orthography

American  

[awr-thog-ruh-fee] / ɔrˈθɒg rə fi /

noun

orthographies plural

1. the art of writing words with the proper letters, according to accepted usage; correct spelling.

2. the part of language study concerned with letters and spelling.

3. a method of spelling, as by the use of an alphabet or other system of symbols; spelling.

4. a system of such symbols.

   Missionaries provided the first orthography for the language.

5. an orthographic projection, or an elevation drawn by means of it.

---

orthography British  

/ ɔːˈθɒɡrəfɪ /

noun

1. a writing system

2. 1. spelling considered to be correct

   2. the principles underlying spelling

3. the study of spelling

4. orthographic projection

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• orthographer
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• orthographies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of orthography

1425–75; late Middle English ortografye < Latin orthographia correct writing, orthogonal projection < Greek orthographía. See ortho-, -graphy

Explanation

If you speak English — and you probably do if you're reading this — an orthography or writing system of "A, B, C, D..." makes sense. The Serbian language uses a different orthography: "A B C Č Ć D Dž Đ..." From Greek orthographia, meaning "correct writing," an orthography is a way to represent words by having set ways to spell and write them. Orthography helps you identify words so you can figure out their meanings. Different languages usually have different systems of orthography, and even subsets of language, like text-messaging lingo, have a sort of orthography.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

orthography orthographies

He asked for all the word’s information — its definition, part of speech, orthography, use in a sentence — but he didn’t need it, evidenced by a slight smile as he spoke.

From New York Times ● Jun. 2, 2023

The Post’s attention to orthography has reached a new low: two mistakes in two words.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 11, 2022

We don’t have an official Bemba dictionary — and the orthography of Zambian languages is also pretty inconsistent.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 23, 2019

“The orthography is a little difficult, and the verbs seemed chaotic.”

From The New Yorker ● Aug. 27, 2018

The thought of Tansy having a look at my orthography brought me near tears.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

Custom has Latinised the appellations, and as he has rejected obsolete terms in conversation, he has felt it more consistent to reject these more correct, but less familiar, orthographies.

From Edwy the Fair or the First Chronicle of Aescendune by Crake, A. D. (Augustine David)

A large number of their misprints could only have been perpetrated in the midst of the old orthographies.

From Literary Blunders by Wheatley, Henry Benjamin

Their Algonquin name was Mascoutins or Maskoutens. with several other orthographies.

From Voyages of Samuel De Champlain — Volume 03 by Otis, Charles P. (Charles Pomeroy)

Footnote 45: These orthographies are but makeshifts for simple sounds.

From Language An Introduction to the Study of Speech by Sapir, Edward