What does thatch mean?
Word: Thatch
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Thatch means straw, reeds or similar plant material used to make a roof.
How do you spell thatch?
Syllables: thatch
Tricky part: A t stands in front of the ch. The word sounds as if it could do without it, so thach is the usual slip.
Watch out for: thach, thatsh
Memory tip: Every roof needs a top, so keep a t sitting just before the ch.
Thatch in a sentence
Example 1: The village school still has a roof of thatch.
Example 2: Rain ran off the thatch and dripped on to the veranda.
Example 3: Workers laid fresh thatch on the hut before the monsoon.
Fun Fact
The word goes back to an Old English verb that meant to cover.
Practise the CREST Way
Spellacadabra
Choose the correct option to make a meaningful word:
__atch
a) sh
b) tt
c) ch
d) th
Show answer
d) th. The sound at the start is written with these two letters.
Sound Check
Which word does not rhyme with the given word?
thatch
a) catch
b) patch
c) match
d) watch
Show answer
d) watch. Watch has the short o of hot, though it looks as if it should rhyme with the others.
Word Champ
Which of the words cannot be made using the letters in the given word?
thatch
a) hatch
b) chat
c) that
d) teach
Show answer
d) teach. Teach cannot get past its second letter, since thatch has no e.
Jumble Tumble
What is the meaning of the word that can be formed from the given letters?
tahcth
a) a strip of wood fixed along the edge of a door
b) a roof layer made from dried grass or stems
c) a sheet of glass fitted into a window frame
d) a soft mat placed on the floor of a room
Show answer
b) a roof layer made from dried grass or stems. Rearrange tahcth and you get the roof made of plant stems.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A hut has a roof of thatch. How is it likely to feel inside on a hot day?
a) quite cool
b) bright and sunny
c) rather wet
d) very noisy
Show answer
a) quite cool
2. Why must a roof of thatch be renewed from time to time?
a) the wind turns it green
b) the rain makes it shiny
c) the sun makes it heavy
d) the dry stems slowly rot
Show answer
d) the dry stems slowly rot
