spelling
SPEH-lihng
Spelling (noun) means the act or skill of putting letters in the correct order to form words. Example: “Good spelling is easier if you read a lot of books.”
noun
1
The act or skill of putting letters in the correct order to form words.
"Good spelling is easier if you read a lot of books."
"English spelling can be tricky because of all its irregular words."
"She won the school spelling competition three years running."
2
A particular way of writing a word.
"What is the correct spelling of your surname?"
"The dictionary lists an older spelling beside the modern one."
"Both spellings, "colour" and "color," are correct in their own regions."
How to use spelling
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishHow a word is written out, letter by letter.
UK vs US
Many words have different accepted spellings in British and American English, such as "colour"/"color" or "realise"/"realize."
Common pairings
spelling mistake
spelling bee
correct spelling
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Word forms
- Plural
- spellings
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Good _____ is easier if you read a lot of books.
Etymology
From the verb "spell" plus "-ing," first recorded around the 1400s.
Class of 1400
spelling joined the language around 1400.
See the full Class of 1400 →
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for spelling
telling
welling
selling
yelling
felling
dwelling
swelling
smelling
shelling
gruelling
modelling
expelling
See all rhymes for spelling →
Frequently asked questions
What does “spelling” mean?
The word “spelling” means the act or skill of putting letters in the correct order to form words. In plain terms, how a word is written out, letter by letter.
How do you pronounce “spelling”?
“Spelling” is pronounced SPEH-lihng (/ˈspɛlɪŋ/ in IPA).
How do you use “spelling” in a sentence?
Here is “spelling” used in a sentence: “English spelling can be tricky because of all its irregular words.”
What part of speech is “spelling”?
“Spelling” is a noun.
Where does the word “spelling” come from?
The word “spelling” dates back to around 1400. From the verb "spell" plus "-ing," first recorded around the 1400s.
Is “spelling” a common word?
“Spelling” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
How many meanings does “spelling” have?
“Spelling” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the act or skill of putting letters in the correct order to form words.
What is the difference between spelling and orthography?
Spelling is the everyday word for putting letters in the correct order to form words, while orthography is the technical term for a language's whole system of writing conventions, including spelling, capitalisation, and punctuation. Linguists discuss English orthography; teachers and learners talk about spelling.
Can a word have more than one correct spelling?
Yes. A spelling is simply a particular way of writing a word, and many words have accepted variants, such as grey and gray or organise and organize. Dictionaries usually list one form as the main entry and label the others as variant spellings.
Is spelling countable or uncountable?
Both, depending on the sense. As the skill of writing words correctly it is uncountable, as in "her spelling is excellent," but as a particular way of writing a word it is countable, as in "there are two spellings of this word."
What is the difference between British and American spelling?
Many words are spelled differently in the two varieties: British English typically uses colour, centre, organise, and travelling, where American English uses color, center, organize, and traveling. Both are correct spellings within their own variety, so the key is to choose one style and apply it consistently.
