What does wire mean?
Word: Wire
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Wire means a long, thin piece of metal like a thread. Wires carry electricity or hold things in place.
Synonyms: cable
How do you spell wire?
Syllables: wire
Tricky part: The long i sound is a plain i, not a y, so wyre is a common slip. Wier, with the last two letters swapped, is another.
Watch out for: wyre, wier, wiar
Memory tip: Wire uses a plain i, as in time and smile, never a y.
Idioms and Phrases
- down to the wire: right up to the very last moment Example: "The football final went down to the wire."
Wire in a sentence
Example 1: Mum hung the wet clothes on a wire on the balcony.
Example 2: The electrician joined the red wire to the new switch.
Example 3: A row of pigeons sat along the telephone wire outside our gate.
Fun Fact
Most electric wires are made of copper because electricity passes through it easily.
Practise the CREST Way
Sound Check
Which word does not rhyme with wire?
a) choir
b) fire
c) hair
d) tyre
Show answer
c) hair. Hair has an 'air' sound; tyre, choir and fire all end in the long i and r of wire, though choir is spelt very differently.
Spellacadabra
From which option does a letter need to be removed to make a meaningful word?
a) plastic
b) button
c) socket
d) wirre
Show answer
d) wirre. Wire has only one r, followed by a silent e.
Word Fusion
Add the correct option to the following to make a new word:
wire______
a) lass
b) less
c) les
d) lese
Show answer
b) less. Wireless means without wires, and the ending less has a double s.
Word Champ
Choose the correct word for the blank:
Grandma uses a thin ______ to hang her pot of money plant on the wall.
a) wise
b) wire
c) wide
d) wipe
Show answer
b) wire. Only a piece of metal thread can hold up a pot, so the word is wire.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which thing on a school desk is made of bent wire?
a) a paper clip
b) a notebook
c) a ruler
d) a rubber
Show answer
a) a paper clip
2. Which tool would you use to cut a thin wire?
a) a pair of pliers
b) a wet sponge
c) a plastic spoon
d) a soft paintbrush
Show answer
a) a pair of pliers
