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Spell Bee Word: Tectonic


What does tectonic mean?

Word: Tectonic

Part of Speech: Adjective

Meaning: Tectonic means to do with the huge plates of rock that make up the Earth's outer layer and the way they move, causing earthquakes and building mountains.

How do you spell tectonic?

Syllables: tec - ton - ic

Tricky part: There is no h: it is tec, not tech, even though so many tech words are around us.

Watch out for: techtonic, tecktonic, tektonic

Memory tip: Nothing techy about tectonic: the plates are made of rock, not gadgets, so leave out the h of tech.

Tectonic in a sentence

Example 1: Our teacher used a cracked boiled egg to show how tectonic plates fit together.

Example 2: The island was formed by tectonic movement millions of years ago.

Example 3: Scientists study tectonic activity to understand where earthquakes may strike.

Fun Fact

The Indian tectonic plate is still pushing slowly into the Eurasian Plate, which is why the Himalayas keep rising by a few millimetres every year.

Practise the CREST Way

Spell-o-Spell

Choose the incorrectly spelt word:

a) tectonik
b) earthquake
c) seismograph
d) volcano

Show answer

a) tectonik. The ending is a plain ic, as in magnetic and volcanic.

Mingle-Mangle

Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:

nitcecot

a) notice
b) conceit
c) iconic
d) tectonic

Show answer

d) tectonic. Iconic, conceit and notice are all too short to use every letter; tectonic needs all eight.

Word Cookie

Find the extra letter in the word:

tectonnic

a) n
b) t
c) c
d) o

Show answer

a) n. The middle beat is ton, with a single n.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Tectonic plates move at about the same speed as ____.

a) your fingernails grow
b) a river flows
c) a snail crawls
d) a glacier slides downhill

Show answer

a) your fingernails grow

2. In which school subject would you learn about tectonic plates?

a) history
b) chemistry
c) geography
d) civics

Show answer

c) geography

Associated Words

Words that end in -nic: panic, ethnic, sardonic, mechanic

More words from this list

abstain, auditor, commend, disassemble, floral, interim, nuisance, recyclable

Next steps

How to participate in CREST International Spell Bee

The CREST International Spell Bee (CSB) is conducted in two editions – CREST International Spell Bee - Summer (CSB) and CREST International Spell Bee - Winter (CSBW) – giving students across the globe an opportunity to showcase and enhance their spelling proficiency. Designed for young learners from Senior KG to Class 8, the competition focuses on word-building, pronunciation, and vocabulary enrichment, helping students develop strong linguistic skills.

Steps to Participate:

Step 1: Visit the registration page and complete the registration with your desired subject.

Step 2: After Registration done, do login at www.crestolympiads.com/login.

Step 3: After login, go to dashboard and click on Book slot/Take Exam

Step 4: Schedule your exam date and preferred time.

Step 5: Log in with your credentials on the exam day at the scheduled time and take the exam.

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