Spelling.School · How to spell

How to spell can

hear itcan/kæn/verbStarter

What it means: To be able to do something.

In a sentence: I can jump over the puddle.

The part people get wrong

Often misspelled as kan or cann.

Same family: buoy, marker, channel, harbor, navigation. If you can spell one, the shared part carries to the others.

Where it comes from: In nautical language, “can” most likely comes from the idea of a metal cylinder or can‑shaped marker floating in the water. Over time, it became a specialized term for a particular type of buoy used to mark the edges of safe shipping channels.

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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