Spelling.School · How to spell

How to spell certain

Certain is spelled C-E-R-T-A-I-N. An E after the C, and the same -TAIN ending as curtain and captain.

What it means: Having no doubt; confident and assured.

In a sentence: She is certain that her cat loves to play with strings. ▶

The part people get wrong

Watch for an unstressed vowel that is hard to hear.

Same family: certainty, certainly, uncertain, uncertainty, certify. If you can spell one, the shared part carries to the others.

Where it comes from: Certain comes from the Latin word 'certus,' meaning 'sure' or 'fixed.' It entered English through Old French, which is why its spelling looks less phonetic than it sounds.

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

never · answer · interest · service · determine · nervous · phenomenon · knowledge

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