Choose the correctly spelt English word from the following alternatives.

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: Sepulchral

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
Spelling questions test your familiarity with standard English word patterns. The word in focus here is sepulchral, an adjective that means gloomy, funereal, or relating to a tomb. While this word is not very common in everyday conversation, it appears in literature and examinations as a test of careful observation of vowels and consonant clusters. You must pick the one spelling that matches the correct dictionary form.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • You are given four similar looking spellings.
  • Only one option matches the correct English spelling of the word pronounced se-pul-kral.
  • The incorrect options insert or transpose vowels and consonants in subtle ways.
  • No context sentence is provided, so you must rely on memory of the word pattern.


Concept / Approach:
Sepulchral comes from the Latin word for tomb, sepulcrum. In English, the correct spelling keeps the basic pattern sepulchral: se + pul + chral. The ch follows the l, and the vowel sequence is e u a. Incorrect spellings often try to move the ch cluster earlier or insert extra letters, leading to nonstandard forms like sepalchrle or sepalchral. Knowing that sepulcher (or sepulchre in British spelling) is related can also help you remember that the u appears before the l and that the ch appears before the r. Therefore, sepulchral in Option A is the only correct choice.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall the standard spelling of the adjective meaning funereal or tomb like, which is sepulchral. Step 2: Compare Option A, Sepulchral, with this remembered spelling. It matches letter for letter. Step 3: Look at Option B, Sepalchrle. Note the misplacement of vowels and the odd ending chrle, which does not correspond to standard English patterns. Step 4: Examine Option C, Sepalchral. Here the vowel a appears where u should be, breaking the connection with sepulcher. Step 5: Check Option D, Sepulchrle, which jumbles the consonants and vowels after l, again deviating from the known pattern chral.


Verification / Alternative check:
If you are unsure, think of related forms such as sepulchre (British) or sepulcher (American). Both share the root sepulch, followed by re or er. The adjective is formed by adding ral to this root, giving sepulchral. None of the incorrect options maintain this logical build up of the root plus suffix. Dictionaries and literary examples, such as a sepulchral silence filled the hall, all use the spelling sepulchral. Once you see this pattern, it becomes easier to recognise the correct option in exam questions.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Sepalchrle: This is wrong because it inserts an a after sep and rearranges letters at the end into chrle, which is not a valid English ending for this word.
Sepalchral: This is wrong due to the vowel a after sep; the correct root is sepulch, not sepalch, so the correct word must include u before l.
Sepulchrle: This is wrong because it scrambles the consonants and vowels after l, producing chrle instead of chral, and does not correspond to any recognised English word.


Common Pitfalls:
When words are unfamiliar, students sometimes rely only on how they sound, which can be misleading in English. Others quickly choose an option that starts correctly (sepu) but do not check the second half of the word. In spelling questions, it is important to examine each letter position carefully, especially in the part of the word where options differ. Looking for known roots and common suffixes, such as chral in sepulchral, can guide you to the correct choice.


Final Answer:
The correctly spelt word is Sepulchral.

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