What does sporadic mean?
Word: Sporadic
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Sporadic means happening now and then, with no regular pattern.
Synonyms: intermittent
Antonyms: regular
How do you spell sporadic?
Syllables: spo - rad - ic
Tricky part: The d is the trap. In quick speech it can sound like a t, so pupils write sporatic.
Watch out for: sporatic, sporaddic, sporadik
Memory tip: Think of a dog that barks only now and then: a d for dog keeps the d in place.
Sporadic in a sentence
Example 1: We get sporadic power cuts in the village during the monsoon.
Example 2: The kitten shows sporadic bursts of energy and then sleeps all afternoon.
Example 3: Her letters from Canada were sporadic, but each one was a joy to read.
Fun Fact
The word comes from a Greek word for scattered, which is linked to a verb meaning to sow seed. Sporadic things are like seeds thrown by hand: a few here, a few there.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:
sp_rad_c
a) a, i
b) u, i
c) o, i
d) o, e
Show answer
c) o, i. The word opens like sport, and the ending is the short ic of magic.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
Throughout the long summer holidays, the cheerful gardener at the neighbouring school gave the thirsty rose bushes only sporradic watering and still managed to produce magnificent flowers.
a) magnificent
b) neighbouring
c) sporradic
d) thirsty
Show answer
c) sporradic. The r stands alone in this word, with a vowel on each side.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word sporadic as used in the sentence:
Rain in this district is sporadic during the cooler months.
a) infrequent
b) patchy
c) occasional
d) constant
Show answer
d) constant. Constant means going on all the time, the opposite of now and then.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one word in the list is correct. Choose the meaning of that word.
1. perpetuel 2. contineous 3. sporadic 4. frequant
a) coming in short bursts with long gaps
b) going on for all time
c) going on without a break
d) happening often
Show answer
a) coming in short bursts with long gaps. Frequent, continuous and perpetual are the proper forms of the misspelt words.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A cricketer's form has been sporadic this season. What would his coach probably say?
a) He shines one day, then fades for weeks
b) He scores well in every single match
c) He has not played any matches at all
d) He gets better with each passing game
Show answer
a) He shines one day, then fades for weeks
2. The town's water supply was sporadic last week. What did families probably do?
a) stop keeping any water at home
b) leave all their garden hoses on
c) fill buckets whenever the taps ran
d) wash the car twice each morning
Show answer
c) fill buckets whenever the taps ran
