What does terrain mean?
Word: Terrain
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Terrain means land of a particular kind, such as hilly, rocky, sandy or flat land.
Synonyms: landscape
How do you spell terrain?
Syllables: ter - rain
Tricky part: The r is doubled after te. One r is the slip students make most, because you hear only one.
Watch out for: terain, terrian
Memory tip: Two r's, like the two rails of a train climbing hilly ground.
Terrain in a sentence
Example 1: The terrain in Ladakh is rocky and dry, with very few trees.
Example 2: Our cycling club chose a route over flat terrain for the younger riders.
Example 3: Camels are well suited to the sandy terrain of the Thar Desert.
Fun Fact
All-terrain vehicles are built with big, soft tyres so they can drive over sand, mud and rocks where an ordinary car would get stuck.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:
t_rr_in
a) e, i
b) e, a
c) i, a
d) a, a
Show answer
b) e, a. The first vowel is the e of ten, and the ending is spelt like rain.
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
terrainn
a) n
b) a
c) i
d) r
Show answer
a) n. The ending is the rain you see in the sky, with a single n.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word:
terrain
a) climate
b) harbour
c) ground
d) border
Show answer
c) ground. Terrain describes the land itself; climate is the weather, and a border is a line between places.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the correctly spelt word:
a) desart
b) plateu
c) terrain
d) glaicer
Show answer
c) terrain. Desert has an e in its second half, plateau ends in eau, and glacier has ci before er.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A hiking guide warns that the terrain ahead is steep and loose. What should the walkers expect?
a) slippery stones on a hillside
b) a crowded market square
c) heavy rain in the evening
d) a long queue at a ticket desk
Show answer
a) slippery stones on a hillside
2. Which kind of shoes would suit muddy, uneven terrain best?
a) soft cloth slippers
b) shiny dance shoes
c) smooth leather sandals
d) boots with a deep grip
Show answer
d) boots with a deep grip
