What does spectacles mean?
Word: Spectacles
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Spectacles means a frame with two lenses that you wear in front of your eyes to help you see better. Spectacles can also mean grand shows or striking sights.
How do you spell spectacles?
Syllables: spec - ta - cles
Tricky part: The middle vowel is a, spec-ta-cles, even though it is said quickly. Children often write spectecles or specticles.
Watch out for: spectecles, specticles
Memory tip: A tap sits in the middle of your spectacles: the ta of tap is the middle part, spec-ta-cles.
Idioms and Phrases
- see through rose-tinted spectacles: to see only the good side of something Example: "He sees his old school through rose-tinted spectacles and forgets the hard exams."
Spectacles in a sentence
Example 1: Grandpa pushed his spectacles up his nose and read the letter aloud.
Example 2: I left my spectacles at the optician's, so the board looked blurry all day.
Example 3: My sister got her first spectacles with bright red frames.
Fun Fact
Some of the earliest known spectacles for reading were made in Italy in the late 1200s, with lenses set in frames that rested on the nose.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word:
spectacles
a) telescopes
b) glasses
c) microscopes
d) binoculars
Show answer
b) glasses. Binoculars, telescopes and microscopes are for faraway or tiny things; spectacles are glasses you wear.
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
specktacles
a) t
b) c
c) k
d) s
Show answer
c) k. The hard sound after spe is spelt with a c alone.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the correctly spelt word:
a) spectacles
b) bycycle
c) umbrela
d) sandwitch
Show answer
a) spectacles. Spectacles is spelt in full; the slips are in umbrella (one l missing), bicycle (y for i) and sandwich (an extra t).
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
eptssccela
a) sepctacles
b) spectalces
c) spectacles
d) psectacles
Show answer
c) spectacles. Say spec-ta-cles and lay the letters down in the order you hear them.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of these could be called a spectacle?
a) a quiet nap after lunch
b) a short walk to the shop
c) a kite show with hundreds of kites
d) a glass of cold water
Show answer
c) a kite show with hundreds of kites
2. A person who sees things through rose-tinted spectacles is ____.
a) colour-blind
b) too hopeful
c) short-sighted
d) very angry
Show answer
b) too hopeful
