The difference is that stronger readers can guess at the meaning of a word based on what surrounds it and then continue along, whereas others get derailed.
This section should help you feel more confident in making an educated guess about a word based on the context clues.
Context clues are hints about a word's meaning found nearby. You might look for context clues in the same sentence, or in the sentences before and after it. These clues can also be synonyms of the challenging word, or even a brief definition.
In the next passage is the word attrition. If you were unfamiliar with the word you would look around it to gather any clues about its meaning.
Click on the + near each context clue to learn how we can use that clue to determine the meaning of attrition.
This passage could help us understand that attrition might be related to not having enough workers.
This suggests that attrition might be related to a decrease in a knowledgeable workforce.
This clue suggests that attrition might be related to workers that are no longer at a place of employment.
We can conclude that attrition likely has to do with workers leaving the workforce.
If we look up "Attrition" in the dictionary, we find this meaning.
Attrition: "a reduction in numbers usually as a result of resignation, retirement, or death."
Our inference from the context clues was correct!