What does smudge mean?
Word: Smudge
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Smudge means a dirty or blurred mark made when something is rubbed.
How do you spell smudge?
Syllables: smudge
Tricky part: Smudge ends with a j sound, yet there is no j in it. Children often write smuj or smudj.
Watch out for: smuj, smudj, smuge
Memory tip: Drag a wet finger across fresh ink and you make a smudge. Drag starts with the very letter that careless writers lose.
Smudge in a sentence
Example 1: There was a smudge of chocolate on his chin.
Example 2: Wipe the smudge off the mirror before Grandma comes.
Example 3: My drawing got a smudge when my sleeve rubbed the wet paint.
Fun Fact
Artists sometimes smudge on purpose: they rub charcoal or soft pencil with a finger to make gentle shadows.
Practise the CREST Way
Jumble Tumble
Which option has letters that you can rearrange to form the name of a dirty mark?
a) gedsem
b) gedsam
c) gedsum
d) gedsom
Show answer
c) gedsum. This one holds exactly the six letters you need, with u as the vowel in the middle.
Sound Check
Which of the following words does not rhyme with smudge?
a) judge
b) budge
c) badge
d) trudge
Show answer
c) badge. Three share the short u sound you hear in cup. Badge has an a sound.
Spell Spies
Choose the pair which has a spelling error:
a) page : pages
b) smudge : smudgs
c) wish : wishes
d) brush : brushes
Show answer
b) smudge : smudgs. This word already ends in e, so it just adds s. That e must stay.
Word Champ
Choose the correct word for the blank:
Priya rubbed the ___ of pencil off her clean page.
a) sludge
b) smudge
c) grudge
d) fudge
Show answer
b) smudge. Rubbed pencil leaves a dirty mark, and only one option names that.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. What could leave a smudge on your homework?
a) a clean eraser
b) a paper clip
c) a new ruler
d) wet ink and a hand
Show answer
d) wet ink and a hand
2. Dev wipes a smudge off his glasses. What will change?
a) He will walk a lot faster.
b) He will see more clearly.
c) He will hear much better.
d) He will need new shoes.
Show answer
b) He will see more clearly.
