What does spectacle mean?
Word: Spectacle
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Spectacle means a grand or unusual sight that people like to watch, such as fireworks or a parade.
Synonyms: display, sight
How do you spell spectacle?
Syllables: spec - ta - cle
Tricky part: The word ends in cle, as in circle and uncle, not cal or kel.
Watch out for: spectakle, spectical, spactacle
Memory tip: Picture a big circle of people gathered round a street performer: spectacle and circle finish with the same three letters.
Idioms and Phrases
- make a spectacle of yourself: to behave in a silly way that makes people stare Example: "Raj made a spectacle of himself by dancing on the bench."
Spectacle in a sentence
Example 1: The Republic Day parade is a grand spectacle.
Example 2: The fireworks over the sea were a spectacle we will never forget.
Example 3: The lion dance at the school fair was quite a spectacle.
Fun Fact
Spectacles, an older word for glasses, comes from the same Latin word as spectacle: spectare, meaning to watch.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) parade
b) audience
c) festival
d) spectecle
Show answer
d) spectecle. The middle of spectacle has an a, not an e; festival, audience and parade are spelt correctly.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
The kite festival in Ahmedabad is a colourful spektacle every January.
a) Ahmedabad
b) festival
c) colourful
d) spektacle
Show answer
d) spektacle. Both k sounds in spectacle are spelt with c, never k.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
lectcapse
a) spcetacle
b) specatcle
c) spectacle
d) sepctacle
Show answer
c) spectacle. Sepctacle, specatcle and spcetacle all end in cle; look at the order of the letters before it.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word:
spectacle
a) ticket
b) noise
c) crowd
d) show
Show answer
d) show. A spectacle is a grand show that people stop to watch.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. People came from far away to watch the spectacle. What might it have been?
a) a boat being repainted
b) a hundred boats racing past
c) an old boat with a leak
d) two boats tied at a jetty
Show answer
b) a hundred boats racing past
2. A person who watches a spectacle is called a ____.
a) spectator
b) spectacular
c) speaker
d) inspector
Show answer
a) spectator
