Word of the Day: story
Word class: noun
Simple meaning: an account of connected events, which may be true or imagined.
Listen to the pronunciation
What does story mean?
A story tells us what happens to people, animals, or imagined characters. It usually has a beginning, a middle, and an end. A novel can contain one long story, while a collection may contain many short stories. People also use the word for a true personal account, such as the story of a journey.
The plural is stories, with the final y changing to ies. The word can also mean a floor of a building in American English, although British English normally spells that meaning storey. On BookAud, the literary meaning is the useful one.
Examples
- The narrator begins the story in a quiet village.
- She told us a funny story about her first journey.
- This collection contains five short stories.
Use the word while listening
Listen to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland for a few minutes. Then say what kind of story it is, where the story begins, and which character you noticed first. Finally, use the plural form stories in a new sentence.
Related words: tale, narrative, plot, storyteller, chapter.
Swedish: berättelse · French: histoire · German: Geschichte.
Sources and audio credit
The meaning, pronunciation, and plural form were checked in Wiktionary. BookAud wrote the explanation and examples. The US English pronunciation was recorded by Celestianpower and is hosted by Wikimedia Commons. The copyright holder released this recording into the public domain.