Determine Meaning of Words and Phrases (RL3.4) – Dictionaries/Glossaries
RL3.4 – Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, distinguishing literal from nonliteral
language.
Introduction
When you come to a word or phrase you do not know in a passage, there are several strategies you
can use to figure out its meaning.
Model Using a Dictionary
A dictionary can tell you an unknown word’s meaning and pronunciation.
Read the passage below. Then look at the sample dictionary entry for the word fantastic.
My friends and I love adventure stories. We wish we could go exploring with the story
characters. That is impossible. But we do learn all sorts of things from these exciting tales.
Sometimes we put on a play about a story we’re reading. We hold auditions to see who will play each
part. From the book, we learn where and when the story takes place. Then we take old clothes and
add decorations like sparkling jewels to make costumes. We make the costumes look like clothes the
story characters wore. People who see our plays often say the costumes are fantastic. The right
costumes help make a play a success.
Sample Entry
fan tas tic (fan tas´ tik) adj. 1. not real; unbelievable I didn’t believe the talking bear in the movie, it
was too fantastic. 2. excellent or great I want to read the next book because this book’s ending was
fantastic.
A phonetic spelling tells you how to say the word. Notice that fantastic is divided into three parts.
Each part is called a syllable.
The accent mark (´) after the second syllable shows you which syllable to stress when pronouncing
the word.
There are two meanings for the word fantastic. The second meaning, “excellent or great,” is the best
meaning for the sentence in the passage above.
Use Print and Digital Resources
Reference materials are printed texts or online resources that give factual information about a word or
a topic. Dictionaries and glossaries are examples of reference materials you can use to learn about
words.
Dictionaries
Dictionaries give lots of information about words. You can use a print or digital dictionary to look up
any word that you would like to know more about.
 Entry – The words listed in a dictionary are called entries. They are in bold type and
alphabetical order.
 Pronunciation – An entry word is followed by its pronunciation, or the way it is spoken. The
pronunciation is broken into syllables, and accent marks show which syllables to emphasize.
 Part of Speech and Definitions – A word’s part of speech and definitions follow its
pronunciation. Multiple definitions are numbered, and the most common meanings are usually
listed first.
 Sample Sentences – Some dictionaries give sample sentences so you can see how a word is
used. Pictures may also be included to help you understand word meanings.
Look at the sample dictionary entry below. Note the entry word, the pronunciation, the part of speech,
the definitions, and the sample sentences.
Glossaries
Like dictionaries, glossaries give lots of information about words. A glossary is found in the back of a
print book or as a link in an e-book (also called a digital book), to look up key words used in that book.
Look at this glossary entry. You can see how similar it is to a dictionary entry. One difference is that
the glossary entry includes the page number where the word is located in the book. Another
difference is that only the definition of the word as it is used in the book is included.
Determine Meaning of Words and Phrases (RL3.4) – Word Parts
RL3.4 – Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, distinguishing literal from nonliteral
language.
Introduction
When you come to a word or phrase you do not know in a passage, there are several strategies you
can use to figure out its meaning.
Model Using Word Parts
Dividing words into word parts can help you figure out the meaning of unknown words. Knowing the
meanings of prefixes, suffixes, and word roots will help you.
A prefix is the word part that comes before the root word.
A suffix is the word part that comes after
the root word.
A root word is the word part that is the main part of a word.
Read the passage below. Then look at the word impossible and the example of how you might use
word parts to determine the meaning of the word.
My friends and I love adventure stories. We wish we could go exploring with the story
characters. That is impossible. But we do learn all sorts of things from these exciting tales.
Sometimes we put on a play about a story we’re reading. We hold auditions to see who will play each
part. From the book, we learn where and when the story takes place. Then we take old clothes and
add decorations like sparkling jewels to make costumes. We make the costumes look like clothes the
story characters wore. People who see our plays often say the costumes are fantastic. The right
costumes help make a play a success.
Example: The prefixes im-, non-, and dis- mean “not” or “the opposite of.”
im + perfect = imperfect (not perfect)
non + sense = nonsense (something that doesn’t make sense)
dis + trust = distrust (to not trust)
Since you know the meaning of the prefix im- is “not” and the meaning of the root word possible is
“able to be done,” you can determine that the meaning of impossible is “not able to be done.”
Understand Word Parts
Many English words are formed by adding prefixes and suffixes to a root word.
• A prefix is a word part that is added to the beginning of a word to change its meaning.
• A suffix is a word part that is added to the end of a word to change its meaning.
• The root word is the basic word before a prefix or a suffix is added to it.
Prefixes
A prefix is a word part that is added to the beginning of a word to change its meaning. The chart
shows some common prefixes and their meanings.
Prefix
reun-/inpremisdis-
Meaning
again
not or opposite
before or ahead
wrong
not or opposite
Read each sentence below. To determine the meaning of each word that appears in blue, think about
the meaning of the prefix.
Without the mats, the wet floors in the kitchen could be |unsafe|.
 Unsafe means “not safe.” If the wet floors do not have mats on them, they are not safe for
people to walk on.
If the dog |disobeys| its trainer, it will not get a treat.
 Disobey means “to not obey.” If the dog does not do what the trainer asks, it will not be
rewarded.
Please |reread| my e-mail and then send me an answer.
 Reread means “read again.” The speaker is asking someone to read the e-mail again and then
reply.
Determine Meaning of Words and Phrases (RL3.4) – Context Clues
RL3.4 – Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, distinguishing literal from nonliteral
language.
Introduction
When you come to a word or phrase you do not know in a passage, there are several strategies you
can use to figure out its meaning.
Model Using Context Clues
“Context” refers to the words in the same or surrounding sentences. These other words and
sentences can help you figure out the unknown word’s meaning. Sometimes writers use definitions or
examples to help readers understand unfamiliar words.
Read the passage below. Then look at the example of how you might use context clues to figure out
the meaning of the word auditions and the phrase top notch.
My friends and I love adventure stories. We wish we could go exploring with the story
characters. That is impossible. But we do learn all sorts of things from these exciting tales.
Sometimes we put on a play about a story we’re reading. We hold auditions to see who will play each
part. From the book, we learn where and when the story takes place. Then we take old clothes and
add decorations like sparkling jewels to make costumes. We make the costumes look like clothes the
story characters wore. People who see our plays often say the costumes are fantastic. The right
costumes help make a play a top notch success.
Context clues can be used to figure out the meaning of the word auditions. If you read the rest of the
sentence you see auditions help “to see who will play each part.” So during an audition someone acts
out a part of the story. Auditions must be “performances for someone to choose actors.”
The phrase top notch in the last sentence can also be confusing. The word success is in the last
sentence. You know that people often say the costumes in the plays are fantastic or excellent. So if
the right costumes make the play successful, the phrase top notch must mean “great or excellent.”
Use Context Clues
When you are reading, you will sometimes come across an unknown word or phrase. Using context
clues can help you figure out the meaning of the unknown word or phrase. These clues can be found
in the words and sentences surrounding the unknown word or phrase.
Context Clues Within the Same Sentence
Sometimes a reader can figure out the meaning of an unfamiliar word by looking for word clues within
the same sentence. The clue might be a synonym or another word or phrase that helps the reader
figure out the unfamiliar word’s meaning. It also might come before or after the unknown word.
Read the following sentence. Use context clues to determine the meaning of the underlined word.
The post office offers rapid delivery so that people get their letters quickly.



The context clue appears in the same sentence as the unknown word.
The post office offers rapid delivery so that people get their letters quickly.
The word quickly helps the reader determine the meaning of the word rapid. The reader can
determine that rapid means “quick or fast.”
Context Clues in a Different Sentence
Readers may also find word clues in a nearby sentence. It may be a sentence before or after the
sentence with the unknown word.
Read the following sentences. Use context clues to determine the meaning of the underlined word.
We waited in line to get an autograph. The writer sat at a small table signing copies of her book.



The context clue appears in a different sentence than the sentence containing the unknown
word.
We waited in line to get an autograph. The writer sat at a small table signing copies of her
book.
The word signing in the second sentence helps the reader determine the meaning of the word
autograph in the first sentence. The reader can determine that autograph means “a signature,
or one’s own writing.”