Chapter: Let's Play with Sounds - and Numbers
📚 Vocabulary
English For Today Class Three
⭐ Most Important Exam Words
soundmiddlevowelconsonantshortlonglistenrepeatpenbedcatbagsitfishsheeptreethreecarfarmcupsunbusninety-oneninety-twoninety-threeninety-fourninety-fiveninety-sixninety-sevenninety-eightninety-nineone hundredfirstsecondthirdfourthfifthsixthseventheighth
📃 Word Formation Rules
► Add -th to many cardinal numbers to form ordinal numbers: four → fourth, six → sixth, seven → seventh.
► Some ordinal numbers are irregular: one → first, two → second, three → third.
► Five changes spelling when it becomes fifth: five → fifth.
► Eight changes spelling when it becomes eighth: eight → eighth.
► Numbers from 21 to 99 are usually written with a hyphen when they are compound numbers: ninety-one, ninety-two.
► Use one hundred, not one hundreds, when saying or writing 100.
► A vowel is a speech sound; a consonant is a letter or sound that is not a vowel.
► Short and long vowel sounds can change the pronunciation and meaning of words, such as ship and sheep.
1. Sound and Pronunciation Vocabulary (8 words)
sound[/saʊnd/]nouneasy
Meaning: শব্দ বা ধ্বনি
Alt: শব্দ করা
Example: Listen to the sound carefully.
Syn: noiseAnt: silence
💡 Exam tip: Sound means ধ্বনি; do not confuse it with the word sound meaning healthy.
middle[/ˈmɪdəl/]adjeasy
Meaning: মাঝের
Alt: মধ্যবর্তী অংশ
Example: Say the middle sound of the word.
Syn: centralAnt: outer
💡 Exam tip: Middle means মাঝের; middle sound means শব্দের মাঝের ধ্বনি.
vowel[/ˈvaʊəl/]nouneasy
Meaning: স্বরবর্ণ
Alt: a, e, i, o, u-এর একটি বর্ণ
Example: A, e, i, o and u are vowels.
Syn: vocalic soundAnt: consonant
💡 Exam tip: Remember the five common English vowels: a, e, i, o, u.
consonant[/ˈkɒnsənənt/]nounmedium
Meaning: ব্যঞ্জনবর্ণ
Alt: স্বরবর্ণ ছাড়া অন্য বর্ণ
Example: B is a consonant.
Syn: consonantal letterAnt: vowel
💡 Exam tip: B, c, d and t are examples of consonants.
short[/ʃɔːrt/]adjeasy
Meaning: খাটো বা সংক্ষিপ্ত
Alt: কম সময়ের
Example: The word has a short vowel sound.
Syn: briefAnt: long
💡 Exam tip: Short vowel and long vowel are common pronunciation terms.
long[/lɒŋ/]adjeasy
Meaning: লম্বা বা দীর্ঘ
Alt: দীর্ঘ সময়ের
Example: The word has a long vowel sound.
Syn: lengthyAnt: short
💡 Exam tip: Long can describe length, time, or a vowel sound.
listen[/ˈlɪsən/]verbeasy
Meaning: মনোযোগ দিয়ে শোনা
Alt: শুনে বোঝার চেষ্টা করা
Example: Listen to the teacher and repeat.
Syn: hear attentivelyAnt: ignore
💡 Exam tip: Listen is followed by to: Listen to the sound.
repeat[/rɪˈpiːt/]verbeasy
Meaning: পুনরাবৃত্তি করা
Alt: আবার বলা বা করা
Example: Repeat the word after me.
Syn: say againAnt: stop
💡 Exam tip: Repeat after me is a useful classroom instruction.
2. Vowel Sounds /e/ and /æ/ (8 words)
pen[/pen/]nouneasy
Meaning: কলম
Alt: লেখার উপকরণ
Example: I have a blue pen.
Syn: writing tool
💡 Exam tip: Pen has the short /e/ sound.
bed[/bed/]nouneasy
Meaning: বিছানা
Alt: ঘুমানোর স্থান
Example: The baby is on the bed.
Syn: sleeping place
💡 Exam tip: Bed is an example of the /e/ middle sound.
ten[/ten/]nouneasy
Meaning: দশ
Alt: ১০ সংখ্যাটি
Example: I can count to ten.
Syn: 10
💡 Exam tip: Ten has the /e/ sound and means ১০.
red[/red/]adjeasy
Meaning: লাল
Alt: লাল রঙের
Example: She has a red bag.
Syn: crimsonAnt: colourless
💡 Exam tip: The middle sound in red is /e/.
cat[/kæt/]nouneasy
Meaning: বিড়াল
Alt: একটি পোষা প্রাণী
Example: The cat is under the table.
Syn: feline
💡 Exam tip: Cat has the short /æ/ sound.
bat[/bæt/]nouneasy
Meaning: বাদুড়
Alt: ক্রিকেট খেলার ব্যাট
Example: The bat flies at night.
Syn: flying mammal
💡 Exam tip: Bat and cat have the same middle vowel sound /æ/.
bag[/bæɡ/]nouneasy
Meaning: ব্যাগ
Alt: জিনিস রাখার থলে
Example: My books are in the bag.
Syn: sack
💡 Exam tip: Bag contains the short /æ/ sound.
map[/mæp/]nouneasy
Meaning: মানচিত্র
Alt: কোনো স্থানের চিত্র
Example: This map shows Bangladesh.
Syn: chart
💡 Exam tip: Map is a useful example of the /æ/ middle sound.
3. Vowel Sounds /ɪ/ and /iː/ (8 words)
sit[/sɪt/]verbeasy
Meaning: বসা
Alt: আসন গ্রহণ করা
Example: Please sit on the chair.
Syn: take a seatAnt: stand
💡 Exam tip: Sit has the short /ɪ/ sound.
ship[/ʃɪp/]nounmedium
Meaning: জাহাজ
Alt: জলযান
Example: The ship is on the sea.
Syn: boat
💡 Exam tip: Ship and sheep differ in their vowel sounds.
fish[/fɪʃ/]nouneasy
Meaning: মাছ
Alt: জলে বসবাসকারী প্রাণী
Example: The fish swims in the pond.
Syn: aquatic animal
💡 Exam tip: Fish contains the short /ɪ/ sound.
big[/bɪɡ/]adjeasy
Meaning: বড়
Alt: আকারে বেশি
Example: The elephant is big.
Syn: largeAnt: small
💡 Exam tip: Big is opposite to small and has /ɪ/.
sheep[/ʃiːp/]nouneasy
Meaning: ভেড়া
Alt: একটি গৃহপালিত প্রাণী
Example: The sheep is eating grass.
Syn: woolly animal
💡 Exam tip: Sheep has the long /iː/ sound.
tree[/triː/]nounmedium
Meaning: গাছ
Alt: কাণ্ড ও ডালপালাযুক্ত উদ্ভিদ
Example: There is a tall tree beside the house.
Syn: plant
💡 Exam tip: Tree and three sound similarly, but their meanings are different.
green[/ɡriːn/]adjeasy
Meaning: সবুজ
Alt: সবুজ রঙের
Example: The leaves are green.
Syn: verdantAnt: dry
💡 Exam tip: Green has the long /iː/ sound.
three[/θriː/]nouneasy
Meaning: তিন
Alt: ৩ সংখ্যাটি
Example: I have three pencils.
Syn: 3
💡 Exam tip: Three means ৩; tree means গাছ. Notice the initial sound.
4. Vowel Sounds /ɑː/ and /ʌ/ (8 words)
car[/kɑːr/]nouneasy
Meaning: গাড়ি
Alt: মোটরযান
Example: The car is red.
Syn: automobile
💡 Exam tip: Car has the long /ɑː/ sound.
farm[/fɑːrm/]nouneasy
Meaning: খামার
Alt: ফসল বা পশু পালনের স্থান
Example: My uncle works on a farm.
Syn: agricultural land
💡 Exam tip: Farm is an example of the /ɑː/ sound.
star[/stɑːr/]nouneasy
Meaning: তারা
Alt: আকাশের উজ্জ্বল বস্তু
Example: I can see a bright star.
Syn: celestial body
💡 Exam tip: Star contains the long /ɑː/ sound.
park[/pɑːrk/]nouneasy
Meaning: উদ্যান বা পার্ক
Alt: খোলা বিনোদনস্থল
Example: Children play in the park.
Syn: playground
💡 Exam tip: Park is commonly used to practise /ɑː/.
cup[/kʌp/]nouneasy
Meaning: কাপ
Alt: পানীয় রাখার পাত্র
Example: There is milk in the cup.
Syn: glass
💡 Exam tip: Cup has the short /ʌ/ sound.
sun[/sʌn/]nounmedium
Meaning: সূর্য
Alt: পৃথিবীর নিকটতম নক্ষত্র
Example: The sun is shining.
Syn: solar starAnt: moon
💡 Exam tip: Do not confuse sun with son; sun means সূর্য.
bus[/bʌs/]nouneasy
Meaning: বাস
Alt: অনেক যাত্রী বহনকারী যান
Example: We go to school by bus.
Syn: coach
💡 Exam tip: Bus has the short /ʌ/ sound.
run[/rʌn/]verbeasy
Meaning: দৌড়ানো
Alt: দ্রুত চলা
Example: The boys run in the field.
Syn: raceAnt: walk
💡 Exam tip: Run and sun have the same middle vowel sound /ʌ/.
5. Cardinal Numbers 91–100 (10 words)
ninety-one[/ˌnaɪnti ˈwʌn/]nounmedium
Meaning: একানব্বই
Alt: ৯১ সংখ্যাটি
Example: There are ninety-one students in the two groups.
Syn: 91
💡 Exam tip: Write ninety-one with a hyphen.
ninety-two[/ˌnaɪnti ˈtuː/]nounmedium
Meaning: বিরানব্বই
Alt: ৯২ সংখ্যাটি
Example: She scored ninety-two marks.
Syn: 92
💡 Exam tip: Two is spelled t-w-o, not too, when writing the number.
ninety-three[/ˌnaɪnti ˈθriː/]nounmedium
Meaning: তিরানব্বই
Alt: ৯৩ সংখ্যাটি
Example: The book has ninety-three pages.
Syn: 93
💡 Exam tip: Three begins with the /θ/ sound.
ninety-four[/ˌnaɪnti ˈfɔːr/]nounmedium
Meaning: চুরানব্বই
Alt: ৯৪ সংখ্যাটি
Example: There are ninety-four mangoes.
Syn: 94
💡 Exam tip: Use four, not for, in number spelling.
ninety-five[/ˌnaɪnti ˈfaɪv/]nounmedium
Meaning: পঁচানব্বই
Alt: ৯৫ সংখ্যাটি
Example: He counted ninety-five stars.
Syn: 95
💡 Exam tip: Five ends with the /v/ sound.
ninety-six[/ˌnaɪnti ˈsɪks/]nounmedium
Meaning: ছিয়ানব্বই
Alt: ৯৬ সংখ্যাটি
Example: The jar contains ninety-six beads.
Syn: 96
💡 Exam tip: Six is written s-i-x.
ninety-seven[/ˌnaɪnti ˈsevən/]nounmedium
Meaning: সাতানব্বই
Alt: ৯৭ সংখ্যাটি
Example: There are ninety-seven chairs.
Syn: 97
💡 Exam tip: Seven has two syllables: sev-en.
ninety-eight[/ˌnaɪnti ˈeɪt/]nounmedium
Meaning: আটানব্বই
Alt: ৯৮ সংখ্যাটি
Example: The class has ninety-eight books.
Syn: 98
💡 Exam tip: Eight begins with a silent h.
ninety-nine[/ˌnaɪnti ˈnaɪn/]nounmedium
Meaning: নিরানব্বই
Alt: ৯৯ সংখ্যাটি
Example: Ninety-nine is one less than one hundred.
Syn: 99
💡 Exam tip: Use a hyphen in ninety-nine.
one hundred[/wʌn ˈhʌndrəd/]nouneasy
Meaning: একশ
Alt: ১০০ সংখ্যাটি
Example: There are one hundred pages in the book.
Syn: 100
💡 Exam tip: Write one hundred, not one hundreds.
6. Ordinal Numbers and Counting (8 words)
first[/fɜːrst/]adjeasy
Meaning: প্রথম
Alt: ক্রমের ১ নম্বর
Example: Rina came first in the race.
Syn: number oneAnt: last
💡 Exam tip: First is the ordinal form of one.
second[/ˈsekənd/]adjeasy
Meaning: দ্বিতীয়
Alt: ক্রমের ২ নম্বর
Example: He stood second in the line.
Syn: nextAnt: first
💡 Exam tip: Second is the ordinal form of two.
third[/θɜːrd/]adjmedium
Meaning: তৃতীয়
Alt: ক্রমের ৩ নম্বর
Example: Today is the third day of the week.
Syn: number threeAnt: first
💡 Exam tip: Third is irregular; do not write threerd.
fourth[/fɔːrθ/]adjeasy
Meaning: চতুর্থ
Alt: ক্রমের ৪ নম্বর
Example: The fourth child is smiling.
Syn: number fourAnt: first
💡 Exam tip: Most ordinal numbers are formed by adding -th.
fifth[/fɪfθ/]adjmedium
Meaning: পঞ্চম
Alt: ক্রমের ৫ নম্বর
Example: May is the fifth month of the year.
Syn: number fiveAnt: first
💡 Exam tip: Five changes to fifth: remove ve and add fth.
sixth[/sɪksθ/]adjmedium
Meaning: ষষ্ঠ
Alt: ক্রমের ৬ নম্বর
Example: The sixth lesson is about numbers.
Syn: number sixAnt: first
💡 Exam tip: Sixth is spelled s-i-x-t-h.
seventh[/ˈsevənθ/]adjeasy
Meaning: সপ্তম
Alt: ক্রমের ৭ নম্বর
Example: She won the seventh prize.
Syn: number sevenAnt: first
💡 Exam tip: Add -th to seven to make seventh.
eighth[/eɪtθ/]adjhard
Meaning: অষ্টম
Alt: ক্রমের ৮ নম্বর
Example: The eighth page has a picture.
Syn: number eightAnt: first
💡 Exam tip: Eighth is spelled e-i-g-h-t-h; the h is written but not separately pronounced.
💡 Exam Tips
• Match each spoken number with its correct numeral: three = 3, ninety-five = 95.
• Practise both directions: read the numeral aloud and write the numeral after hearing the number word.
• Remember the difference between cardinal numbers, which show quantity, and ordinal numbers, which show position.
• Do not confuse similar words such as three and tree, sun and son, or two and too.
• In sound questions, listen to the middle vowel sound, not only the first or last sound.
• Count real objects while saying the number to connect the number word with its quantity.
• Check spelling carefully: forty is not fourty, fifth is not fiveth, and eighth contains h.
• Use a hyphen in compound numbers such as ninety-one and ninety-nine.
• For fill-in-the-blanks, read the whole sentence before choosing the correct sound word or number.
• Repeat difficult words slowly and divide longer number names into parts, such as ninety-seven.