ENGLISH 5

Inferring the Meaning

of Blended Words Using
Context Clues
 Blended words
They are words formed by
combining parts of two different
words.
 The most common example occurs
when the beginning part of a word is
combined with the end part of
another word.
 Example

sweep + wipe = swipe

Smoke + fog = smog
International + police = interpol
Directions: Read each sentence carefully. Look
for the meanings of the underlined words from
the choices below.

1. My officemate is a workaholic who

almost never takes time off.
A. tireless worker
B. frontline worker
C. drunkard
D. wine expert
2. The player missed the ball with
his first hit.
A. touch
B. run
C. strike
D. throw
3. I added an emoticon to my comments
on Facebook.
A. pictorial representation of facial
expression
B. face of a famous celebrity
C. a kind of letter font
D. coded message
4. My friend needs to chillax due
to a busy schedule.
A. watch a movie
B. work slowly
C. rest a bit
D. unwind
5. Many people get frustrated when
they surf the internet.
A. telephone directory
B. Word Wide Web
C. local network
D. satellite feed
 Directions: Complete the sentences below with
the correct words found inside the box.

 1. A modern airplane can now be flown by means of an

_____________.
 2. More movies are produced in India through __________.
 3. Pepito Manaloto is a popular __________ about an ordinary
guy who suddenly became rich.
 4. Due to advancements in technology, a _____________ can now
take a picture, shoot a video, and surf the net.
 5. Older folks prefer some ____________________ whenever
they find free time.
Directions: Look at the pictures and words in Column A. Pair them with the
blended words in Column B. In your notebook, write only the letter which
corresponds to your answer.
Blended words are formed by blending.
What is blending?

Blending refers to the process of

joining a part of one word and a part
of another to form a new word with a
new meaning.
 Blended words are usually created in one of two ways:

1. By adding the first part of the first

word to the second part of the
second word
Example:
smoke + fog = smog
chill + relax = chillax
 2. By combining the beginning of the
two words
 Example:
motor + pedal = moped
cybernetic + organism = cyborg

Other examples of blended words are:

 emoticon (emotion + icon)
 infotech (information + technology)
 frenemy (friend + enemy)
In inferring or “guessing” the meaning of unfamiliar
blended word, you can look for context clues in the
sentence where the blended word is used.

Context clues are hints that a writer provides to help

the readers get the meaning of a difficult or unusual
word in a sentence. The clue may appear within the
same sentence where the word is used, or it may be
found in the next sentence. Context clues may be in
the form of a synonym (repeat context clue), an
antonym (contrast context clue), an explanation
(definition context clue), or a specific example
(example context clue).
 Let us try the examples below:

 1. I need to chillax due to my hard days. A

beach resort is the best place to take a rest.

Rest is the context clue. It has the same meaning

(synonym) with the blended word chill and relax
(chillax).
 2. My brother is a workaholic who never takes
time off, while my friend is a lazy fellow who
always plays gadgets.

 A learner could infer that the word workaholic

means a person who is always working
because the word lazy used to describe the
friend shows an opposite meaning (antonym).
In addition, the word while signals a shift in
thought which is not the same as the first.
Directions: Match Column A with Column B. In your
notebook, write only the letter that corresponds to
the correct answer on the blank before each number.
Directions: In your notebook, complete the crossword puzzle
by writing the correct blended words. The hints are given for
you to answer.
 What I Have Learned
Directions: Identify what is referred to in each
of the sentences below.
1. These are formed by combining a part of a word with a
part of another to form a new word with a new meaning.
2. It is the process of joining a part of one word and a part
of another to make a new word with a new meaning.
3. These are used in inferring or “guessing” the meaning
of unfamiliar blended words.
4. It is a form of a context clue which has the same
meaning with the unfamiliar blended word.
5. It is a blended word formed by combining the words
motor and cavalcade.
Directions: In your notebook, give the two original
words that were combined to form the following
blended words. An example is given to guide you in the
activity.
 Ex. videoke = video + karaoke
1. fanzine = fan + magazine
2. 2. fantabulous = fantastic + fabuluous
3. 3. Eurasia = Europe + Asia
4. 4. sportscast = sportscar+ broadcast
Sports + broadcast
5. 5. paratrooper = parachute+ trooper
Assessment
Directions: Read each sentence carefully. Choose the meaning
of the underlined blended word from the choices. Write the
letter which corresponds to your choice
on a separate paper.
1. The organization has launched a telethon to secure funds for
the purchase of personal protective equipment of frontline
workers.
 A. sports event attended by famous people
 B. televised fundraising event
 C. series of telephone calls

2. The campus journalist recorded fire incident in his videocam.

 A. video camera recorder
 B. camera trick
 C. shooting
3. The heliport is ready to receive representatives from
other countries.
 A. landing and takeoff place for an airplane
 B. bus stop
 C. landing and takeoff place for a helicopter

4. The hi-tech super microscope is very helpful to the

scientists who study about the nature of coronavirus.
 A. technologically advanced
 B. a style of material
 C. a kind of an equipment
5. The docudrama on coronavirus disease that was
shown on TV last night
 was quite impressive.
 A. a drama documentary
 B. a comedy show
 C. a talk show
6. We had a staycation during the COVID-19 pandemic
because we were not
 allowed to go out of our house.
 A. a vacation at the beach
 B. a vacation spent at home
 C. a vacation at the farm
7. We enjoyed watching the infotainment
because it was educational and amusing.
A. a television program that presents
information
B. a television program that presents
entertainment
C. a television program that presents
information in an entertaining manner
8. My grandma’s hospital bills were paid through
her Medicare.
 A. a medical care program for the aged
 B. a medical course for the aged
 C. a medical center for the aged

9. She’s not that beautiful in person, but she is

telegenic.
 A. attractive to the ears
 B. attractive to television viewers
 C. attractive to the listeners
10. They eat much the same thing for brunch
every day.
 A. a meal taken at night that combines late
dinner and midnight snack
 B. a meal taken in the morning that combines
late breakfast and early lunch
 C. a meal taken in the afternoon that combines
late lunch and early supper
Directions: Identify the blended words in the box that best
describe the meanings of each of the sentences below.
 1. It refers to the global communication network
that allows people around the world to connect
and share information through the computer.
 2. A person who is a friend even though there is
an underlying dislike in the relationship.
 3. It is a personal website or social media account
where a person regularly posts short videos.
 4. It is a radio or television broadcast of news
reports.
 5. It is the hybrid form of a utensil especially
intended for eating.
 Inferring the Meaning
of Clipped Words Using
Context Clues
Directions: Give the original word of the
given clipped word in each item.

1. coke - carbonated drink flavored

with extract from Kola nuts
a. coca-cola
b.cocoa
c. cocaine
d.coconut
2. co-ed - school attended by
members of both sexes
a.co-edam
b. co-edit
c. co-editor
d.co-educational
3. grannie, granny - the mother
of your father or mother
a. grandmaster
b. grandfather
c. grandmother
d. granary
4. vet - a doctor who takes
care of animals
a. vegetarian
b. Vietnamese
 c. veteran
d. veterinarian
5. gent - a man of refinement
a. gentile
b. gentleman
c. gentle
d. general
What’s In
Directions: Identify the shortened form of the underlined word in each
sentence.

1. It is convenient to save

documents in a compact
diskette.
a. diss
b. disk
c. diet
2. He brought a very expensive
motorbike.
a. Motor
 b. Bike
 c. mike
3. The athletes are waiting at
the gymnasium.
a. gum
b. gym
 c. gyn
4. Father rides a caravan to
work every day.
a. car
b. van
c. can
5. Kids love hamburger.
a. burger
b. booger
c. ham
Directions: Identify the meaning of the
underlined clipped word from the choices given.

1. The memo encourages us to adhere

to the protocols set by the local IATF.
a. a written reminder
b. a command
c. an advertisement
d. a law
2. Analie is a teen studying
in Manila.
a. a toddler
b. an adolescent
c. an old lady
 d. an adult
3. Angelica Joy phoned her
friend to invite her over for
dinner.
a. called
b. requested
c. confronted
d. messaged
4. A whistle was heard
from the fair and just ref.
a. a player
c. an official who controls a
sports event
b. an athlete
d. refrigerator
5. The ad encourages us to
eat healthy food every day.
a. a commercial
b. a law
c. a command
d. a slogan
 What’s New
Look at the words mathematics, hamburger,
and market. What happens if we remove or
omit some letters from these words in a certain
way?
Can you still recognize the words?
Have you ever heard of or encountered
the words math, burger, and mart
before?
If you were to use the words, which
ones will you choose?
What do we call these words that
become shorter without changing
theirmeaning?
 What Is It
Most of us like to make things simple. In speech
and in writing, we often shorten words to make
them easier to say, write, remember, and
understand. Instead of saying “I want to wear
pantaloons today,” one would always say, “I
want to wear
pants today.” Likewise, you often hear people
say “math” instead of “mathematics.”
It seems that people prefer to use the shorter
and simpler version of the word.
 Words like math, burger, mart, and pants are
what we call clipped words.
 Clipped words are words that have been
shortened or “clipped” so that they become
much shorter than the original words. Clipped
words retain the meaning of the longer word.
The process in which a word is reduced or
shortened without changing the meaning of
the word is called clipping.
 Types of Clipping
1. Backclipping– Only the first part of the word is left intact.
Examples:
bra (brassiere) app (application)

2. Foreclipping– Only the last part of the word remains.

Examples:
phone (telephone) gator (alligator)

3. Middle Clipping–Only the middle part of the word stands.

Example:
* flu (influenza)
Other examples:
What’s More
Directions: Read each sentence that contains a clipped word. Figure out the meaning of the clipped word using context clues and match it with its
longer word found in the bubblehead.
 __________1. Avoid going to the swamps and rivers in
this area. I’ve heard that a croc lurks somewhere.
 __________2. Every high school girl dreams of
attending a prom or a formal dance held for a school
class towards the end of the academic year.
 __________ 3. Manny Pacquiao is the only boxing
champ who won titles in seven weight divisions.
 __________ 4. Check the mike before starting the live
broadcast.
 __________5. To avoid getting sick, the children eat
their lunch on time.
 Activity 2
Directions: In your notebook, write the original word
of the underlined clipped word.
Example: Their company spends a lot of money on ads.
Answer: advertisement
 1. Our barangay distributed five kilos of rice during the
lockdown.
 2. My lab results on COVID-19 came out negative.
 3. The copter forces transported soldiers and frontline
workers to the field hospital.
 4. Jeepneys need gas to run.
 5. My sis waters our vegetables twice a day.
 What I Have Learned
 A clipped word is a word formed by
shortening a longer word without
changing it meaning.
 • There are three common types of
clipping: backclipping, foreclipping, and
middle clipping.
 • Context clues like synonyms, antonyms,
word parts, and others can help in
inferring the meaning of clipped words.
What I Can Do
Directions: In your notebook, rewrite the sentences
using the clipped word of the underlined term.
Example: My classmates and I are going to the cafeteria.
Answer: My classmates and I are going to the cafe.
 1. Stay in the automobile.
 2. The music coming from the stereophonics is
pleasant to the ears.
 3. A co-operative has been a big help to the farmers
and the consumers.
 4. You have to see your doctor once a year for a
checkup.
 5. The earthquake lasted for about a minute.
Assessment
Directions: Identify the meaning of the clipped
word from the choices given.

1. Let us take a photo as a souvenir

of this place.
a. drawing
 b. picture
c. painting
2. The fans screamed and cried
when the famous singer appeared
on stage.
a. cooling devices on stage that
direct air current
b. people who follow and admire
another
c. the protesters
3. The couple rode a limo
to their wedding reception.
a. rare breed of horse
b. private jet
c. expensive car
4. You won’t feel better if
you don’t take your meds.
a. vitamins
b. supplements
c. drugs
5. You need to study and
prepare for an exam.
a. test
 b. game
c. lesson
Additional Activities
Directions: Using these pictures, give the original
word, clipped word, and meaning.