Basic Details
Word: Timber
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Wood that has been cut and prepared for building or making things; also trees grown for this wood.
Synonyms: wood, lumber
Sounds like: timbre (the special quality of a voice or musical sound)
How to Spell Timber
Syllables: tim - ber
Tricky part: The ending sounds like a weak -er, so students try -ar or -ur. Do not confuse it with timbre, the quality of a musical sound, which ends in -re.
Watch out for: timbar, timmber, timbur
Memory tip: Tim builds things: Tim + ber. One m, and the same -ber ending as member and number.
Usage Examples
Example 1: Old houses in the Himalayan villages were built from local deodar timber.
Example 2: The carpenter stacked the timber in the shade so it would not crack.
Example 3: Lorries carrying timber are checked at the forest gate for permits.
Fun Fact
Teak timber has natural oils that help it resist water and termites, which is why it was prized for ships and verandas.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Fill in the missing letters:
t_mb_r
a) i, a
b) e, e
c) y, e
d) i, e
Show answer
d) i, e. The first vowel is the short i of tin, and the word ends in the -er of member.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word timber as used in the sentence:
The new boathouse at the lake was made entirely of polished timber.
a) brick
b) wood
c) stone
d) steel
Show answer
b) wood. Timber is wood cut for building; stone, brick and steel are different materials.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters in the sentence to form a meaningful word:
The trucks carried the beimtr down the hill to the sawmill.
a) climber
b) limber
c) timber
d) timer
Show answer
c) timber. Limber and climber both need an l, and timer is a letter short, so only timber uses all six letters.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A woodcutter shouts Timber! to warn people that ____.
a) the day's work is over
b) rain has started
c) a tree is about to fall
d) lunch is ready
Show answer
c) a tree is about to fall
2. Timber is NOT used to make ____.
a) ships' decks
b) cricket bats
c) glass bottles
d) wooden doors
Show answer
c) glass bottles
