Spelling.School · How to spell

How to spell essentially

Essentially is spelled E-S-S-E-N-T-I-A-L-L-Y.

What it means: Basically, or at the most basic level.

In a sentence: Essentially, a cat is a small furry animal with whiskers. ▶

The part people get wrong

Watch for double s and double l, and an unstressed vowel that is hard to hear.

Same family: essential, essentiality, nonessential, quintessential. If you can spell one, the shared part carries to the others.

Where it comes from: “Essentially” comes from the Latin word *essentia*, meaning “being” or “existence,” through Old French and Middle English. It originally carried a strong philosophical sense about the true nature of something, which is why we still use it today to mean “in its most important or basic way.”

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

measure · definitely · totally · happily · seriously · personally · initial · physically

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.