What does vertical mean?
Word: Vertical
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Vertical means going straight up and down, at a right angle to the ground.
Synonyms: upright, perpendicular
Antonyms: flat, level
How do you spell vertical?
Syllables: ver - ti - cal
Tricky part: It ends in ical, as musical and magical do; verticle is the most common slip.
Watch out for: verticle, vertecal
Memory tip: A magical beanstalk shoots straight up into the clouds, and magical and vertical end the same way.
Vertical in a sentence
Example 1: Hang the poster so that its long side is vertical.
Example 2: The Qutub Minar rises as a vertical tower of five storeys.
Example 3: Rock climbers at Hampi practise on almost vertical boulders.
Fun Fact
A rock face that leans out past vertical, so that it hangs over the climber's head, is called an overhang.
Practise the CREST Way
Spellacadabra
Choose the correct option to make a meaningful word:
v__tical
a) ar
b) ir
c) ur
d) er
Show answer
d) er. The ur sound here is written er, as in verb.
Word Puzzle
Match the words in the first list with the words in the second list:
1. vertical 2. transparent 3. temporary a. horizontal b. permanent c. opaque
a) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b
b) 1-a, 2-b, 3-c
c) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a
d) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b
Show answer
d) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b. Each word meets its opposite: horizontal lies flat where vertical stands up, opaque glass blocks light, and permanent things last.
Word Tally
Give 3 marks for every correctly spelt word. What is the total for the list?
vertical, diagonel, parallel, rectangle, triangle
a) 12
b) 15
c) 6
d) 9
Show answer
a) 12. Diagonal ends in al; the other four are right, so 4 x 3 = 12.
Spell Spies
Choose the pair which has a spelling error:
a) rapid : swift
b) brave : corageous
c) vertical : upright
d) ancient : old
Show answer
b) brave : corageous. Courageous begins with cour, just like courage.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of these is usually vertical?
a) a lake
b) a doormat
c) a flagpole
d) a road
Show answer
c) a flagpole
2. In a crossword, the clues for answers that run vertically are listed under ___.
a) Down
b) Under
c) Across
d) Over
Show answer
a) Down
