A bookcase is a piece of furniture for storing books – it has several levels, each of which is called a bookshelf.
A bookmark is an item you use to save your place in the middle of a book, so that you can continue reading later from the same page. We also use this word for keeping pages on the internet so you can visit them again later.
Compound Words with DOOR
When you arrive on someone’s doorstep, you stand on the doormat and ring the doorbell to see if they are home.
The person you are visiting will turn the doorknob to open the door, and then you can walk in through the doorway.
To keep the door open, you can use a doorstop, which is often made of rubber or wood.
Apartment buildings often have a doorman who controls the entry of visitors.
Compound Words with FIRE
A fireplace is a location inside a house where you can make a fire safely.
If you make a fire while camping, that is called a campfire – and a really BIG fire, often used in festivals, is a bonfire.
Wood that is especially used for fires is called firewood.
If a fire gets out of control, you need to call the fire fighters to put it out!
In celebrations, we use colored explosives called fireworks.
Compound Words with HAND
Your handwriting is when you write by hand (as opposed to typing on a computer).
When you go up and down stairs, you hold the handrail to keep your balance.
When you first meet someone, the action of shaking their hand is called a handshake.
If you have good balance, you can stand on your hands – this movement is a handstand.
Compound Words with LIFE
At beaches and swimming pools, lifeguards watch all the swimmers to make sure they stay safe.
Big ships have small lifeboats to escape the ship in case of emergency.
You can also use a life jacket to float in the water (also called a life preserver or life vest)
The way someone lives is called their lifestyle.
Compound Words with NIGHT
A place with music and dancing, with parties at night, is called a nightclub.
The general amount of nightclubs and night entertainment activities in a city/area is called its nightlife.
Some women wear a nightgown (like a dress)to sleep.
A bad dream is called a nightmare.
Compound Words with SUN
When the sun comes up in the morning, that is a sunrise.
When the sun goes down in the evening, that is a sunset.
The light of the sun is called sunshine.
When you lay out in the sun in order to get a tan, you are sunbathing.
If you stay in the sun too long and your skin gets red and painful, you’ve gotten a sunburn.
Compound Words with WATER
One type of fruit that contains a lot of water is a watermelon.
The adjective waterfront is used to describe buildings/properties that have water in front of them (a waterfront hotel on the beach, for example)
If something is waterproof, it means water cannot penetrate it or make it wet. A raincoat is waterproof.
If something is waterlogged, it is full of water, saturated with water. If you accidentally drop your shoes into the swimming pool, they will be waterlogged when you take them out!
Shayna Oliveira is the founder of Espresso English, where you can improve your English fast - even if you don’t have much time to study. Millions of students are learning English from her clear, friendly, and practical lessons! Shayna is a CELTA-certified teacher with 10+ years of experience helping English learners become more fluent in her English courses.
Compound Words with DOOR
Compound Words with FIRE
Your handwriting is when you write by hand (as opposed to typing on a computer).
Compound Words with LIFE
A place with music and dancing, with parties at night, is called a nightclub.
When the sun comes up in the morning, that is a sunrise.
