Words beginning with fl...

Is flower or flour used to make bread? Test your KS3 spelling skills with words beginning at fl.

"If they can make penicillin out of mouldy bread, they can sure make something out of you." - Muhammad Ali.

Is it by accident or design that the word "penicillin" appears fairly similar to "pencil"? On the whole, it's a good idea not to assume that words which look somewhat similar are related. But in this case, there is a connection. You might know that penicillin is an antibiotic created from a fungus. The fungus from which it was originally created is known by the Latin name, penicillium, which is in fact named after the word "pencil". But here's where it's important to take care with language. The English word "pencil" has changed its meaning over time and does not typically refer to its older, French meaning of a paintbrush with a fine point. So penicillium is not shaped like a wooden pencil, but looks rather more brush-like in shape.