easy
It looked like an ordinary day at first.
What does Ordinary mean?
Ordinary means normal and not special.
Dictionary definition
Normal, common, or not special or unusual.
Example sentences
Ordinary in a sentence
medium
The writer turned an ordinary moment into a great scene.
hard
An ordinary object became important later in the story.
Writing practice
Ready to write your own? Study the examples, then practice ordinary in a sentence with Sentence Builder checklist feedback.
Quick practice
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Practice the meaning of Ordinary
Answer three quick questions about its meaning and related words.
Question 1 of 3
Practice 1
What does ordinary mean?
The correct sentence uses ordinary in context.
Practice 2
Which word is closest in meaning to ordinary?
Normal is close in meaning to ordinary.
Practice 3
Which sentence uses ordinary correctly?
The correct sentence uses ordinary in context.
Practice complete
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You completed 3 questions.
Pronunciation coach
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Ordinary
Voice settings
Sounds like
or · duh · ner · ee · strongest beat: or
Tap each sound part, then blend the whole word together.
Learn
WordOrdinary.
Partadjective.
MeaningOrdinary means normal and not special.
ExampleExample: It looked like an ordinary day at first.
Word breakdown
4 syllables. Say each part, then blend the word.
- Syllables
- or · duh · ner · ee
- Strongest beat
- or
- Ending
- ee
- Tip
- Put a little extra energy on or.
Your turn
Say Ordinary
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Nice work—you practiced ordinary.
Synonyms
Words like Ordinary
Antonyms
Opposite words
Synonym practice
Want to practice ordinary synonyms in context? Try a Synonym Search question like "The ordinary pencil looked just like the others," then compare close word choices. Practice ordinary synonyms.
Word family
Ordinary word family
Base word
ordinary
adverb
ordinarily
Usually or normally.
Related words
Explore related words
Student support
Understand Ordinary
Hint for students
Ordinary means normal and not special.
Common mix-up
Ordinary is not the same as special. Ordinary means ordinary means normal and not special.
Try it in class or at home
Read this model sentence: The writer turned an ordinary moment into a great scene. Clue words: writer, turned, moment. Underline clue words that show why ordinary fits instead of special. Now write one new sentence that shows ordinary without using the word ordinary. Ask: Does my sentence clearly show ordinary?
Teacher prompt
Ask students to explain this model sentence: "The writer turned an ordinary moment into a great scene." Why does ordinary fit better than special?
Learning activities
Practice Ordinary and explore more word games
Cards labelled “Practice ORDINARY” keep this word in focus. Explore cards open games with other words.
Practice ORDINARY
Sentence Builder
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Context Clue Challenge
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Synonym Search
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