Vocabulary ladder

Jane Eyre

CHAPTER I

1,950 words. Everyday vocabulary (band A) covers 55% of the text; the hard 9% is 127 entries — all of them below.

A 55.4% (379 types) B 8.1% (129 types) C 5.1% (94 entries) D 3.1% (56 entries) E 1.1% (21 entries) N 4.5% (50 entries)

Band B — common reading vocabulary

A sample of 24 of 129 — you will meet these often; they are explained only at the fullest help level.

Band C — recognition checklist

All 94 upper-intermediate words in this chapter. Tick the ones you know; the rest are explained at the fullest help level.

Band D — advanced (56 entries)

breakfast-room ×2
the room for breakfast
concentre
to gather to a centre
cross-legged
with legs folded
death-white
white as death
drawing-room ×2
the sitting room for guests
hiding-place
a place to hide in
newly-risen
just risen
over-application
too much study
slave-driver
a driver of slaves
storm-beat
beaten by storm
window-seat ×2
a seat built under a window
red-room
red-room: the grand cold bedroom where Mr Reed died
franker
more frank
subjoined
to add at the end
sweetmeats
sweetmeats: sweets
leafless
without leaves
eventide
evening
unwholesome
unhealthy
inflictions
something laid on as a burden
nightcap
a cap worn in bed
letterpress
printed text
shrubbery
a planting of garden bushes
rummage
to search by turning things over
morsel
a small tasty piece
crimped
crimped: pressed into small folds
drapery
hanging cloth
antipathy
deep dislike
flabby
soft and sagging
promontories
a bold headland thrust out into the sea
fervently
warmly and earnestly
girdled
bound around the waist
vignettes
vignettes: small pictures
forlorn
hopeless and sad
sombre
dark and grave
habitually ×2
by settled habit
frills
edged with lace folds
hurl
to fling with force
pungent
sharp and biting to the nose
whirls
to spin fast
inferiority
a lower state
sociable
fond of company
aloof
apart; at a distance
extremity · extremities ×2
the farthest end; the last resort
poise
balanced calm bearing
trembled
to shake finely
farthest
farther
ghastly
horrible; deathly pale
thence
from there
dreary
gloomy and dull
bewildered
to confuse utterly
fiend
a devil
hearth
the floor of the fireplace; the fireside
dispensed
to do without
desolate
empty and lifeless
obedient
doing as told
shrub
a bush

Band E — rare & archaic (21 entries)

bleared
dim and watery
cavillers
cavillers: petty fault-finders
half-comprehended
half understood
ironing-table
a table for ironing
sallowness
yellowish paleness
sea-fowl
sea birds
moreen
a heavy wool cloth
drear
dreary
lineaments
lineaments: the lines of the face
torpid
sluggish; dull
diffidence
shy lack of confidence
bilious
sick with bile; irritable
becalmed
becalmed: stopped for lack of wind
chidings
chidings: cross words of blame
billow
a great swelling wave
tottered
to walk unsteadily
adjoined
to lie next to
impudence
bold rudeness
boh
explained by the text itself
lamentable
sorrowful
sprightly
lively

False friends — common words wearing old senses (4)

aspect
look; appearance — the old sense here
hit
captured exactly — the old sense here
passage
a sea-journey — the old sense here
sensible
aware — the old sense here

Names (10)

bewick ×2
Bewick's History of British Birds, Jane's picture book
georgiana ×4
Georgiana Reed, Jane's vain pretty cousin
bessie ×5
Bessie, the nursemaid at Gateshead, kind to Jane
abbot
Miss Abbot, Mrs Reed's lady's-maid
eliza ×5
Eliza Reed, Jane's cold cousin
pamela
Richardson's novel Pamela
reed ×11
the Reeds of Gateshead: Jane's aunt and her children John, Eliza, and Georgiana
British Birds
Bewick's illustrated book Jane reads
John Reed
Jane's bullying cousin
Mrs Reed
Jane's aunt by marriage, mistress of Gateshead