Spelling.School · How to spell

How to spell microscope

hear itmi·cro·scope/'maɪkrə,skoʊp/nounHidden vowels

What it means: An instrument for viewing small objects.

In a sentence: The scientist used a microscope to look at tiny bugs.

The part people get wrong

Often misspelled as micrscope or microscopee.

How learners on Spelling.School have misspelled it: zzz

Same family: microscopic, microscopy, microscopist, telescope, periscope. If you can spell one, the shared part carries to the others.

Where it comes from: “Microscope” comes from Greek roots: ‘micro’ meaning ‘small’ and ‘skopein’ meaning ‘to look at’ or ‘to examine.’ It was first used in the 17th century, around the same time early scientists were discovering tiny organisms they called “animalcules” under their new microscopes.

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.