
Practise the CREST Way
Spellacadabra
Choose the word in which both blanks take the same letter:
a) l_m_nade
b) s_r_nade
c) b_l_strade
d) p_l_sade
Show answer
b) s_r_nade. Both gaps here take e; lemonade, palisade and balustrade each need two different letters.
Word Puzzle
Match each word with its meaning:
1. serenade 2. lullaby 3. anthem a. a soft song that helps a baby sleep b. soft music played under a window at dusk c. a song of loyalty sung by a nation
a) 1-c, 2-b, 3-a
b) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b
c) 1-a, 2-b, 3-c
d) 1-b, 2-a, 3-c
Show answer
d) 1-b, 2-a, 3-c. The baby goes with the lullaby and the nation with the anthem, which leaves the music under the window.
Jumble Tumble
Choose the correct sequence of the jumbled letters to form a meaningful word:
edranese 12345678
a) 87365421
b) 18365427
c) 61385427
d) 71365428
Show answer
d) 71365428. The s is letter 7, so a working order must open with 7.
Word Tally
How many words are misspelt in the given sentence?
The music club perfomed a serenade under the neem tree, and the audiance clapped untill the lights went off.
a) 2
b) 0
c) 3
d) 1
Show answer
c) 3. Performed has lost an r, audience needs an e, and until has one l.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which setting would suit a serenade best?
a) a quiet garden under a full moon
b) a busy railway platform at noon
c) a noisy street market on a Sunday
d) a crowded stadium during a final
Show answer
a) a quiet garden under a full moon
2. When a group of musicians offer this kind of music to a guest, what does the guest do?
a) sits and listens to them play
b) joins in on the drums
c) teaches them how to sing
d) sells tickets at the gate
Show answer
a) sits and listens to them play
