Spelling.School · How to spell

How to spell animal

Animal is spelled A-N-I-M-A-L. The vowel after the N is I, as in animate, and it ends -AL.

What it means: A living creature that moves.

In a sentence: The zoo has a new animal to see! ▶

The part people get wrong

Watch for an unstressed vowel that is hard to hear.

Same family: animalistic, animality, animalism, instinctive, bestial. If you can spell one, the shared part carries to the others.

Where it comes from: The adjective "animal" comes from the Latin word "animalis," meaning "living, having breath." Over time, English speakers began using it not only for creatures but also for bodily, instinctive drives and passions.

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.

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