Spelling.School · How to spell

How to spell amateur

Amateur is spelled A-M-A-T-E-U-R.

hear itam·a·teur/'æmət,ɜr/nounSchwa and roots

What it means: Someone who is not a professional in a field.

In a sentence: Tom is an amateur at playing the piano, but he practices every day.

The part people get wrong

Watch for an unstressed vowel that is hard to hear.

Same family: professional, novice, beginner, hobbyist, amateurish. If you can spell one, the shared part carries to the others.

Where it comes from: “Amateur” comes from French and ultimately from the Latin word “amator,” meaning “lover.” It originally described someone who does something for the love of it, not for money, which is why an amateur is often a non-professional enthusiast.

Try spelling it

You will hear the word and a sentence. Type it and press Enter. Then four more words from the same level, so you know where you stand.

Words like this

Everyone has words they always get wrong. Spelling.School finds yours, shows you exactly why you miss them, and uses spaced repetition until you spell them right every time. Five minutes a day. Try five words without signing up.