How to spell hardware

hear ithard·ware/'hɑrd,wɜr/nounRules and real life

What it means: Metal tools, fasteners, and materials used in building.

In a sentence: We went to the store to buy hardware for our treehouse.

The part people get wrong

Often misspelled as hardwear or hard ware.

Same family: software, hardware-related, hardware store, computer hardware, hardware failure. If you can spell one, the shared part carries to the others.

Where it comes from: The word “hardware” originally referred to metal goods like tools, locks, and nails sold in a hardware store. With the rise of computers in the 20th century, the term was borrowed to mean the physical parts of a computer, contrasting with “software,” the programs you can’t touch.

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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