Spelling.School · How to spell

How to spell knew

Knew is spelled K-N-E-W.

What it means: To have understood or had information in the past.

In a sentence: She knew the answer to the math problem. ▶

The part people get wrong

Watch for a silent k.

Not to be confused with: new, a different word.

Same family: know, known, knowing, knowledge, knowledgeable. If you can spell one, the shared part carries to the others.

Where it comes from: “Knew” is the irregular past tense of “know,” from Old English “cnāwan,” which also had a silent-style initial /k/ sound that later disappeared in speech but stayed in the spelling. The silent “k” in words like know, knew, and knife is a fossil from that older pronunciation.

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.

Words like this

knowledge · known · whether · piece · interview · team · here · site

Everyone has words they always get wrong. Spelling.School finds yours, shows you exactly why you miss them, and uses spaced repetition until you spell them right every time. Five minutes a day. Try five words without signing up.