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

Vartanians had given the shorter spelling to The Republic during interviews. —Elena Santa Cruz, AZCentral.com, 29 Aug. 2025

If not a whole lot is known about William Shakespeare, even less is known about Anne Hathaway Shakespeare (to use the modern spelling). —Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 28 Aug. 2025

By using standard resume headings, maintaining consistent structure and formatting throughout, and using spelling or grammar checkers to ensure that content is written correctly, applicants tend to stand out to AI. —Jon Stojan, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2025

Cancellation is the usual spelling everywhere, though cancelation is also sometimes used. —Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Aug. 2025

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