Pollyanna: 40 words to know before you read it
The 40 words Eleanor H. Porter uses again and again in Pollyanna that are outside the 4,000 most common in English. Learn them first and the opening chapters read much more easily. Each comes with its pronunciation and a sentence from the book.
aunt/ˈænt/76× in the book
You know she's all the aunt I've got, and I didn't know I had her for ever so long.
frown/ˈfɹaʊn/44× in the book
Her mistress frowned.
jelly/ˈdʒɛɫi/42× in the book
Pollyanna was carrying calf's-foot jelly to Mrs. Snow to-day.
reckon/ˈɹɛkən/40× in the book
“After all, I—I reckon I'm glad she doesn't want me to talk about father,” Pollyanna was thinking.
stairs/ˈstɛɹz/36× in the book
… Nancy,” Miss Polly was saying now, “you may clear the little room at the head of the stairs in the attic, and make up the cot bed.
niece/ˈnis/32× in the book
My niece, Miss Pollyanna Whittier, is coming to live with me.
anyhow/ˈɛniˌhaʊ/30× in the book
“Well, it's done—my part, anyhow,” she sighed.
jest/ˈdʒɛst/28× in the book
But some day—some day I shall jest b'ile over; and when I do, of course it'll be good-by Nancy for me.
attic/ˈætɪk/26× in the book
“In the front attic.”
stern/ˈstɝn/22× in the book
“Nancy,”—Miss Polly's voice was very stern now—“when I'm talking to you, I wish you to stop your work and listen to what I have to say.”
retort/ˈɹiˌtɔɹt/21× in the book
“You don't seem ter see any trouble bein' glad about everythin',” retorted Nancy, choking a little over her remembrance of Pollyanna's brave attempts to like the bare little attic room.
till/ˈtɪɫ/20× in the book
Father and the Ladies' Aid used to do it, too, till they found I always came back all right.”
queer/ˈkwɪɹ/18× in the book
She said you'd think 'twas queer.
chuckle/ˈtʃəkəɫ/18× in the book
Timothy chuckled softly; but Nancy was too disturbed to answer the merry flash from his eyes.
abruptly/əˈbɹəptɫi/18× in the book
Then, abruptly, her aunt opened a door and ascended another stairway.
morrow/ˈmɑɹoʊ/17× in the book
My niece will arrive to-morrow at four o'clock.
murmur/ˈmɝmɝ/17× in the book
“I'm so glad now that the screens didn't come,” she murmured, blinking up at the stars; “else I couldn't have had this!”
lamb/ˈɫæm/17× in the book
Mrs. White had pictures, too, perfectly beautiful ones of roses and little girls kneeling and a kitty and some lambs and a lion—not together, you know—the lambs and the lion.
bang/ˈbæŋ/17× in the book
… severe-faced woman who frowned if a knife clattered to the floor, or if a door banged—but who never thought to smile even when knives and doors were still.
carpet/ˈkɑɹpət/16× in the book
The Ladies' Aid bought it for me—and wasn't it lovely of them, when they wanted the carpet so?
stammer/ˈstæmɝ/15× in the book
“Yes, ma'am; I will, ma'am,” she stammered, righting the pitcher, and turning hastily.
hurriedly/ˈhɝidɫi/15× in the book
Miss Polly Harrington entered her kitchen a little hurriedly this June morning.
crutch/ˈkɹətʃ/15× in the book
“Why, we began it on some crutches that came in a missionary barrel.”
gasp/ˈɡæsp/15× in the book
gasped Nancy, surprised into an interruption.
choke/ˈtʃoʊk/15× in the book
She stopped with a little choking breath.
rejoin/ɹiˈdʒɔɪn/14× in the book
Well, that isn't exactly the word I should use,” rejoined Miss Polly, stiffly.
falter/ˈfɔɫtɝ/14× in the book
“Of course, ma'am; it was only that I thought a little girl here might—might brighten things up for you,” she faltered.
mistress/ˈmɪstɹəs/14× in the book
Nancy had been working in Miss Polly's kitchen only two months, but already she knew that her mistress did not usually hurry.
aloud/əˈɫaʊd/14× in the book
“When I ask a question, Pollyanna, I prefer that you should answer aloud not merely with your head.”
missionary/ˈmɪʃəˌnɛɹi/14× in the book
Jennie had preferred these—quite naturally, perhaps; so she had married the minister, and had gone south with him as a home missionary's wife.
bless/ˈbɫɛs/14× in the book
The idea of stickin' that blessed child 'way off up here in this hot little room—with no fire in the winter, too, and all this big house ter pick and choose from!
pillow/ˈpɪɫoʊ/14× in the book
… selected a nice fat soft one (it contained Miss Polly's sealskin coat) for a bed; and a thinner one to be doubled up for a pillow, and still another (which was so thin it seemed almost empty) for a covering.
clap/ˈkɫæp/13× in the book
At one of the windows, a few minutes later, Pollyanna gave a glad cry and clapped her hands joyously.
parlor/ˈpɑɹɫɝ/13× in the book
… the wide, flat tin roof of Miss Polly's sun parlor built over the porte-cochere.
ejaculate/ɪˈdʒækjuˌɫeɪt/12× in the book
she ejaculated, biting her lip.
heathen/ˈhiðən/12× in the book
“Oh, for the heathen,” surmised Pollyanna.
prism/ˈpɹɪzəm/12× in the book
It came from the prism pendants encircling the old-fashioned candelabrum in her hand.
homestead/ˈhoʊmˌstɛd/12× in the book
Fifteen minutes later the great clock in the hallway of the Harrington homestead struck six.
erect/ɪˈɹɛkt/12× in the book
The old man drew himself erect.
calf/ˈkæf/12× in the book
Aunt Polly says she hopes you are comfortable to-day, and she's sent you some calf's-foot jelly.”
Pronunciation: ipa-dict (MIT), from Wiktionary.
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