Spelling.School · How to spell

How to spell ambiguous

Ambiguous is spelled A-M-B-I-G-U-O-U-S.

What it means: Open to multiple interpretations.

In a sentence: The picture in the cloud was ambiguous and could look like a dog or a rabbit. ▶

The part people get wrong

Watch for an unstressed vowel that is hard to hear.

Same family: ambiguity, ambiguities, unambiguous, ambiguously, clarity. If you can spell one, the shared part carries to the others.

Where it comes from: “Ambiguous” comes from the Latin word “ambiguus,” which literally meant “going both ways” or “driving in both directions.” The Latin root ambi- also appears in words like “ambidextrous” (able to use both hands equally well).

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

marvelous · questionnaire · embarrass · liaison · electrician · conscience · transaction · destination

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