The Adventures of Pinocchio: 40 words to know before you read it
The 40 words Carlo Collodi uses again and again in The Adventures of Pinocchio 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.
donkey/ˈdɑŋki/38× in the book
Don’t you know that if you go on like that, you will grow into a perfect donkey and that you’ll be the laughingstock of everyone?”
till/ˈtɪɫ/24× in the book
It stretched and stretched and stretched till it became so long, it seemed endless.
hunger/ˈhəŋɡɝ/23× in the book
… and in a few moments the queer, empty feeling had become hunger, and the hunger grew bigger and bigger …
wagon/ˈwæɡən/17× in the book
“I’ll give you four if you will help me pull these two wagons.”
faint/ˈfeɪnt/17× in the book
Soon he became dizzy and faint.
weep/ˈwip/16× in the book
Might it be that this piece of wood has learned to weep and cry like a child?
sooner/ˈsunɝ/15× in the book
No sooner was it finished than it began to laugh and poke fun at him.
penny/ˈpɛni/15× in the book
Geppetto did not have a penny in his pocket, so he made his son a little suit of flowered paper …
frighten/ˈfɹaɪtən/14× in the book
He turned frightened eyes about the room to find out where that wee, little voice had come from and he saw no one!
straw/ˈstɹɔ/12× in the book
“If tonight it should happen to rain,” said the Farmer, “you can sleep in that little doghouse near-by, where you will find plenty of straw for a soft bed.
twinkle/ˈtwɪŋkəɫ/11× in the book
Pinocchio ate one pear in a twinkling and started to throw the core away, but Geppetto held his arm.
lame/ˈɫeɪm/11× in the book
You have made me almost lame!”
tremble/ˈtɹɛmbəɫ/11× in the book
As soon as he regained the use of his senses, he said, trembling and stuttering from fright: “Where did that voice come from, when there is no one around?
yawn/ˈjɔn/10× in the book
The only relief poor Pinocchio had was to yawn; and he certainly did yawn, such a big yawn that his mouth stretched out to the tips of his ears.
angrily/ˈæŋɡɹəɫi/10× in the book
On hearing himself called Polendina, Mastro Geppetto turned the color of a red pepper and, facing the carpenter, said to him angrily: “Why do you insult me?”
pity/ˈpɪti/10× in the book
… asked in a pitiful voice which could scarcely be heard: “Have pity, I beg of you …
ashamed/əˈʃeɪmd/10× in the book
He was ashamed to beg, because his father had always preached to him that begging should be done only by the sick or the old.
drown/ˈdɹaʊn/10× in the book
He thought they must surely be drowned and turned his head to see.
fever/ˈfivɝ/10× in the book
As soon as the three doctors had left the room, the Fairy went to Pinocchio’s bed and, touching him on the forehead, noticed that he was burning with fever.
whip/ˈhwɪp/10× in the book
I say,” repeated Geppetto, “or I’ll give you a sound whipping when I get in.”
dawn/ˈdɔn/10× in the book
What I know is, that tomorrow, at dawn, I leave this place forever.
rascal/ˈɹæskəɫ/9× in the book
In the meantime that rascal, Pinocchio, free now from the clutches of the Carabineer, was running wildly across fields and meadows, taking one short cut after another toward home.
pennies/ˈpɛniz/9× in the book
With the very first pennies I make, I’ll buy Father a new cloth coat.
sob/ˈsɑb/9× in the book
The poor old fellow did not know how to defend himself, but wept and wailed like a child and said between his sobs: “Ungrateful boy!
bark/ˈbɑɹk/9× in the book
He grasped the hatchet quickly to peel off the bark and shape the wood.
unhappy/ənˈhæpi/9× in the book
Geppetto, though trying to look very stern, felt his eyes fill with tears and his heart soften when he saw Pinocchio so unhappy.
sneeze/ˈsniz/8× in the book
Finally, he could control himself no longer and gave a loud sneeze.
fright/ˈfɹaɪt/8× in the book
His face had changed; fright had turned even the tip of his nose from red to deepest purple.
shriek/ˈʃɹik/8× in the book
When he came to himself, he began to cry and shriek at the top of his lungs, stamping his feet on the ground and wailing all the while …
carpenter/ˈkɑɹpəntɝ/8× in the book
I do not know how this really happened, yet the fact remains that one fine day this piece of wood found itself in the shop of an old carpenter.
obey/oʊˈbeɪ/8× in the book
“Woe to boys who refuse to obey their parents and run away from home!
doghouse/ˈdɔɡˌhaʊs/7× in the book
Poor Pinocchio huddled close to the doghouse more dead than alive from cold, hunger, and fright.
gladly/ˈɡɫædɫi/7× in the book
… “These three pears were for my breakfast, but I give them to you gladly.
wail/ˈweɪɫ/7× in the book
He wept and wailed to himself: “The Talking Cricket was right.
bitterly/ˈbɪtɝɫi/7× in the book
… threw himself at the feet of Fire Eater and, weeping bitterly, asked in a pitiful voice which could scarcely be heard …
swiftly/ˈswɪftɫi/7× in the book
Encouraged by this first victory, he freed himself from the claws of his assailers and, leaping over the bushes along the road, ran swiftly across the fields.
awaken/əˈweɪkən/7× in the book
Just as Pinocchio stretched out his hand to take a handful of them, he was awakened by three loud knocks at the door.
meantime/ˈminˌtaɪm/7× in the book
In the meantime, since my watchdog died today, you may take his place and guard my henhouse.”
happily/ˈhæpəɫi/7× in the book
Rubbing his hands together happily, he mumbled half to himself: “This has come in the nick of time.
awake/əˈweɪk/7× in the book
Am I asleep or awake?
Pronunciation: ipa-dict (MIT), from Wiktionary.
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