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

They rolled white paint onto the ground, spelling out the names of 108 children who died from alleged social media harms.

From Los Angeles Times

On the banks of the river Seine proposal agencies arrange scenes calibrated for the internet: giant letters spelling out "Marry Me", massive flower arrangements and heart-shaped balloons.

From Barron's

But in my head “okay” looked like this: O. K. Those letters stood for Outrageous Katastrophe, and I know it’s the wrong spelling, but it was the best I could do at that particular moment.

From Literature

I haven’t seen Violet that excited since she won the spelling bee.

From Literature

Science is my favorite subject—we’re studying bacteria right now— and I also don’t mind my spelling homework, either.

From Literature