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This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.
This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.
verb (used with object), read [red], /rɛd/, read·ing [ree-ding]. /ˈri dɪŋ/.
to look at carefully so as to understand the meaning of (something written, printed, etc.): to read a book; to read music.
to utter aloud or render in speech (something written, printed, etc.): reading a story to his children; The actor read his lines in a booming voice.
to have such knowledge of (a language) as to be able to understand things written in it: to be able to read French.
to apprehend the meaning of (signs, characters, etc.) otherwise than with the eyes, as by means of the fingers: to read Braille.
to apprehend or interpret the meaning of (gestures, movements, signals, or the like): to read a semaphore; to read sign language.
to make out the significance of by scrutiny or observation: to read the cloudy sky as the threat of a storm; a fisherman skilled in reading a stream for potential pools.
to anticipate, expect, or calculate by observation: At the line of scrimmage, the quarterback read a blitz and called an audible.
to foresee, foretell, or predict: to read a person’s fortune in tea leaves.
to make out the character, motivations, desires, etc., of (a person or persons), as by the interpretation of outward signs.
to interpret or attribute a meaning to (a written text), a musical composition, etc.): How do you read this clause in the contract?
to infer (something not expressed or directly indicated) from what is read, considered, or observed: He read an underlying sarcasm into her letter. In your silence I read agreement to my plan.
to adopt or give as a reading in a particular passage:For “one thousand” another version reads “ten thousand.”
to substitute or replace (a particular word or phrase) in a written text, usually to correct an error: Read “cavalry” for “calvary.”
to check (printers’ proofs, copy, etc.) for errors; proofread.
to register or indicate, as a thermometer, clock, etc.
Computers. to obtain (data, programs, or control information) from an external storage medium or some other source and place in memory.
British. to study (a subject), as at a university: to read law.
to read the work of (an author): She is reading Kafka.
to learn by or as if by reading: to read a person’s thoughts.
to hear and understand (a transmitted radio message or the person transmitting it); receive: I read you loud and clear.
to bring, put, etc., by reading: to read oneself to sleep.
to give one (a lecture or lesson) by way of admonition or rebuke.
to discover or explain the meaning of (a riddle, dream, etc.).
verb (used without object), read [red], /rɛd/, read·ing [ree-ding]. /ˈri dɪŋ/.
to read or peruse written or printed matter.
to utter aloud or render in speech written or printed words that one is perusing: to read to a person.
to give a public reading or recital.
to inspect and apprehend the meaning of written or other signs or characters.
to occupy oneself seriously with reading or study.
to obtain knowledge or learn of something by reading.
to admit of being read, especially properly or well.
to have a certain wording.
to admit of being interpreted: a rule that reads in two different ways.
to register or indicate particular information, as the status or condition of something: Her blood pressure is reading a little low today.
to have an effect or make an impression; show forth: Those battle photographs read with great impact.
Computers. to read data, programs, or control information.
noun
an act or instance of reading: Give the agreement a careful read before you sign it.
something that is read: Her new novel is a wonderful read.
Verb Phrases
read in, Computers. to place (data, programs, or control information) in memory.
read out,
- to read aloud, as for someone’s attention.
- Computers. to retrieve (information) from a computer.
read out of, to oust from membership in (a political party or other group) by a public announcement of dismissal: He was read out of the association because of alleged subversive activities.
read up on, to learn about by reading; gather information on; research by reading: You’d better read up on World War I before taking the history test.
VIDEO FOR READ
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Which sentence is correct?
Idioms about read
read for, (of an actor) to audition for (a role, a play, etc.).
read lips, to study the lip movements of a speaker who cannot be heard so as to determine the words being uttered.
Origin of read
1
First recorded before 900; Middle English reden, read(en), reid(e), Old English rǣdan “to counsel, read”; cognate with Dutch raden, German raten, Old Norse rātha; akin to Sanskrit rādhnoti “(he) achieves”; see also rede, riddle1
Words nearby read
reactive schizophrenia, reactive thrust, reactivity, reactor, reactor vessel, read, readability, readable, read-across, read a lecture, read between the lines
Other definitions for read (2 of 3)
adjective
having knowledge gained by reading (usually used in combination): a well-read person.
Origin of read
2
First recorded in 1570–80; past participle of read1
Other definitions for read (3 of 3)
noun
George, 1733–98, American political leader: served in the Continental Congress 1774–77.
Sir Herbert, 1893–1968, English critic and poet.
a male given name: from an Old English word meaning “red.”
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Words related to read
gather, interpret, know, learn, scan, see, study, translate, view, announce, deliver, display, explain, hold, recite, say, show, speak, utter, apprehend
How to use read in a sentence
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Frank, if you’re reading this, rethink your starting five for Game 1 tomorrow.
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If you’re reading this, chances are you care a lot about fighting climate change, and that’s great.
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The more I read about it, the more I realized I did not understand what the National Guard does.
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He’ll read and edit them and then write his pages in the morning.
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It’s great to read an article in Chrome on one screen and take notes in OneNote on the other screen.
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There was nobody that I read who was like, “This is just… whatever.”
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If you read the reactions, she was billed as ‘Beauty and Brains.’
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Another read: “We need leaders who will stand against Common Core.”
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Can you talk about some of the books you read that you think are particularly good on the political history of the 1960s?
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President Harry Truman kept a sign on his desk that read: “The Buck Stops Here.”
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But Mrs. Dodd, the present vicar’s wife, retained the precious prerogative of choosing the book to be read at the monthly Dorcas.
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Now first we shall want our pupil to understand, speak, read and write the mother tongue well.
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No man should regard the subject of religion as decided for him until he has read The Golden Bough.
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Davy read this over two or three times, in the greatest perplexity, and then gave it up in despair.
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A true history of the Merrill Horse, and the adventures of its different members, would read like the most exciting fiction.
British Dictionary definitions for read (1 of 2)
verb reads, reading or read (rɛd)
to comprehend the meaning of (something written or printed) by looking at and interpreting the written or printed characters
to be occupied in such an activityhe was reading all day
(when tr , often foll by out) to look at, interpret, and speak aloud (something written or printed)he read to us from the Bible
(tr) to interpret the significance or meaning of through scrutiny and recognitionhe read the sky and predicted rain; to read a map
(tr) to interpret or understand the meaning of (signs, characters, etc) other than by visual meansto read Braille
(tr) to have sufficient knowledge of (a language) to understand the written or printed worddo you read German?
(tr) to discover or make out the true nature or mood ofto read someone’s mind
to interpret or understand (something read) in a specified way, or (of something read) to convey a particular meaning or impressionI read this speech as satire; this book reads well
(tr) to adopt as a reading in a particular passagefor «boon» read «bone»
(intr) to have or contain a certain form or wordingthe sentence reads as follows
to undertake a course of study in (a subject)to read history; read for the bar
to gain knowledge by readinghe read about the war
(tr) to register, indicate, or showthe meter reads 100
(tr) to bring or put into a specified condition by readingto read a child to sleep
(tr) to hear and understand, esp when using a two-way radiowe are reading you loud and clear
computing to obtain (data) from a storage device, such as magnetic tapeCompare write (def. 16)
(tr) to understand (written or printed music) by interpretation of the notes on the staff and to be able to reproduce the musical sounds represented by these notes
read a lesson or read a lecture informal to censure or reprimand, esp in a long-winded manner
read between the lines to perceive or deduce a meaning that is hidden or implied rather than being openly stated
you wouldn’t read about it Australian informal an expression of dismay, disgust, or disbelief
noun
matter suitable for readingthis new book is a very good read
the act of reading
Word Origin for read
Old English rǣdan to advise, explain; related to Old Frisian rēda, Old High German rātan, Gothic garēdan
British Dictionary definitions for read (2 of 2)
verb
the past tense and past participle of read 1
adjective
having knowledge gained from books (esp in the phrases widely read, well-read)
take something as read to take something for granted as a fact; understand or presume
Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with read
In addition to the idioms beginning with read
- read a lecture
- read between the lines
- read into
- read like an open book
- read out of
- read someone’s mind
- read the riot act
- read up
also see:
- do you read me
- open book, read like an
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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#1
Why does English pronounce the verb read in past tense differently? It has the exact pronunciation as the word red.
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#2
In a sense, you’ve asked the wrong question!
The original pronunciation of «read» in the present tense was «raid» — «rey -id» (sorry, I haven’t mastered the phonetic alphabet yet). It has since changed to «reed».
In the past tense, the vowel more or less remained but changed slighty to «red».
Why such changes happen is part of the whole history of a language. In English, we had the Great Vowel Shift, but there were also regional variations in pronunciation. Sometimes one region’s version prevailed over the rest.
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#3
Firstly, it is not exactly like red but the vowel is longer in read (past tense). This is important for the explanation. To read has always been a weak verb so it isn’t an Umlaut phenomenon (only the past participle had a strong form in some Germanic languages, like Gothic and some forms of Old High German). Old English had two forms: redan which is of Anglo-Saxon origin and rædan which is of West-Saxon origin. The stem vowels in both forms were long. These forms must have been very persistent as you still find both reden and ræden in Middle English. During the Great Vowel Shift [e:] as in reden changed to [i:] while [æ:] as in ræden remained unchanged.
From the aforementioned, I risk the educated guess that the present tense pronunciation has probably been derived from reden and the past tense pronunciation from ræden.
Last edited: Jul 25, 2008
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#4
The spelling is quite arbitrary, but you can say that it’s because long vowels and short vowels are not marked. (I’ve included «red» here for comparison)
- (600 — 900) Old English: iċ rǣde /ˈræː.de/ vs iċ rǣdde /ˈræːd.de/ vs rēad /ˈræːɑd/
- (900 — 1100) Smoothing of diphthongs: /ˈræː.de/ vs /ˈræːd.de/ vs /ræːd/
- (900 — 1100) Stressed vowel changes: /ˈrɛː.de/ vs /ˈrɛːd.de/ vs /rɛːd/
- (900 — 1100) Unstressed vowel changes: /ˈrɛː.də/ vs /ˈrɛːd.də/ vs /rɛːd/
- (1100 — 1400) Shortening of vowel in closed syllable: /ˈrɛː.də/ vs /ˈrɛd.də/ vs /rɛd/
- (1100 — 1400) Reduction of double consonants: /ˈrɛː.də/ vs /ˈrɛ.də/ vs /rɛd/
- (1400 — 1600) Dropping of schwa: /rɛːd/ vs /rɛd/ vs /rɛd/
- (1400 — 1600) Great Vowel Shift Phase 1: /reːd/ vs /rɛd/ vs /rɛd/
- (1600 — 2000) Great Vowel Shift Phase 2: read /riːd/ vs read /rɛd/ vs red /rɛd/
Note: all dates are rough estimates.
Last edited: Apr 6, 2017
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#5
Firstly, it is not exactly like red but the vowel is longer in read (past tense).
But we can see it is nowadays the same in the phonetic alphabet can’t we?
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#6
But we can see it is nowadays the same in the phonetic alphabet can’t we?
After almost ten years I see things different now.
I would say that the progression in #4 is pseudo-precision. Besides many different dialectal variants, it ignored the competing strong and weak conjugation in OE that left its traces also in ME. The spelling read corresponds according to the Chancery English rules to the pronunciation /rɛːd/ that must have existed for both present and past at the time. The modern pronunciation may simply be an assimilation to the common pattern that we, e.g., find in feed-fed-fed.
Last edited: Apr 10, 2017
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#7
Hmm thanks
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#8
During the Great Vowel Shift [e:] as in reden changed to [i:] while [æ:] as in ræden remained unchanged.
By Middle English, [æ:] has already become [ε:], which during the Great Vowel Shift also became [i:]. I don’t see why you have to construct the present tense from reden but the past tense from ræden.
I would say that the progression in #4 is pseudo-precision. Besides many different dialectal variants, it ignored the competing strong and weak conjugation in OE that left its traces also in ME.
I do not see how the strong conjugation in OE left its traces in ME. For one, the present tense of both conjugations are the same in OE.
We use different languages worldwide to communicate with each other. Every so often we wonder where a word came from. How did a particular word start being used as a common word worldwide and where did it actually originate from. So to find this out we will explore the world of languages and origin of words in this article. This article will cover websites which will let you know the origin of a word.
The study of origin of a word is known as Etymology. You will find that often there are popular tales behind the origin of a word. Most of these tales are just tales and not true, but knowing how the word came into being is equally interesting. So let’s look at these websites to know the origin of words below.
Online Etymology Dictionary
Online etymology dictionary explains you the origin of words and what they meant along with how they would have sounded years back. You would see a date beside each word. This date represents the earliest evidence of this word being used in some sort of written manuscript. Now you can either search for a word you are looking for by typing it in the search box given at the top of the page, otherwise you can browse the words alphabetically. The website has a huge collection of words in it. You can go through the words and find out there origins and meanings as well.
Word Origins by English Oxford Living Dictionaries
Word Origins by English Oxford Living Dictionaries is a good website to know about a words origin. You can check out origin of a word or a phrase. You can search for the word or a phrase you are looking for or can even browse the page to know origin of different words. The website apart from this has a dictionary, thesaurus, grammar helper, etc. As this app has a dictionary, it proves to be a good source for knowing the origin of a word. You can see trending words when you scroll down the page. You can also subscribe to the newsletter on this website to receive updates regarding new words, phrases, etc.
Wordorigins.org
The website Wordorigins.org will let you know the origin of words and phrases. The website has a big list of words which you can go through, or even search for a particular word that you are looking for. The website also has a blog and discussion forum where people can discuss there views. You can login and become a member of the website so you receive regular updates from the website. You can either start browsing words by going to the big list words tab, or by searching for a word. The big list of words is in alphabetical order and there are about 400 words in here. Each word has a interesting story or folklore related to it.
Words of the World
Words of the World is a website which lets you watch videos to let you know the origin of a word. The website explains which language a word originated from through a video. The home page of the website will have a list of words for which you can see a video explaining how the word originated. The words on the home page are given in the format as shown in the screenshot above, but they can also be turned into a neat list if you like. The website is supported by the University of Nottingham and thus is a trusted source.
Learning Nerd
Learning Nerd is another website which has a section on English etymology resources. The website lists references to origin of words like there are word origin dictionaries listed, words with Greek and Latin roots are under a different category, words originating from around the world can be found under international words, and then there is a section for miscellaneous words. You can also play etymology quizzes and listen to etymology podcasts as well. The website itself doesn’t have much information about word origins but will redirect you to another website for your word needs.
Learn That Word
Learn That Word is another website which lists root words and prefixes. The website is pretty basic and a list of words can be seen right on the first page. The words are listed alphabetically, so you can even jump to a word that you are looking for easily. The website will list the root word, its meaning, its place of origin, and then definition and examples. This can be seen in the screenshot above.
These are the websites I found which let you know the origin of a word. Go through them and let me know which one you liked most. If you think there is a website which could be included in this article then leave a comment below.