Make Your Point > Archived Issues > IOTA
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pronounce
IOTA:
Say it "eye YO duh."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
"It won't make a whit of difference."
"I don't feel an iota of guilt."
"It ain't worth a lick."
"I don't care one jot."
Whenever you're talking about a teeny, tiny bit of something--often, in the negative--you might use a word like whit, iota, lick, jot, or, if you're in a sophisticated mood, sc____lla, meaning "a tiny spark."
Can you recall that one?
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
Above, in the Greek alphabet, check out the ninth letter. It's iota, the smallest of them all.
Since the year 1636 or so, in English, we've used the word "iota" to mean "a teeny amount of something."
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
Noun, the countable kind: "We don't give an iota about it;" "It doesn't contain an iota of truth."
Other common forms:
None
how to use it:
Pick the semi-common, fun-to-say word "iota" when you want to call special attention to your remark, usually a negative one: "I didn't care one iota." "That didn't help one iota." "There isn't an iota of proof."
"Iota" sounds formal and authoritative, probably thanks to its Greek sound and to its longstanding association with the Bible, where, in Matthew 5:18, Jesus says something like "For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished."
examples:
"She was growing a little stout, but it did not seem to detract an iota from the grace of every step, pose, gesture. One would not have wanted her white neck a mite less full or her beautiful arms more slender. "
— Kate Chopin, The Awakening, 1899
"Accessing support... involved waiting in long queues and then talking to awfully nice people... And to every iota of data you gave them about anything at all they would respond 'Thank you for that information' which always sets my teeth on edge. 'Please stop thanking me' I said to one of them. 'Oh, certainly, sir' he replied and then, without missing a beat he added 'and thank you for that information.'"
— Mark Gibbs, Forbes, 22 July 2011
has this page helped you understand "iota"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "iota" without saying "one scrap" or "one jot."
try it out:
Fill in the blanks: "(Some amount of something), and not one iota more."
Example: "Forty-four pounds of luggage per person, and not one iota more."
— Barbara Kingsolver, The Poisonwood Bible, 1998
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Our game for September is Solve the Square!
It's inspired by Squareword, which is like Wordle but in 3D. In each issue this month, find the 5-letter word that completes the square, creating words both horizontally and vertically. For a bonus point, define the word you've supplied. For the answers, scroll all the way down. Enjoy!
Try this one today:
F
R
O
S
T
R
O
U
T
E
O
T
T
E
R
N
O
D
E
S
_
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review this word:
A. an ABUNDANCE.
B. a NUANCE (a small difference).
C. COUNTENANCE (formal approval or permission).
2.
We typically use the word "iota" _____, as in "_____."
A. reflexively .. They iota themselves
B. in the plural .. All iotas were perfectly executed
C. in the negative .. They didn't care an iota about it
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
On vocabulary...
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
How to improve any sentence.
How to motivate our kids to write.
How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.
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A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
"It won't make a whit of difference."
Part of speech:
Pick the semi-common, fun-to-say word "iota" when you want to call special attention to your remark, usually a negative one: "I didn't care one iota." "That didn't help one iota." "There isn't an iota of proof."
"She was growing a little stout, but it did not seem to detract an iota from the grace of every step, pose, gesture. One would not have wanted her white neck a mite less full or her beautiful arms more slender. "
Explain the meaning of "iota" without saying "one scrap" or "one jot."
Fill in the blanks: "(Some amount of something), and not one iota more."
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. |