Spelling.School · How to spell

How to spell answer

hear itan·swer/'ænsər/nounLong vowels

What it means: A statement that solves a problem.

In a sentence: Can you find the answer to the puzzle?

The part people get wrong

Watch for an unstressed vowel that is hard to hear. Often misspelled as anser or awnser.

Same family: answers, answered, answering, unanswered, reply. If you can spell one, the shared part carries to the others.

Where it comes from: The word "answer" comes from Old English "andswaru," which literally meant a "counter-speech" or a reply spoken in return. It’s related to an old idea of speaking "against" or in response to something that was said first.

Patterns it uses: The unstressed vowel (schwa)

Try spelling it

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