Basic Details
Word: Vizier
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: A chief minister or high official in some old Muslim kingdoms, such as the Ottoman Empire; the clever adviser in many old tales.
Synonyms: minister, counsellor, adviser
Word origin: Comes through Turkish vezir from the Arabic wazir, a helper or minister.
How to Spell Vizier
Syllables: vi - zier
Tricky part: The middle sound is a buzzing z, not s, and the ending is -ier as in pier. Students write visier, vazier or vizeer.
Watch out for: visier, vazier, vizeer
Memory tip: Hear the z buzz, then picture a pier: vi-z-ier. The sultan's vizier waits on the pier for the royal ship.
Usage Examples
Example 1: In the storybook, the clever vizier saved the sultan from a false friend.
Example 2: The Ottoman sultans often ruled through a grand vizier.
Example 3: The vizier bowed low and read out the king's orders to the crowd.
Fun Fact
The Arabic wazir is thought to come from a word meaning to carry a burden, since a minister carries the load of government. In Urdu, wazir still means a minister today.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Only one of these words is spelt correctly. Choose its meaning:
1. chancelor 2. ambasador 3. vizier 4. govenor
a) a chief minister in some old Muslim kingdoms
b) an official who represents his or her country abroad
c) the official head of a state or province
d) the head of government in some countries
Show answer
a) a chief minister in some old Muslim kingdoms. Ambassador has two s's, chancellor two l's, and governor keeps the r after the e.
Word Cookie
Fill in the missing letters to complete the word:
v_z_er
a) a, i
b) i, i
c) e, i
d) i, e
Show answer
b) i, i. Each gap is an i: vi to begin, then the -ier ending.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word vizier as used in the sentence:
The sultan turned to his vizier for advice before declaring war on the neighbouring kingdom.
a) soldier
b) minister
c) jester
d) cook
Show answer
b) minister. A ruler asks his chief minister, not his jester or cook, whether to go to war.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. In which kind of story would you most likely meet a vizier?
a) a recipe for masala dosa
b) a cricket match commentary
c) a tale from the Arabian Nights
d) a science report on Mars
Show answer
c) a tale from the Arabian Nights
2. A grand vizier was ____.
a) a sultan's chief minister
b) a sultan's eldest son
c) a sultan's court poet
d) a sultan's head cook
Show answer
a) a sultan's chief minister
