Spelling.School · How to spell

How to spell lie

Lie is spelled L-I-E.

hear itlie/l'aɪ/verbLong vowels

What it means: To make an untrue statement.

In a sentence: Sometimes it's better to tell the truth than to lie.

The part people get wrong

Watch for the order of ie.

Same family: lying, lay, lain, rest, recline. If you can spell one, the shared part carries to the others.

Where it comes from: This sense of "lie" comes from Old English "licgan," meaning "to be in a horizontal position." It is related to German "liegen" and Dutch "liggen," which also mean "to lie down."

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