Spelling.School · How to spell

How to spell maneuver

hear itma·neu·ver/mə'njuvər/verbAcademic

What it means: To move skillfully.

In a sentence: The cat had to maneuver through the maze to find its treat.

The part people get wrong

Watch for an unstressed vowel that is hard to hear. Often misspelled as manuever or manevre.

Also spelled: manoeuvre (accepted as correct).

Same family: maneuvers, maneuvered, maneuvering, maneuverable, strategy. If you can spell one, the shared part carries to the others.

Where it comes from: Maneuver comes from the French word "manœuvre," originally meaning "hand work" or "manual work," from Latin roots for "hand" (manu-) and "work" (opera). Over time, its meaning shifted from physical handling to skilled or strategic movements in the military, driving, sports, and even politics.

Patterns it uses: The unstressed vowel (schwa)

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

Spelling.School is a spaced-repetition spelling practice: ten minutes a day, every word spoken aloud, every miss explained, and every word coming back just before you would forget it. Try five words without signing up.