Rain - wet weather
Jimmy got wet when he was outside in the rain.
Rein(s) - part of a horse's gear
The rein is attached here on the bit.
Reign - rule
The queen's reign has been a long, successful one.
Raise - lift up
We had to raise the roof so we could put a second floor on our house.
Raze - destroy
Tomorrow we'll raze the old barn out in the back field.
Rays - thin lines from a bright source
The sun's rays shone through the coloured glass in the window.
Rap - to knock, or a music genre
Make sure you rap on the door hard or Gramma won't hear you.
Many people prefer the old-school rap of DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince.
Wrap - to cover something like a present
Do you really want me to wrap the new television I bought for Jeannie's birthday?
Read (long e sound: ee) - to examine with the eyes
Ophelia wants Nanny to read her a bedtime story.
Reed - a tall, slender type of grass or a thin strip of flexible material in a wind instrument
A cattail is a type of reed.
A saxophone reed needs to be wet to make proper sounds.
Read (short e sound) - past tense of read (long e sound)
Nanny read Ophelia a bedtime story last night.
Red - a colour
Jeff gave Heather a red rose for Valentine's day.
Real - true
I knew it wasn't the real Wayne Gretzky when he fell down on the ice.
Reel - to lurch or feel dizzy, a dance or a part on a fishing rod (also to wind on a reel)
Watch Caroline reel after she's had just one beer.
Ian and Rebecca danced the highland reel at their wedding.
You need stronger fishing line on that reel.
Reek - strong, unpleasant smell
Get away from me, you reek of cigarette smoke.
Wreak - to inflict
If the demons had their way, they'd wreak havoc on the world.
Rest - sleep or inactivity
After Bridget's busy day, she needed some rest.
Wrest - violent twisting motion
The officer had to wrest the stolen money from the hands of the bank robber.
Review - to look over again, or look back on something or a report
Nina had to review her notes before her big test.
If I ever finish reading it, I'd write a review on Tony's book.
Revue - a type of musical show
We went to The Playhouse to see the revue Angela wrote.
Right - correct, just or lawful
Even though Monica had a right to vote, she didn't because she agreed with none of the candidates. It was the right thing to do.
Rite - a ritual or tradition; a ceremonial act
Baptism is a rite practised by several denominations.
Write - to form words
The teacher asked the students to write haikus about school.
Ring - a piece of jewellery or a sound
Lola got a diamond ring from her boyfriend.
We can't leave the classroom until we hear the bell ring.
Wring - squeeze
Tucker had to wring his shirt out after he got caught in the downpour.
Road - a way to travel between places
You can't ride your bike on the road because there are too many cars.
Rode - past tense of ride
Jessi rode the horse yesterday.
Rowed - made a boat move
Willy and Alex rowed the boat while Scotty tried to fish off the side.
Roe - fish eggs
Caviar is a delicacy made from sturgeon roe.
Row - to make a boat move
Scotty didn't want to row the boat, so he fished from the side.
Role - a part in a performance
What role did you play in the school production, "West Side Story"?
Roll - a movement
Hang on to that tire or it'll roll down the hill.
Root - part of a plant beneath the soil or the source of something
The tree root grew right through the basement wall.
We have to get at the root of Eddie's behaviour problem.
Route - a course travelled
Neville knew he wouldn't get lost if he took Rose's paper route.
Rose - a flower, sometimes a person's name
Rose bought herself a single, white rose on her birthday.
Rows - lines of something
The children put all the chairs in rows so their parents could watch their skit in the afternoon.
Rote - routine, memorization or repitition
Terry learns best by rote.
Wrote - past tense of wrote
Not all of the students wrote a haiku for the teacher; Liam forgot.
Rough - unsmooth texture or violence
The sandpaper felt rough against my skin.
Betsy left her husband because he treated her rough.
Ruff - a high, frilled collar or a mane or band of fur or feathers; a kind of bird
In the 16th and 17th centuries the ruff was worn by men, women and children.
The male Ruff has a ruff of bright feathers during mating-season.
Roux - a cooked mixture for thickening gravies or sauces
The sous-chef made a roux for the chef's main dish.
Rue - regret
If you get that tattoo now, you may rue it later.
Rye - a type of grain, or a type of whisky made from it
Rye is a member of the wheat family and different from ryegrass.
Canadian rye whisky may or may not contain rye.
Wry - distorted or ironic.
Gerry made a wry face at Larry's wry humour.