Spelling.School · How to spell

How to spell lead

hear itlead/lة›d/nounRules and real life

What it means: A strap or leash used to guide an animal.

In a sentence: The dog follows the lead to the park.

The part people get wrong

Often misspelled as leed or led.

Sounds like, but is not: led. Same sound, different spelling and meaning.

Same family: leading, leader, leadership, mislead, led. If you can spell one, the shared part carries to the others.

Where it comes from: The verb "lead" comes from Old English "lædan," meaning "to guide or cause to go," and is related to the word "load" (something you bring or carry). Interestingly, its past tense "led" drops the vowel and can be confused with "lead," the metal, which is pronounced differently.

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