How to spell focus

hear itfo·cus/'foʊkəs/verbLong vowels

What it means: To concentrate attention on something.

In a sentence: Focus on the bright red balloon in the sky.

The part people get wrong

Watch for a silent c. Often misspelled as focas or focuss.

Same family: focused, focusing, refocus, focuses, focusless. If you can spell one, the shared part carries to the others.

Where it comes from: “Focus” comes from a Latin word meaning “hearth” or “fireplace,” because it was the center of a Roman home. Over time, the meaning shifted to describe the ‘center’ of attention or activity, and later became a verb meaning to direct your attention closely on something.

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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