Spelling.School · How to spell

How to spell cupboard

hear itcup·board/'kəbərd/nounSounds

What it means: a small room (or recess) or cabinet used for storage space

In a sentence: The cookies are hiding in the cupboard.

The part people get wrong

Watch for an unstressed vowel that is hard to hear. Often misspelled as cubboard or cupbord.

Same family: cabinet, closet, wardrobe, shelf, pantry. If you can spell one, the shared part carries to the others.

Where it comes from: The word "cupboard" originally meant a board or table to hold cups and dishes, not a closed cabinet. Over time, doors were added and the word kept its old spelling even though modern speakers usually pronounce it like "cubbard."

Patterns it uses: The unstressed vowel (schwa)

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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