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Synonyms

spelling

American  
[spel-ing] / ˈspɛl ɪŋ /

noun

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

  2. a group of letters representing a word.

  3. the act of a speller.


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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of spelling

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

Vocabulary lists containing spelling

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.

My mother wound up spelling it with two e’s.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026

Yet, it was no hallucination to see Vin Diesel strutting the red carpet in a custom blazer with rhinestones spelling out “Fast Forever,” the 11th and final installment, scheduled to be released in 2028.

From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026

McInnes said his team needed a siege mentality to deal with... well, he stopped short of spelling it out but you caught his drift.

From BBC • May 14, 2026

Which is precisely why shakshuka — or shakshouka, depending on who’s spelling it — remains one of my favorite “clean out the fridge without feeling deprived” dinners.

From Salon • May 12, 2026

But when he got home, he didn’t ask about my spelling test.

From Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff

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