noun
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a person who spells words in the manner specified
a bad speller
-
a book designed to teach or improve spelling
Etymology
Origin of speller
late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at spell 1, -er 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Although a passionate reader, he was a terrible speller, immortalizing “tea” as “tae” in a 1961 painting.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
And I’m such a bad speller that even the most generous auto-correct can’t figure out that the word I’m trying to write is “mellifluous.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 1, 2026
“We have to wear it,” speller Abena Kwaffo said with a laugh.
From Seattle Times ● May 28, 2024
First, he tries to make eye contact with the speller and humanize the moment.
From New York Times ● Jun. 1, 2023
I don’t know if the woman is a bad speller or was just in a hurry.
From "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl" by Stacy McAnulty
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
