Lexicon House Language SchoolGlossary
Glossary
The terms we use in class
Every term used in class, defined in a sentence or two, with a pointer to the words it sits beside. Definitions are checked against how we teach them.
All terms, in alphabetical order
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Accent
noun/AK-sənt/
The way a group of speakers pronounces a language, including vowel sounds and rhythm. Everyone has one, including newsreaders.
See also:Intonation, Fluency
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Collocation
noun/kol-oh-KAY-shun/
A pair or group of words that habitually appear together, such as 'make a decision' rather than 'do a decision'.
See also:Idiom, Phrasal verb
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False friend
noun/fols FREND/
A word that looks like one in your own language but carries a different meaning, which makes it easy to misuse with confidence.
See also:Register, Collocation
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Fluency
noun/FLOO-ən-see/
The ability to keep speaking without long pauses, even while choosing your words. It is judged separately from accuracy.
See also:Paraphrase, Accent
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Gerund
noun/JER-ənd/
The -ing form of a verb used as a noun, as in 'Swimming is good exercise'.
See also:Phrasal verb, Collocation
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Idiom
noun/ID-ee-əm/
A fixed phrase whose meaning cannot be worked out from the individual words, such as 'a piece of cake'.
See also:Collocation, Phrasal verb
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Intonation
noun/in-tə-NAY-shun/
The rise and fall of the voice across a sentence. It can turn a statement into a question or signal that you have finished speaking.
See also:Accent, Fluency
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Paraphrase
verb/PA-rə-frayz/
To say the same idea in different words, often to check understanding or to avoid repeating a phrase in an exam answer.
See also:Fluency, Register
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Phrasal verb
noun/FRAY-zəl VURB/
A verb plus a particle that together carry a new meaning, such as 'put off' or 'look into'.
See also:Idiom, Collocation
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Register
noun/REJ-ist-ə/
The level of formality a situation calls for, from a quick message to a colleague to a letter to a client.
See also:Paraphrase, False friend