Word Building
Compounds, blends & clippings
English makes new words by joining words, fusing parts of words, or cutting words short. This is called word formation.
1 Observe
Look at how each word was made. Is it two whole words, two bits of words, or a shorter word?
- Sunflower A tall plant with a large yellow flower (sun + flower).
- Brunch A late morning meal (breakfast + lunch).
- Smog Thick, dirty air over a city (smoke + fog).
- Exam A test (short for examination).
2 Discover
A compound joins two whole words: sun + flower = sunflower. A blend joins parts of two words: breakfast + lunch = brunch. A clipping is a long word cut short: examination → exam.
3 Apply
In winter, some big cities are covered in ____, a mix of smoke and fog.
Which of these is a clipping, a long word cut short?
Which compound is written with hyphens?
4 Create
Make up a sentence that uses one compound and one clipping.
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Example: Vikram had brunch with his grandmother before his maths exam.
5 Explore
Open the cards. Find one compound, one blend and one clipping you use every day.