What does symbol mean?
Word: Symbol
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Symbol means a sign, shape or picture that stands for something else.
Sounds like: cymbal (a round brass plate struck to make a ringing sound in music)
How do you spell symbol?
Syllables: sym - bol
Tricky part: The first vowel is a y, although you hear a short i, so simbol is the common slip. Take care with cymbal too: it sounds the same but is a different word.
Watch out for: simbol, cymbol
Memory tip: A symbol makes you ask why, so put the letter y straight after the s.
Symbol in a sentence
Example 1: The green dot on the biscuit packet is a symbol for vegetarian food.
Example 2: Aditi drew a sun symbol on the class weather chart.
Example 3: On the map, a small blue anchor is the symbol for a harbour.
Fun Fact
Each chemical element has its own symbol. Gold is Au and iron is Fe, both taken from their old Latin names.
Practise the CREST Way
Spellacadabra
Choose the correct option to make a meaningful word:
sym___
a) bal
b) bul
c) ble
d) bol
Show answer
d) bol. The ending is bol, which completes the word for a sign.
Sound Check
Which of the following words rhymes with the given word?
symbol
a) humble
b) thimble
c) tumble
d) ramble
Show answer
b) thimble. Thimble has the same short i before the soft ending; the others have a different vowel.
Word Champ
Which of the words cannot be made using the letters in the given word?
symbol
a) boys
b) sly
c) lobs
d) moss
Show answer
d) moss. The double s in moss is the problem: symbol has only one s.
Jumble Tumble
What is the meaning of the word that can be formed from the given letters?
lomsby
a) a piece of soft cloth used for drying your hands
b) a wooden box with a lid for keeping tools
c) a small drawing that tells you something without any words
d) a tall glass jar with a very narrow neck
Show answer
c) a small drawing that tells you something without any words. Put in order, lomsby gives a word for a sign that carries a meaning.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. On a road map, a small tent near a lake is most likely a symbol for what?
a) a large school
b) a railway station
c) a camping site
d) a post office
Show answer
c) a camping site
2. In which school subject would you mostly use the + and = symbols?
a) art
b) maths
c) history
d) music
Show answer
b) maths
