Spelling.School · How to spell

How to spell never

What it means: At no time; not ever.

In a sentence: I never forget to brush my teeth. ▶

The part people get wrong

Watch for an unstressed vowel that is hard to hear. Often misspelled as nevar or neveer.

Same family: ever, forever, nevermore, hardly ever. If you can spell one, the shared part carries to the others.

Where it comes from: “Never” comes from Old English “næfre,” a combination of “ne” (not) and “æfre” (ever), literally meaning “not ever.” Over time the spelling and pronunciation changed, but the basic meaning stayed almost exactly the same.

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.

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