Spelling.School · How to spell

How to spell illness

Illness is spelled I-L-L-N-E-S-S. The part people get wrong: double L and double S.

hear itill·ness/'ɪlnɪs/nounPrefixes and work

What it means: Impairment of normal physiological function.

In a sentence: The nurse helped the boy get better from his illness.

The part people get wrong

Watch for double l and double s.

Same family: ill, illnesses, sickness, disease, unwell. If you can spell one, the shared part carries to the others.

Where it comes from: Illness comes from the adjective “ill,” which has roots in Old Norse and Old English meaning ‘bad’ or ‘evil.’ Over time, its meaning narrowed to refer mainly to being physically or mentally unwell.

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