Meaning & use
misspelled
Last updated
“misspelled” is a form of “misspell”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Written with incorrect letters, not in the standard spelling.
Grammar: Before a noun or after be: a misspelled name; the word was misspelled.
Patterns
- a misspelled word
The teacher circled every misspelled word on the page.
His misspelled name on the certificate caused trouble at the bank.
A misspelled sign outside the shop made people smile.
verbtransitive
Past tense and past participle of misspell: to write a word with the wrong letters.
Grammar: Takes an object: she misspelled my name.
Patterns
- misspell something
She misspelled my surname on the invitation.
Students often misspelled the word necessary in their essays.
I have misspelled this word twice already.
Word forms
| present | misspell |
|---|---|
| third person singular | misspells |
| past tense | misspelled |
| past participle | misspelled |
| -ing form | misspelling |
Common combinations
- misspelled word
- Please correct each misspelled word before you submit.
- misspelled name
- The misspelled name on the ticket delayed his flight.
- frequently misspelled
- Accommodate is a frequently misspelled word.
- commonly misspelled
- The list shows commonly misspelled place names.
- misspelled on purpose
- The brand's name is misspelled on purpose to look unique.
Synonyms and how they differ
- incorrectly spelled
- Incorrectly spelled is a plain, descriptive phrase, while misspelled is the single standard word.
- mistyped
- Mistyped suggests a slip while typing, whereas misspelled means the writer may not know the correct letters.
- garbled
- Garbled means messed up or confused overall, and does not point only to spelling.
Opposites
Word family
- misspell verb
- to spell a word wrongly
- misspelling noun
- a wrong spelling of a word
- spelling noun
- the correct order of letters in a word
- spelled adjective
- written out in letters
Commonly confused: misspelled or mispelled?
misspelled vs mispelled
This is itself a common misspelling; the correct word has a double s, as in mis + spelled.
Practice
Which is the correct spelling?
Choose one answer.
The word is made of mis- plus spelled, so the s is doubled. The other options drop or move letters.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “misspelled”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.