spelling

[ spel-ing ]

/ ˈspɛl ɪŋ /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR spelling ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the manner in which words are spelled; orthography.

a group of letters representing a word.

the act of a speller.

RELATED WORDS

logography

Nearby words

Origin of spelling

1400–50; late Middle English (gerund); see spell¹, -ing¹

spell

[ spel ]

/ spɛl /

verb (used with object), spelled or spelt, spell·ing.

to name, write, or otherwise give the letters, in order, of (a word, syllable, etc.): Did I spell your name right?

(of letters) to form (a word, syllable, etc.): The letters spelled a rather rude word.

to read letter by letter or with difficulty (often followed by out): She painfully spelled out the message.

to discern or find, as if by reading or study (often followed by out).

to signify; amount to: This delay spells disaster for us.

verb (used without object), spelled or spelt, spell·ing.

to name, write, or give the letters of words, syllables, etc.: He spells poorly.

to express words by letters, especially correctly.

Verb Phrases

spell down, to outspell others in a spelling match.

spell out,

to explain something explicitly, so that the meaning is unmistakable: Must I spell it out for you?
to write out in full or enumerate the letters of which a word is composed: The title “Ph.D.” is seldom spelled out.

Origin of spell

1250–1300; Middle English spellen < Old French espeller < Germanic; compare Old English spellian to talk, announce (derivative of spell spell²), Old High German -spellōn, Old Norse spjalla, Gothic spillōn

SYNONYMS FOR spell

5. foretell, portend, mean, promise.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR spell ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formsspell·a·ble, adjectiveun·spell·a·ble, adjective

spell

[ spel ]

/ spɛl /

noun

a continuous course or period of work or other activity: to take a spell at the wheel.

a turn of work so taken.

a turn, bout, fit, or period of anything experienced or occurring: a spell of coughing.

an indefinite interval or space of time: Come visit us for a spell.

a period of weather of a specified kind: a hot spell.

Australian. a rest period.

Archaic. a person or set of persons taking a turn of work to relieve another.

verb (used with object)

to take the place of for a time; relieve: Let me spell you at the wheel.

Australian. to declare or give a rest period to.

verb (used without object)

Australian. to have or take a rest period.

Origin of spell

1585–95; (v.) alteration of earlier spele to stand instead of, relieve, spare, Middle English spelen, Old English spelian; akin to Old English spala, gespelia a substitute; (noun) akin to the v. (perhaps continuing Old English gespelia)

SYNONYMS FOR spell

4. while, bit, piece.

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Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for spelling

It features a young girl at a spelling bee who is asked to spell “Hagan.”
In North Carolina, GOP Overreach May Be More Unpopular Than Obama|Dean Obeidallah|November 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The current issue is also filled with dozens of grammatical errors and spelling mistakes.
It Was All a Dream: Drama, Bullshit, and the Rebirth of The Source Magazine|Alex Suskind|October 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In an ad called “Spelling Bee,” a young child spells “Pryor” as “O-B-A-M-A,” to which the judge says, “Close enough.”
Red State Democrats Ditch Obama|Patricia Murphy|July 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
You might say that this is part of my side of the story… Please excuse my handwriting, punctuation, and spelling.
Life as an Undocumented Immigrant|Jose Antonio Vargas|April 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Just before Christmas a woman told media outlets she slept with McDermott during his marriage to Spelling.
What Turns a Love Affair Into a Relationship That Actually Lasts?|Keli Goff|January 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And prate of spelling and reading as if they were the cardinal virtues?
The Last Of The Barons, Complete|Edward Bulwer-Lytton
Inconsistent hyphenation, punctuation, printing and spelling errors have been corrected silently.
A Fair Mystery|Bertha M. Clay
Professor Lounsbury: May I ask how the written answers showed up from the point of view of spelling and grammar?
Post-Impressions|Simeon Strunsky
Obvious errors in spelling and punctuation have been corrected.
Wagner as I Knew Him|Ferdinand Christian Wilhelm Praeger
Are your spelling lessons, or your lessons on the multiplication table, sown in your hearts?
Amy Harrison|Amy Harrison

British Dictionary definitions for spelling

spelling

/ (ˈspɛlɪŋ) /

noun

the act or process of writing words by using the letters conventionally accepted for their formation; orthography

the art or study of orthography

the actual way in which a word is spelt

the ability of a person to spellJohn's spelling is good

spell

/ (spɛl) /

verb spells, spelling, spelt or spelled

to write or name in correct order the letters that comprise the conventionally accepted form of (a word or part of a word)

(tr) (of letters) to go to make up the conventionally established form of (a word) when arranged correctlyd-o-g spells dog

(tr) to indicate or signifysuch actions spell disaster for our cause

Word Origin for spell

C13: from Old French espeller, of Germanic origin; related to Old Norse spialla to talk, Middle High German spellen

spell

/ (spɛl) /

noun

a verbal formula considered as having magical force

any influence that can control the mind or character; fascination

a state induced by or as if by the pronouncing of a spell; tranceto break the spell

under a spell held in or as if in a spell

verb

(tr) rare to place under a spell

Word Origin for spell

Old English spell speech; related to Old Norse spjall tale, Gothic spill, Old High German spel

spell

/ (spɛl) /

noun

an indeterminate, usually short, period of timea spell of cold weather

a period or tour of duty after which one person or group relieves another

Scot, Australian and NZ a period or interval of rest

verb

(tr) to take over from (a person) for an interval of time; relieve temporarily

spell a paddock NZ to give a field a rest period by letting it lie fallow

Word Origin for spell

Old English spelian to take the place of, of obscure origin

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

Word Origin and History for spelling

spell

v.1

"name the letters of," Old English spellian "to tell, speak," infl. by Old French espeller "declare, spell," from Frankish *spellon "to tell;" both Old English and Frankish from Proto-Germanic *spellan (cf. Old High German spellon "to tell," Old Norse spjalla, Gothic spillon "to talk, tell"), from PIE *spel- "to say aloud, recite." Related: Spelled; spelling.

Meaning "write or say the letters of a word" is c.1400, from notion of "read letter by letter, read with difficulty" (c.1300). Spell out "explain step-by-step" is first recorded 1940, American English. Spelling bee is from 1878 (earlier simply spelling, 1860).

spell

"incantation, charm," Old English spell "story, speech," from Proto-Germanic *spellan (cf. Old Norse spjall, Old High German spel, Gothic spill "report, discourse, tale;" German Beispiel "example;" see spell (v.1)). Meaning "set of words with magical powers, incantation, charm" first recorded 1570s.

The term 'spell' is generally used for magical procedures which cause harm, or force people to do something against their will -- unlike charms for healing, protection, etc. ["Oxford Dictionary of English Folklore"]

spell

v.2

"work in place of (another)," Old English spelian "to take the place of," related to gespelia "substitute," of uncertain origin. Perhaps related to spilian "to play" (see spiel). Related: Spelled; spelling. The noun meaning "indefinite period of time" first recorded 1706.

Idioms and Phrases with spelling

spell

In addition to the idiom beginning with spell

spell out

also see:

cold snap (spell)
under someone's spell

spelling

noun

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of spelling

spell

verb (used with object), spelled or spelt, spell·ing.

verb (used without object), spelled or spelt, spell·ing.

Verb Phrases

Origin of spell

spell

noun

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

Origin of spell

Examples from the Web for spelling

spelling

noun

spell

verb spells, spelling, spelt or spelled

Word Origin for spell

spell

noun

verb

Word Origin for spell

spell

noun

verb

Word Origin for spell

spell

spell

spell

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