Words you have only ever read

1. 1
   epitome/ɪˈpɪtəmi/

   noun

   A perfect example of a type of thing.
2. 2
   hyperbole/haɪˈpɜːrbəˌliː/

   noun

   Wild exaggeration that is not meant literally.
3. 3
   paradigm/ˈperəˌdaɪm/

   noun

   The way of thinking that most experts in a field accept at a given time.
4. 4
   facade/fəˈsɑːd/

   noun

   The front face of a building.
5. 5
   pseudonym/ˈsuːdəˌnɪm/

   noun

   A made-up name someone uses instead of their real one.
6. 6
   niche/nɪtʃ/

   noun

   A spot or role that suits a particular person well.
7. 7
   subtle/ˈsʌtəl/

   adjective

   So slight or faint that it is easy to miss.
8. 8
   quixotic/kwɪkˈsɑːtɪk/

   adjective

   Full of grand ideals but not at all practical.
9. 9
   bourgeois/bʊrʒˈwɑː/

   adjective

   Following the tastes and habits of the comfortable middle class.
10. 10
    apropos/ˌæprəˈpoʊ/

    adverb

    At a fitting or convenient moment.

The sentences

1. That character is the epitome of a bad host.

2. I think that last chapter was pure hyperbole.

3. Everyone keeps calling this book a paradigm shift.

4. I loved how she described the facade of the house.

5. She published the whole series under a pseudonym.

6. Her writing found a niche with younger readers.

7. The ending was too subtle for me to catch.

8. His plan sounds noble but it's totally quixotic.

9. The family in the book is very bourgeois.

10. That was apropos, since we were just talking about her.

Pronunciation

• epitome/ɪˈpɪtəmi/

  Four syllables, stress on the second, and it ends in 'mee' — not 'tome'.

• hyperbole/haɪˈpɜːrbəˌliː/

  Four syllables with the stress on "per", ending in "lee" rather than "bowl".

• paradigm/ˈperəˌdaɪm/

  The g is silent; the ending sounds like "dime".

• facade/fəˈsɑːd/

  The c sounds like s, and the stress falls on the second syllable.

• pseudonym/ˈsuːdəˌnɪm/

  The p is silent, so it starts like "sue".

• niche/nɪtʃ/

  One syllable here, rhyming with "itch".

• subtle/ˈsʌtəl/

  The b is silent: 'suttle'.

• quixotic/kwɪkˈsɑːtɪk/

  Starts "kwik", with the stress on the middle syllable.

• bourgeois/bʊrʒˈwɑː/

  Two syllables, roughly "boor-ZHWAH", with the stress on the second one.

• apropos/ˌæprəˈpoʊ/

  The final s is silent, so it ends like "po", with the stress there.

Questions

How do you pronounce 'epitome'?

It has four syllables, with the stress on the second, and it ends in 'mee', not 'tome'.

What does 'quixotic' mean?

It describes something full of grand ideals but not at all practical, as in 'His plan sounds noble but it's totally quixotic.'

What do you call a made-up name someone publishes under?

A 'pseudonym', as in 'She published the whole series under a pseudonym.'