Basic Details
Word: Written
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: The past participle of write, used after has, have or was. As an adjective it means put down on paper or a screen rather than spoken, as in a written test.
Synonyms: recorded, handwritten
Antonyms: spoken, oral
Word origin: From Old English writan, which first meant to scratch or carve marks.
How to Spell Written
Syllables: writ - ten
Tricky part: Two traps sit in one short word. The w at the front is silent, so some write ritten, and the t doubles because the i is short, so writen with one t is a common slip.
Watch out for: writen, ritten, writtin
Memory tip: Say it as writ + ten. Write has a long i and one t; written has a short i, and a short vowel needs a double t to guard it, as in bitten and kitten.
Idioms and Phrases
- written all over your face: very clear from the way you look Example: "When the results came, his joy was written all over his face."
Usage Examples
Example 1: Have you written your name on the first page of the answer booklet?
Example 2: The Ramayana was first written in Sanskrit.
Example 3: Our school sends a written report card home at the end of every term.
Fun Fact
The w in written was once spoken aloud. English speakers stopped saying it roughly four hundred years ago, the same change that silenced the w in wrong, wrist and wrap.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Fill in the missing letters to complete the word:
_ri_t_n
a) w, d, e
b) w, t, e
c) h, t, e
d) w, t, a
Show answer
b) w, t, e. The silent w comes from write, the second t doubles the first, and the ending is -en as in bitten.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters in the sentence to form a meaningful word:
Every line of her speech was ttnwrie on small cards that she kept in her blazer pocket.
a) rewritten
b) rotten
c) written
d) writing
Show answer
c) written. Count seven letters with two t's and an e: writing would need a g, rotten an o, and rewritten is two letters too long.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word written as used in the sentence:
The principal asked for a written apology from the boys who broke the laboratory window.
a) typed
b) spoken
c) signed
d) printed
Show answer
b) spoken. Typed, signed and printed apologies are all still on paper; a spoken one is said aloud.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. By the time the bell rang, Meera had ____ two full pages.
a) writing
b) wrote
c) written
d) write
Show answer
c) written
2. A written exam is one in which students ____.
a) perform a short play
b) show a model they built
c) put their answers on paper
d) answer questions aloud
Show answer
c) put their answers on paper
