Spelling Lists for Semester 1 Week 15

Tip of the Week


Should 'debris' be read as 'day-bris' or 'day-bri'?


'Debris' is read as 'day-bri', without pronouncing the final consonant 's'. It could also be read as 'de-bri' but again the last letter 's' is not pronounced (from The Concise Oxford Dictionary).


The reason for this seeming anomaly is that 'debris' is an imported word of French origin and the French generally do not pronounce 's' when it is the last letter in a word (except for cases of liaison but that is another story).


So just remember that the 's' in 'debris' is silent!

Other words with silent 's' at the end

• rendezvous
• chamois
• Illinois
• Arkansas

Advanced Composition

1. catastrophe
2. calamity
3. cataclysm
4. pandemonium
5. mayhem
6. bedlam
7. Screams rent the air.
8. The force of the explosion sent debris hurtling through the air.



Intermediate Composition

1. rehearsal
2. ascended the stairs
3. antiques
4. inquisitively
5. cranky
6. in a jiffy
7. principal
8. The teachers promised retribution to anyone who dared to enter the room.