Spelling.School · How to spell

How to spell function

Function is spelled F-U-N-C-T-I-O-N. Say the C: there is a C before the -TION, just as in junction.

hear itfunc·tion/'fəŋkʃən/nounRules and real life

What it means: The purpose or role of something.

In a sentence: The toy robot has a special function that makes it dance.

The part people get wrong

Watch for an unstressed vowel that is hard to hear.

Same family: functional, functioning, dysfunction, malfunction, functionality. If you can spell one, the shared part carries to the others.

Where it comes from: “Function” comes from the Latin word *functio*, meaning “a performing” or “execution,” from *fungi* meaning “to perform.” This is why many related words, like “dysfunction” and “malfunction,” still carry the idea of something working—or not working—properly.

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