Compound words

Join two complete words to make a new word, like football, sunflower, rainbow and snowman.

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Try each question. If you're stuck, leave it and come back. The answer key is on the last page.

1
Match each first word to the second word that makes a compound word. Match each item on the left to one on the right. Left: foot, sun, rain, snow, butter Right: ball, flower, bow, man, fly
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2
Make a compound word: rain + ___ = a colourful arch in the sky. rain + ___ = a colourful arch in the sky
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3
Which of these is a compound word? A) happiness B) playground C) running D) quickly
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4
Make a compound word: snow + ___ = a person made of snow. snow + ___ = a person made of snow
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5
Which is NOT a compound word? A) bookcase B) lighthouse C) elephant D) toothbrush
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6
Match each word to its compound partner to make a new word. Match each item on the left to one on the right. Left: tooth, fire, play, bed, light Right: brush, place, ground, room, house
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7
Which compound word means a room where you sleep? A) bathroom B) bedroom C) classroom D) ballroom
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8
Which compound word means a house made of light? A) lighthouse B) skyscraper C) treehouse D) schoolhouse
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9
Combine: birth + day = ___. birth + day = ___
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10
True or false: all compound words are joined together (no space). All compound words are joined together (no space). A) True B) False
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Answer key

Compound words · for parents and teachers

1
foot → ball; sun → flower; rain → bow; snow → man; butter → fly
'foot+ball' = football, 'sun+flower' = sunflower, 'rain+bow' = rainbow, 'snow+man' = snowman and 'butter+fly' = butterfly.
2
bow
'Rain + bow' makes 'rainbow', a colourful arch seen after rain.
3
playground
'Playground' = 'play' + 'ground'. Both halves are full words.
4
man
'Snow + man' makes 'snowman'.
5
elephant
'Elephant' is one word that cannot be split into two smaller words. The others all split into two real words.
6
tooth → brush; fire → place; play → ground; bed → room; light → house
Compound pairs: toothbrush, fireplace, playground, bedroom and lighthouse.
7
bedroom
'Bed + room' makes 'bedroom', the place where you sleep.
8
lighthouse
'Lighthouse' is a tower with a powerful light to warn ships.
9
birthday
'Birthday' = birth + day.
10
False
Some compounds use a hyphen ('mother-in-law') or even a space ('post office').