What does stratosphere mean?
Word: Stratosphere
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Stratosphere means the layer of the Earth's atmosphere above the one we live in, reaching to about 50 km up.
How do you spell stratosphere?
Syllables: strat - o - sphere
Tricky part: The f sound before the last part is spelt ph, so stratosfere is a common slip.
Watch out for: stratosfere, stratospheer
Memory tip: The air wraps round the Earth like the skin of a ball, and sphere, the word for a ball shape, never uses an f.
Stratosphere in a sentence
Example 1: Long-distance planes sometimes fly in the lower part of the stratosphere, above most of the clouds.
Example 2: Our science teacher drew the stratosphere as a blue band on the board.
Example 3: Satellites orbit far above the stratosphere, where there is almost no air.
Fun Fact
The ozone layer, which helps to shield living things from the harmful rays of the sun, lies in the stratosphere. Unlike the air below it, the stratosphere gets warmer as you go higher.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
stratossphere
a) s
b) h
c) t
d) p
Show answer
a) s. Just one s links the first part to the second.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
The weather balloon climbed through the stratisphere and sent back readings.
a) balloon
b) readings
c) stratisphere
d) climbed
Show answer
c) stratisphere. The vowel before the last part is o, not i.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
ettrharsosep
a) hemisphere
b) atmospheric
c) thermometer
d) stratosphere
Show answer
d) stratosphere. Only one of the four has the two s's and the two r's of the jumble.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the correctly spelt word:
a) stratosphere
b) evaparation
c) humidty
d) baromiter
Show answer
a) stratosphere. Barometer has an e before the t, evaporation has an o after the p, and humidity has an i after the d.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. What is the best reason that few clouds form in the stratosphere?
a) the air there is very dusty
b) the air there is very salty
c) the air there is very heavy
d) the air there is very dry
Show answer
d) the air there is very dry
2. What passes through the stratosphere on its way into space?
a) a helicopter over a city
b) a rocket bound for orbit
c) a paraglider above a valley
d) a kite on a long string
Show answer
b) a rocket bound for orbit
