Words April 2026 Week 4

Textures refer to the physical feel of a surface, ranging from smooth (glass) and soft (velvet) to rough (granite), prickly (cactus), and sticky (honey). (Synonyms for texture are feel or touch.)

The children were trying to catch hermit crabs.

The most common Japanese term for smelt fish is Shishamo (シシャモ/柳葉魚). (The freshwater Japanese smelt is known as Wakasagi (ワカサギ).)

We gathered Okinawa black mussels called Homi in the Okinawa dialect or Murasaki-igai (ムラサキイガイ) in standard Japanese. (I got a super sunburn while doing it.)

Ransomware is a type of malicious software—or malware—that prevents you from accessing your computer files and demands you pay a ransom. (This problem is becoming more common.)

I couldn’t hit the high notes. (They were singing a song.)

There are only 30 – 40 cases of meningitis, or zuimakuen, in Japan per year. (It is rather rare in Japan.)

A columnist produces regular, signed articles (columns) for newspapers. (Columnists provide personal opinions and commentary on specific topics.)

The book was based on a true story. (I like these kinds of stories.)

Roadkill refers to wild animals killed by collisions with motor vehicles. (In Alaska motorists must report the kill to state troopers and is often donated to charities.)

Japanese “warabi” (Pteridium aquilinum fern) is called “bracken fern” in English. (All living things have a Latin name.)

The Japanese “shiran” flower is a type of orchid. (The flower petals wilt soon.)

 I was looking for the shop on the shopping center floor plan. (A floor plan is a type of map that shows locations in a building.)

Two crows removed the net over the trash bags. (The crows probably learned how to do this by watching humans removing the trash bags by lifting the netting.)

In Japan, a giant tree (kyoju or kyoboku) is generally defined as a tree with a trunk circumference of 300 cm or more. (It is measured at approximately 1.3 meters above the ground.)