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
Her heart is obviously in the right place, but her spelling is not.
—
Judith Martin, Mercury News, 24 May 2025
The odds are the most stacked against Lori, who in addition to sharing the same name as Michael Meyers’ favorite victim (yeah, yeah, different spelling) suffers each day as Rosemary’s baby — literally.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 23 May 2025
Editor's note: This story was updated May 19, the same day as publication, to correct spellings for Doug McMillon and El Molcajete restaurant.
—Laurent Belsie, Christian Science Monitor, 19 May 2025
The new moniker has a twist: while ‘lionne’ is French for lioness, Kang explained the team opted for the spelling with a ‘y’ to reinforce the team’s identity as rooted in the city of Lyon.
—Asli Pelit, New York Times, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for spelling
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Judith Martin, Mercury News, 24 May 2025
The odds are the most stacked against Lori, who in addition to sharing the same name as Michael Meyers’ favorite victim (yeah, yeah, different spelling) suffers each day as Rosemary’s baby — literally.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 23 May 2025
Editor's note: This story was updated May 19, the same day as publication, to correct spellings for Doug McMillon and El Molcajete restaurant.
—Laurent Belsie, Christian Science Monitor, 19 May 2025
The new moniker has a twist: while ‘lionne’ is French for lioness, Kang explained the team opted for the spelling with a ‘y’ to reinforce the team’s identity as rooted in the city of Lyon.
—Asli Pelit, New York Times, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for spelling
Cite this Entry
“Spelling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spelling. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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