viola

Everyday

1. A viola is a string instrument like a violin but a little bigger, with a deeper, warmer sound; it is played with a bow and held under the chin. tree →
2. A viola is also a small garden flower, like a little pansy. tree →
3. Viola is a girl's name, as in Shakespeare's «Twelfth Night» (a name). tree →

In the lessons

In music lessons it is part of the string family: violin, viola, cello, double bass, from highest to lowest. Viola music is written in a special alto clef. In gardening and science, violas are easy plants for school gardens. Phrases: «play the viola», «viola section», «viola and violin».

Examples

• I play the viola in the school orchestra. tree →
• The viola is a bit bigger than the violin and sounds deeper. tree →
• Viola players read music in the alto clef. tree →
• We planted purple violas in the school garden. tree →
• In the string family, the viola sits between the violin and the cello. tree →
• Viola is the heroine of a play by Shakespeare. tree →

Note

Countable. The instrument is usually said «vee-OH-la»; the flower is often «VY-oh-la». Do not confuse with «violin» or «viol» (an older instrument).