How to spell counterfeit

hear itcoun·ter·feit/'kaʊntərfɪt/adjectiveAcademic

What it means: Made to look real in order to deceive.

In a sentence: The pirate had a counterfeit treasure map.

The part people get wrong

Watch for the order of ei. Often misspelled as counterfit or counterfiet.

Same family: counterfeited, counterfeiting, counterfeiter, fake, forge. If you can spell one, the shared part carries to the others.

Where it comes from: “Counterfeit” comes from Old French “contrefaire,” meaning “to imitate,” formed from Latin roots meaning “to make against.” Historically, the word was used for imitating coins and documents, but now it can describe fake products, art, and even emotions.

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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