Spelling.School · How to spell

How to spell expiration

Expiration is spelled E-X-P-I-R-A-T-I-O-N.

hear itex·pi·ra·tion/,ɛkspə'reɪʃən/nounSchwa and roots

What it means: The end of a period when something can be used.

In a sentence: The expiration date on the milk is tomorrow.

The part people get wrong

Watch for an unstressed vowel that is hard to hear.

Same family: respiration, inspiration, respiratory, perspire. If you can spell one, the shared part carries to the others.

Where it comes from: Expiration comes from Latin *exspirare*, meaning “to breathe out” (*ex-* = out + *spirare* = to breathe). The same root *spir-* appears in words like spirit, inspire, and respiration, all historically connected to breathing or breath.

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

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.