What does sprawling mean?
Word: Sprawling
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Sprawling means spreading out over a large area in an untidy or unplanned way, like a big city or a garden that has grown wild.
Synonyms: spreading, rambling, straggling
Antonyms: compact, neat
How do you spell sprawling?
Syllables: sprawl - ing
Tricky part: The 'aw' sound is spelt aw, as in crawl and yawn. Some students write au (sprauling) or or (sproling).
Watch out for: sprauling, sproling, spraling
Memory tip: Hidden inside is the word raw. Picture the raw, rough edge of a town that keeps spreading into the fields.
Sprawling in a sentence
Example 1: Mumbai is a sprawling city that stretches far along the coast.
Example 2: Their sprawling old house had a courtyard, a well and six bedrooms.
Example 3: We got lost in the sprawling market and had to ask for directions.
Fun Fact
Town planners use the term urban sprawl for cities that keep spreading into the countryside, often with long travel times and fewer green spaces.
Practise the CREST Way
Jumble Tumble
Choose the correct sequence of the jumbled letters to form a meaningful word:
lwgnrispa 123456789
a) 785921643
b) 789521643
c) 785921634
d) 346129587
Show answer
a) 785921643. Letter 7 is s and letter 8 is p; following the numbers gives s-p-r-a-w-l-i-n-g.
Word Tally
Score 2 marks for each correctly spelt word. What is the total score?
sprawling, hamlet, villege, town, citty, suburb
a) 6
b) 8
c) 10
d) 4
Show answer
b) 8. Village ends in -age and city has one t, so four words are right: 4 x 2 = 8.
Spell Spies
Choose the pair which has a spelling error:
a) cramped : roomy
b) narow : wide
c) sprawling : compact
d) crowded : empty
Show answer
b) narow : wide. Each pair is a pair of opposites; narrow needs a double r.
Word Puzzle
Match the words with the correct options:
1. sprawling 2. sprinkling 3. sprouting a. beginning to grow new shoots b. stretching loosely in every direction c. scattering small drops or bits over something
a) 1-b, 2-a, 3-c
b) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a
c) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b
d) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b
Show answer
b) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a. All three start with spr, so the meanings decide it: shoots go with sprouting and drops with sprinkling.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Riya's grandfather lives in a sprawling bungalow. What can you guess about it?
a) it has only one small room
b) it is built on tall stilts
c) it covers a lot of ground
d) it is painted bright red
Show answer
c) it covers a lot of ground
2. If you sprawl on the sofa, you ___.
a) lie with your arms and legs spread out
b) clean it carefully
c) sit up very straight
d) stand on it
Show answer
a) lie with your arms and legs spread out
