What does underneath mean?
Word: Underneath
Part of Speech: Preposition
Meaning: Underneath means directly below or under something, often covered by it. It can also mean hidden behind the way someone seems on the outside.
Synonyms: beneath, below, under
Antonyms: over, on top of
How do you spell underneath?
Syllables: un - der - neath
Tricky part: There are two n's but they never sit side by side, and the th at the end is soft, as in path.
Watch out for: undernneath, undrneath, underneathe
Memory tip: Under is the first part, spelt the usual way; the second n starts the last beat on its own.
Underneath in a sentence
Example 1: The kitten fell asleep underneath the warm car.
Example 2: Write your name underneath the title of your essay.
Example 3: There was a tiny note hidden underneath the lid of the box.
Fun Fact
Underneath is more than a thousand years old: Old English had underneothan, meaning below.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word: underneath
a) around
b) inside
c) beside
d) above
Show answer
d) above. Above means higher than; underneath means lower than.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
We found the missing cricket ball underneeth the neighbour's parked scooter after an hour of searching.
a) neighbour's
b) searching
c) scooter
d) underneeth
Show answer
d) underneeth. The neath in underneath has ea, as in beneath.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
henutdaner
a) hundredth
b) unearthed
c) underneath
d) undertaken
Show answer
c) underneath. Two n's, two e's, an a and an h spell underneath; unearthed is one n short.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) alongside
b) oposite
c) underneath
d) throughout
Show answer
b) oposite. Opposite has a double p; alongside, underneath and throughout are spelt correctly.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Underneath her calm face, Meera was nervous about the result. Here underneath means ____.
a) next to her friend
b) far away from home
c) deep down in her heart
d) on top of her head
Show answer
c) deep down in her heart
2. What is usually fitted underneath a car?
a) the steering wheel
b) the exhaust pipe
c) the rear-view mirror
d) the roof rack
Show answer
b) the exhaust pipe
