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

This story was updated to correct the spelling of Kennesaw Mountain High School. —Todd Holcomb, AJC.com, 26 Apr. 2026

Jet fuel prices have spiked from $100 a barrel prewar levels to nearly $200 a barrel, spelling trouble for even the larger carriers. —Jake Angelo, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2026

The charm of these biographies, however, lies in their authenticity – the small spelling missteps and unpolished phrasing that reflect genuine middle school voices. —Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026

Or, in another scenario, names that may be considered the same were on opposite lists with different spellings; Slagen specifically nods to how Indy and Veda are considered trending, whereas Vada and Indie are falling. —Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 24 Apr. 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