Spelling.School · How to spell

How to spell deficiency

Deficiency is spelled D-E-F-I-C-I-E-N-C-Y.

What it means: A lack of something necessary or important.

In a sentence: The plant had a deficiency of sunlight, so it didn't grow very tall. ▶

The part people get wrong

Watch for an unstressed vowel that is hard to hear, and the order of ie.

Same family: deficient, deficit, insufficiency, shortage, lack. If you can spell one, the shared part carries to the others.

Where it comes from: Deficiency comes from Latin 'deficientia', meaning 'a failing' or 'a lack,' from the verb 'deficere' (to fail, to be lacking). It is closely related to the word 'deficit,' which we now often use for budget and money shortages.

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

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