What does sibling mean?
Word: Sibling
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Sibling means your brother or sister.
How do you spell sibling?
Syllables: sib - ling
Tricky part: There is only one b, so sibbling, with a double b, is the usual slip.
Watch out for: sibbling, sibblin
Memory tip: Clap it out: sib-ling. The first clap ends with b and the second starts with l, so a single b is all you need.
Sibling in a sentence
Example 1: I have two siblings, an elder sister and a baby brother.
Example 2: On Raksha Bandhan, siblings tie rakhis and share sweets.
Example 3: Twins are siblings who were born on the same day.
Fun Fact
In Old English, sibling meant any relative. The word fell out of use for centuries until writers who studied families brought it back in the early 1900s to mean a brother or sister.
Practise the CREST Way
Jumble Tumble
What is the meaning of the word that can be formed from the given letters?
isbngil
a) a person who lives next door to you
b) a brother or a sister of yours
c) a person paid to look after children
d) the child of your aunt or uncle
Show answer
b) a brother or a sister of yours. Put the letters in order and they spell sibling, a word for a brother or sister.
Word Champ
Which of the words cannot be made using the letters in the given word?
sibling
a) sign
b) bins
c) slings
d) sling
Show answer
c) slings. Slings would need a second s; sibling gives you only one.
Spellacadabra
Choose the option in which the following letters will fit in the given order:
i, i
a) s__bl__ng
b) m__rn__ng
c) r__bb__n
d) b__sk__t
Show answer
a) s__bl__ng. With i in both gaps the word is sibling; morning, basket and ribbon need other vowels.
Spell Spies
Choose the option with no spelling errors:
a) sibling, nephew, neice, grandfathar
b) sibling, nephue, neese, grandfather
c) sibling, nephew, niece, grandfather
d) sibling, nefew, niece, granfather
Show answer
c) sibling, nephew, niece, grandfather. Nephew, niece and grandfather are all right in that list; the other three lists each slip twice.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Meera and Aarav are siblings. Which of these must be true?
a) They are in the same class.
b) They are the same age.
c) They live in different towns.
d) They have the same parents.
Show answer
d) They have the same parents.
2. Which of these people is NOT your sibling?
a) your cousin
b) your twin brother
c) your elder brother
d) your younger sister
Show answer
a) your cousin
