Spelling.School · How to spell

How to spell action

Action is spelled A-C-T-I-O-N. It is act plus ION, so the T before -ION comes straight from act.

hear itac·tion/'ækʃən/nounLong vowels

What it means: The act of doing something or taking steps.

In a sentence: The superhero took quick action to save the day.

The part people get wrong

Watch for an unstressed vowel that is hard to hear.

Same family: active, activity, actor, activate, interaction. If you can spell one, the shared part carries to the others.

Where it comes from: Action comes from Latin 'actio', meaning 'a doing' or 'a performing'. In English, it has been used for both general deeds and specific military engagements since at least the 17th century.

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