Spelling.School · How to spell

How to spell darkness

Darkness is spelled D-A-R-K-N-E-S-S. The part people get wrong: double S.

What it means: Absence of light or illumination.

In a sentence: The cat hid in the darkness under the bed. ▶

The part people get wrong

Watch for double s.

Same family: darken, darkest, darkly, darkened, shadow. If you can spell one, the shared part carries to the others.

Where it comes from: Darkness comes from Old English 'deorcnysse,' meaning 'absence of light.' The ending '-ness' is a very old suffix in English that turns qualities like 'dark,' 'kind,' or 'happy' into abstract nouns such as 'darkness,' 'kindness,' and 'happiness.'

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

embarrass · illness · fitness · happiness · part-time · state-of-the-art · guardian · veterinarian

Everyone has words they always get wrong. Spelling.School finds yours, shows you exactly why you miss them, and uses spaced repetition until you spell them right every time. Five minutes a day. Try five words without signing up.