spelling

Everyday

1. Spelling is the way words are written with letters in the right order. tree →
2. Spelling is the skill of writing words correctly. tree →
3. A spelling is the way one word is written. tree →
4. Spellings (UK) are a list of words to learn to spell for a test. tree →

In the lessons

In English lessons children learn spelling rules (like «i before e except after c», doubling consonants, adding -ing), practise «look, say, cover, write, check», and have spelling tests or spelling bees (USA). American and British spellings differ: color/colour, center/centre, organize/organise — both are correct in their country. Phrases: «spelling test», «spelling mistake», «spelling bee», «spelling list», «check your spelling».

Examples

• I got ten out of ten in my spelling test. tree →
• Check your spelling before you hand it in. tree →
• There's a spelling mistake in this sentence. tree →
• "Colour" is the British spelling and "color" is the American spelling. tree →
• We learned our spellings for Friday. tree →
• She won the school spelling bee. tree →
• Good spelling makes your writing easier to read. tree →
• He is spelling his name slowly for the teacher. tree →
• The author uses some alternative spellings--for example, "arn't" rather than "aren't", "dulness" rather than "dullness", both "shan't" and "sha'n't"--which have been left unchanged. tree →

Note

Usually uncountable as a skill («good at spelling»); countable for one word's form or a list. Spell checkers miss homophones like «their/there/they're». Past of spell: «spelled» (US) or «spelt» (UK).

In Jewish tradition

Interpretation: Sefer Yetzirah's editors note that letters spell words, such as Alef and Lamed spelling El, God. Tradition holds that God made the world from Hebrew letters, so their order matters. In the primary lessons: In English lessons children learn spelling rules (like «i before e except after c», doubling consonants, adding -ing), practise «look, say, cover, write, check», and have spelling tests or spelling bees (USA). American and British spellings differ: color/colour, center/centre, organize/organise — both are correct in their country. Phrases: «spelling test», «spelling mistake», «spelling bee», «spelling list», «check your spelling».

Examples

• Private Hermetic MSS. have alone the correct names and spelling. (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893) tree →
• Such diagrams are often arranged so that the letter א Alef is across from ל Lamed, spelling the name אֵל El, God. (Sefer Yetzirah, Sefaria community translation) tree →

Note

Usually uncountable as a skill («good at spelling»); countable for one word's form or a list. Spell checkers miss homophones like «their/there/they're». Past of spell: «spelled» (US) or «spelt» (UK).