spelling

noun

spell·​ing ˈspe-liŋ 

1

: the forming of words from letters according to accepted usage : orthography

2

a

: a sequence of letters composing a word

b

: the way in which a word is spelled

Examples of spelling in a Sentence

The American spelling is “color” while the British spelling is “colour.”

The words “made” and “maid” sound alike but have different spellings.

Recent Examples on the Web

Güell’s vision was to build an estate for affluent families—Gaudí planned 60 homes, a market, and gardens inspired by British parks (which explains the English spelling of the Catalan word parc), but the scheme never took off. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Feb. 2026

An earlier version of this story had an incorrect spelling for the last name of Russ Hamilton. —Miriam Fauzia, Dallas Morning News, 18 Feb. 2026

In 1932, the name was officially switched back to the Spanish spelling. —Bethy Squires, Vulture, 18 Feb. 2026

This version has been updated to correct the spelling Vanessa Artigas' first name. —CBS News, 16 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing spelling

• finger spelling
• reformed spelling
• spelling bee
• spelling pronunciation

Rhymes for spelling

• belling
• celling
• dwelling
• fehling
• felling
• gelling
• pelling
• quelling
• selling
• shelling
• smelling
• swelling

Kids Definition

spelling

noun

spell·​ing

ˈspel-iŋ

: the forming of words from letters

also : the letters composing a word