What does shepherd mean?
Word: Shepherd
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Shepherd means a person who looks after a flock of sheep. As a verb, to shepherd people is to guide them carefully, as a group.
Synonyms: herder, guide
Word origin: From Old English sceaphyrde, sheep herder.
How do you spell shepherd?
Syllables: shep - herd
Tricky part: The ph here does not make an f sound. It is a p and an h side by side, so neither letter may be left out.
Watch out for: sheperd, shepperd
Memory tip: Picture the p and the h in the middle of shepherd holding hands: neither one may let go.
Shepherd in a sentence
Example 1: A young shepherd in a woollen cap led his flock across the road near Manali.
Example 2: At sunset the shepherd counted his sheep at the gate.
Example 3: The shepherd's dog ran in circles to keep the lambs together.
Fun Fact
The German Shepherd dog breed was developed in Germany in the late 1800s to herd and guard sheep.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:
sh_ph_rd
a) a, e
b) i, e
c) e, e
d) e, a
Show answer
c) e, e. Both gaps take the same short vowel, the one you hear in bed.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
drehphes
a) shepherd
b) shephred
c) hsepherd
d) shepehrd
Show answer
a) shepherd. The word ends in rd, and the two h's go one near the start and one in the middle.
Word Connection
Select the feminine form of the word:
shepherd
a) shepheress
b) herdess
c) shepherdess
d) sheepess
Show answer
c) shepherdess. Adding ess to the whole word gives shepherdess, as lion gives lioness.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) village
b) shepherd
c) meddow
d) farmer
Show answer
c) meddow. Meadow has ea in it and only one d.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Where would you most likely see a shepherd at work?
a) on a grassy hillside
b) on a ship
c) in a shoe shop
d) in a bank
Show answer
a) on a grassy hillside
2. A shepherd's crook is ____.
a) a wooden gate
b) a small bell for a sheep
c) a long stick with a hooked end
d) a woollen coat
Show answer
c) a long stick with a hooked end
