spelling

American  

[spel-ing] / ˈspɛl ɪŋ /

noun

1. the manner in which words are spelled; spell; orthography.

2. a group of letters representing a word.

3. the act of a speller.

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spelling British  

/ ˈspɛlɪŋ /

noun

1. the act or process of writing words by using the letters conventionally accepted for their formation; orthography

2. the art or study of orthography

3. the actual way in which a word is spelt

4. the ability of a person to spell

   John's spelling is good

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Etymology

Origin of spelling

1400–50; late Middle English (gerund); spell ¹, -ing ¹

Example Sentences

Strips of text spelling “freestyle,” “defects” and “willpower”—each in a unique color and font—span one corner.

From The Wall Street Journal

His quirky but helpful tic: spelling out the words on the floor with his foot before answering.

From The Wall Street Journal

I want my emails written by real people with real spelling mistakes.

From The Wall Street Journal

Poor spelling or grammar on packaging can often indicate a product is fake.

From BBC

Kylie's song, which she performed on Strictly Come Dancing on Sunday night, comes complete with a dance routine spelling out the letters X-M-A-S, making it a yuletide YMCA.

From BBC