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Synonyms

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.


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); 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.

The New York Times analysis relies heavily on textual analysis of old emails and posts, and in particular incorrect hyphen usage and British spelling.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026

It's the start of FA Cup quarter-final week at Port Vale and manager Jon Brady is spelling out some home truths to his players after another demoralising defeat.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

A lot of them had excelled in school: We talked to a boy that had just won a spelling bee, for example.

From Slate • Mar. 20, 2026

The online service Grammarly originated in 2009 as a suite of tools to help ferret out plagiarism in schoolwork or help students hone their grammar and spelling.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026

Every week she gave us vocabulary and spelling lists and a poem to memorize.

From "Breaking Through" by Francisco Jiménez