What does vocation mean?
Word: Vocation
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Vocation means a kind of work that a person feels strongly drawn to and suited for; also a job or trade.
Synonyms: calling, profession, occupation
Word origin: From Latin vocatio, 'a calling', from vocare, 'to call'.
How do you spell vocation?
Syllables: vo - ca - tion
Tricky part: It starts with vo, not va. Vacation, with an a, is a different word meaning a holiday, and the two sound almost the same.
Watch out for: vocetion, vokation, vocaition
Memory tip: A vocation is work that calls you, and calling uses the voice: vo as in voice and vocal. A vacation, with an a, is time away from work.
Vocation in a sentence
Example 1: Dr Menon says medicine is not a job for her but a vocation.
Example 2: After years in a bank, Uncle Sunil found his true vocation as a potter.
Example 3: The school's job fair helped us think about which vocation might suit us.
Fun Fact
Vocational courses train students for particular trades. Many countries have colleges that offer such courses for jobs like electrician, plumber and welder.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word:
vocation
a) holiday
b) career
c) hobby
d) pastime
Show answer
b) career. A vocation can be a career; holiday belongs to vacation, the look-alike word.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
Ravi's grandmother has cared for the school garden for forty years and calls it her vocasion.
a) forty
b) grandmother
c) vocasion
d) cared
Show answer
c) vocasion. The sh sound at the end of vocation is spelt tion, as in nation.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
aocvtoin
a) location
b) vacation
c) ovation
d) vocation
Show answer
d) vocation. The jumble has two o's and only one a, which fits vocation and not vacation.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) occupation
b) vocation
c) carpentar
d) profession
Show answer
c) carpentar. Carpenter ends in er; occupation, vocation and profession are spelt correctly.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. If someone jokes that you have 'missed your vocation', they mean you ____.
a) would suit a different job
b) arrived late for work
c) forgot to book a holiday
d) lost your job last week
Show answer
a) would suit a different job
2. For Mr Fernandes, teaching is a vocation. This means that he ____.
a) took it up just for the money
b) feels it is the work he is meant to do
c) plans to give it up next year
d) teaches only during the holidays
Show answer
b) feels it is the work he is meant to do
