Spelling.School · How to spell

How to spell gnaw

What it means: To bite or chew on something.

In a sentence: The puppy likes to gnaw on his favorite bone. ▶

The part people get wrong

Watch for a silent g, and an unstressed vowel that is hard to hear. Often misspelled as naw or gnal.

Same family: gnaws, gnawed, gnawing, chew, erode. If you can spell one, the shared part carries to the others.

Where it comes from: “Gnaw” comes from Old English “gnagan,” related to German “nagen,” all meaning “to bite or nibble.” The initial “g” used to be pronounced, but over time it became silent, leaving the unusual spelling we still use today.

Patterns it uses: The unstressed vowel (schwa) · Silent letters

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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