# spelling

Pronunciation: say "SPEL-ing" /ˈspɛlɪŋ/

## Noun

1. The act, practice, ability, or subject of forming words from their letters, or of reading words letter by letter; orthography.
   - Simple: The skill or activity of forming words with the correct letters.
   - _Years of reading and writing gave her near-perfect spelling._
   - _The language course covers grammar, punctuation, and spelling._
2. A particular way in which a given word is written with its letters.
   - Simple: One particular way of writing a word with letters.
   - _Dictionaries sometimes list more than one accepted spelling for the same word._
   - _Editors flagged the inconsistent spellings scattered throughout the manuscript._
3. The manner in which words are formed from letters, especially correct spelling.
   - Simple: The correct way of forming words from their letters.
   - _The essay was strong on ideas but weak on spelling._
   - _Teachers marked the spelling mistakes in red ink._
5. The choice of notation among enharmonic equivalents: selecting which name to write for a single pitch.
   - Simple: The choice of which name to write for a musical note that can be named in more than one way.
   - _The editor questioned the spelling of that note as G-flat rather than F-sharp._
   - _Jazz arrangers sometimes pick a spelling that makes the chord's function clearer._

## Verb

4. Present participle and gerund of spell. — present participle and gerund of spell
   - Simple: Present participle of spell. Use this form for the action happening now.
   - _He kept spelling the difficult words aloud during practice._
   - _Spelling long words correctly takes a lot of practice._

## Noun

6. A test or competition in which participants spell words aloud or in writing, such as a spelling bee. *(dated, US)*
   - Simple: A school contest or test to see who can spell words correctly.
   - _Grandpa still remembers winning the schoolhouse spelling back in 1952._
   - _The town held an annual spelling every fall._

## Origin

Dating from the 1400s, this word is formed from the verb "spell" combined with the suffix "-ing."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/spelling (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).