noun · neutral
alley
/ˈæli/AL·ley
Band 5-6speakingtask1
a narrow lane or passage, often between or behind buildings
Examples
“They met in a dim alley behind the restaurant.”
“The alley is too narrow for delivery vans.”
“Local artists painted murals on the alley walls.”
Band 8 sentence
“The old town's alleys, though narrow, are full of small cafés and craft shops that attract tourists.”
Collocations
- narrow alley
- back alley
- alleyway
Word family
alley nounalleys noun (plural)
Common mistakes
in the alleyway→in the alley
alley's→alleys
Say it for a higher band
5lane→6passage→7+alley
Synonyms
lane
passage
Easily confused
lane
“The bicycle lane runs alongside the main road.”
Related words
Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.
In City & Urban life
Learn it with its set