Meaning & Definition of word "Spelling"

Spelling

/ˈspɛlɪŋ/

noun:

  • 1. The process or activity of writing or naming the letters of a word in the correct order.
    • Example: Her spelling of the word 'accommodation' was impressive.
  • 2. The way a word is spelled.
    • Example: The spelling of 'definitely' is often confused with 'definately'.
  • 3. A test of a person's ability to spell words correctly.
    • Example: She practiced for the spelling bee by reviewing difficult words.

verb:

  • 1. To write or name the letters of a word in the correct order.
    • Example: Can you spell 'entrepreneur'?

Etymology

From Middle English 'spelling', from Old French 'espelement', from Latin 'spelling' (to spell).

Common Phrases and Expressions

spelling bee:

A competition in which participants are asked to spell a broad selection of words.

bad spelling:

Poor or incorrect spelling of words.

spelling mistake:

An error made in the spelling of a word.

Related Words

spell:

To form a word by combining letters.

orthographic:

Pertaining to the conventional spelling system of a language.

phonetics:

The study of the sounds of human speech, which relates to spelling.

Slang Meanings of spelling

Meaning: Spello

Example Sentence: He always checks his work to avoid a spello.

Meaning: Spell-check

Example Sentence: I'm too lazy to check this; I'll just run spell-check.