flame
A flame is the hot, bright, and colorful part of a fire that you can see. It usually moves in the air and can be colors like orange, yellow, or blue.
Examples
3 of 5The candle flame is very small and yellow.
The little fire on the candle is small and yellow.
The Olympic flame travels to many different countries.
The special fire for the Olympics goes to many places.
Look at the flame on that match!
Look at the light on the wooden match.
Word Family
Memory Tip
Think of a 'Flamingo'. Flamingos are bright and reddish-pink, just like a hot flame.
Quick Quiz
He blew out the ______ on the birthday candle.
Correct!
The correct answer is: flame
Examples
The candle flame is very small and yellow.
everydayThe little fire on the candle is small and yellow.
The Olympic flame travels to many different countries.
formalThe special fire for the Olympics goes to many places.
Look at the flame on that match!
informalLook at the light on the wooden match.
The temperature of a blue flame is higher than a red one.
academicA blue fire is hotter than a red fire.
The company uses a red flame in its marketing to show energy.
businessThe business uses a fire picture to show they have power.
Word Family
Common Collocations
Common Phrases
An old flame
A person you loved in the past
Fan the flames
To make a bad situation even worse
Go up in flames
To be destroyed by fire or to fail completely
Often Confused With
Fire is the whole event; flame is specifically the visible, glowing part of that fire.
Frame is the border around a picture, while flame is part of a fire.
Usage Notes
Use 'flame' when you want to talk about the visual part of a fire. It is often used for small fires like candles, matches, or lighters.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes use 'flame' as a synonym for the entire forest fire, but 'fire' is better for large events. Also, remember that 'flame' is a countable noun.
Memory Tip
Think of a 'Flamingo'. Flamingos are bright and reddish-pink, just like a hot flame.
Word Origin
From the Old French word 'flambe' and the Latin word 'flamma', meaning a blazing fire.
Grammar Patterns
Cultural Context
The 'Eternal Flame' is a symbol used in many cultures to remember important people or soldiers who died.
Quick Quiz
He blew out the ______ on the birthday candle.
Correct!
The correct answer is: flame
Related Phrases
Related Vocabulary
Describes something that has been damaged, blackened, or con...
matchA match is a formal game or competition between two people o...
heatHeat refers to the quality of being hot or having a high tem...
lightDescribes a space that has a lot of natural brightness or ma...
candleA stick made of wax with a string called a wick inside that...
Related Words
to
A1Used to indicate the place, person, or thing that someone or something moves toward. It can also mark the recipient of an action or the limit of a range.
and
A1A primary conjunction used to connect words, phrases, or clauses that are grammatically equal. It indicates addition, a sequence of events, or a relationship between two things.
a
A1A word used before a singular noun that is not specific or is being mentioned for the first time. It is used only before words that begin with a consonant sound to indicate one of something.
that
A1This word is a demonstrative pronoun used to indicate a specific person, object, or idea that is further away in space or time from the speaker. It is also used to refer back to something that has already been mentioned or to introduce a clause that identifies something.
I
A1The pronoun 'I' is used by a speaker or writer to refer to themselves as the subject of a verb. It is the first-person singular subject pronoun in English and is always capitalized regardless of its position in a sentence.
for
A1Used to show who is intended to have or use something, or to explain the purpose or reason for an action. It is also frequently used to indicate a specific duration of time.
not
A1A function word used to express negation or denial. It is primarily used to make a sentence or phrase negative, often following an auxiliary verb or the verb 'to be'.
with
A1A preposition used to indicate that people or things are together, in the same place, or performing an action together. It can also describe the instrument used to perform an action or a characteristic that someone or something has.
he
A1A pronoun used to refer to a male person or animal that has already been mentioned or is easily identified. It functions as the subject of a sentence.
you
A1Used to refer to the person or people that the speaker is addressing. It is the second-person pronoun used for both singular and plural subjects and objects.
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