Spelling.School · How to spell

How to spell benign

Benign is spelled B-E-N-I-G-N.

hear itbe·nign/bɪ'naɪn/adjectiveSilent and tricky

What it means: Not harmful or dangerous to health.

In a sentence: The doctor said the bump on her arm was benign, so it wasn't dangerous.

The part people get wrong

Watch for a silent g.

Same family: benignly, benignity, beneficial, benevolent, benign tumor. If you can spell one, the shared part carries to the others.

Where it comes from: “Benign” comes from the Latin word *benignus*, meaning “kind” or “well-born,” from *bene* (“well”) + *genus* (“birth, origin”). It is related to other “good” words like *benefit*, *benevolent*, and *beneficial*.

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