Is it UCK or UNK? Quiz | Words for Kids

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. If your plans go seriously wrong, you could be said to be this. Choose the word that fits the clue:

Answer: Sunk

'Sunk' is the past tense of the verb 'to sink.' If you're sunk, you're finished; it's all over and you don't know what to do next to continue or to make things come out right.

2. This North American mammal with black fur and white stripes is one you definitely do not want mad at you! Choose the word that fits the clue:

Answer: Skunk

When a skunk is disturbed or scared it sprays a foul-smelling liquid. I've heard it said that the only way to get skunk smell off your dog is to wash him in tomato juice. I don't know if this is true. It's better to leave Mr. Skunk alone and not find out!

In "Homer Price" by Robert McCloskey, Homer has a pet skunk named Aroma. That's a fancy word for 'smell'. She likes to drink milk and is a well behaved, helpful pet. But, still... Maybe I'm a sissy, but the thought of having a skunk as a pet gives me the screaming mimis!

3. You would be this if you came to a problem you couldn't solve or a place you couldn't get through. Choose the word that fits the clue:

Answer: Stuck

'Stuck' is the past tense of the verb 'to stick'. It can also be used as an adjective, to describe something or somebody. And it's just what Pooh was after he ate too much honey and condensed milk at Rabbit's house.

"Now by this time Rabbit wanted to go for a walk too, and finding the front door full, he went out by the back door, and came round to Pooh and looked at him. 'Hello, are you stuck?' he asked.

'No,' Pooh said carelessly, 'just resting and thinking and humming to myself.'

'Here, give us a paw.'

Pooh Bear stretched out a paw and Rabbit pulled, and pulled and pulled...

'Ow!' cried Pooh. 'You're hurting.'

'The fact is,' said Rabbit, 'you're stuck.'

'It all comes,' said Pooh crossly, 'of not having front doors big enough.'

'It all comes,' said Rabbit sternly, 'of eating too much.'"

From "Winnie the Pooh" by A.A. Milne - "Chapter Two: In Which Pooh Goes Visiting and Gets into a Tight Place"

'Splunk' sounds rather splendid, doesn't it? Unfortunately, it isn't a real word.

4. This is what you do to a lollipop, a gob stopper or any candy of that sort. Choose the word that fits the clue:

Answer: Suck

'Suck' is the present tense of the verb 'to suck'. Curiously, the past tense isn't 'sook' or 'syk'. Rather, it's 'sucked'. Different kinds of verbs form the past tense in different ways... But never mind that. This isn't a lesson, it's a quiz!

There's an old saying about teaching your grandmother to suck eggs. I never have quite worked that one out. If you know what it means, send me a message and explain it to me.

5. If something has become smaller, it has done this. Choose the word that fits the clue:

Answer: Shrunk

'Shrunk' is the past tense of the verb 'to shrink'. It is very unusual for people to shrink, but that's just what happened to Alice when she drank from a bottle she found...

"And tied round the neck of the bottle was a paper label with the words 'Drink Me' beautifully printed on it in large letters...this bottle was not marked 'POISON'. So, Alice ventured to taste it. And finding it very nice...she very soon finished it off. 'What a curious feeling!' said Alice. 'I must be shutting up like a telescope.' And so it was indeed. She was now only ten inches high. And her face brightened up at the thought that she was now the right size for going through the little door into that lovely garden."

From "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll - "Chapter One: Down the Rabbit Hole"

6. This is how to remove clams from the shell and, in some places, also peas from the pod or corn from the husk. With an 'S' on the end, it's an American exclamation of dismay or embarrassment. Choose the word that fits the clue:

Answer: Shuck

'Shuck' is the present tense of the verb 'to shuck'. It is also a noun meaning husk or outer covering. So, to shuck something is to remove, or take it out of, the shuck.

"Shucks" or "Ah, shucks" usually expresses dismay, disappointment or something of that kind. "Well, shucks" usually expresses embarrassment.

7. If you saw somebody moving in a shifty, suspicious manner, you might say he did this. Choose the word that fits the clue:

Answer: Slunk

'Slunk' is the past tense of the verb 'to slink'. Slinking is generally what you do when you're trying not to be noticed, or when you're doing something you're not supposed to. Not, of course, that anybody playing this quiz would ever do anything they weren't supposed to!

8. This is the word many people use for the past tense of "sneak," though our teachers tell us it is incorrect. Choose the word that fits the clue:

Answer: Snuck

The officially correct past tense is 'sneaked.' But I don't know anyone who uses it, do you? 'Snunk' and 'snook' aren't words, though I think they should be.

9. Another way to say you're gobsmacked or flabbergasted is to say you're thunder _____. Choose the word that fits in the blank:

Answer: Struck

'Struck' is the past tense of the verb 'to strike'. In this case, it's acting like an adjective, describing what you are, the same as if you were happy, or sad, or hungry. You can also be dumbstruck, which means speechless, usually with surprise.

10. If you are disappointed with something, like the result of a game or some other experience, you might exclaim in disgust, "That _____!" Choose the word that fits in the blank:

Answer: Stunk

'Stunk' is the past tense of the verb 'to stink'.

Parents, teachers and other uptight grownups might say not to use strong language like 'stink', 'stank' and 'stunk'. Sometimes, though, they're the only words that apply.

Source: Author Catreona

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor NatalieW before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Is it UCK or UNK? Trivia Quiz

Each answer in this quiz ends with either -uck or -unk. Can you get all ten of them?

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