How to spell pencil

hear itpen·cil/'pɛnsəl/nounSounds

What it means: A tool for writing or drawing.

In a sentence: I drew a picture with my yellow pencil.

The part people get wrong

Often misspelled as pencel or pensil.

Same family: eyeliner pencil, eyebrow pencil, lip pencil, makeup, cosmetic. If you can spell one, the shared part carries to the others.

Where it comes from: The word "pencil" comes from Middle English and Old French words meaning a fine brush or little tail, originally referring to a small artist’s brush. Over time, the name shifted from the tool (a fine writing or drawing instrument) to many stick-shaped products, including modern cosmetic pencils for the face.

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

clown · drank · skin · think · thanks · mountain

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.