Spelling.School · How to spell

How to spell permanent

Permanent is spelled P-E-R-M-A-N-E-N-T.

What it means: Lasting or intended to last indefinitely.

In a sentence: A tattoo is a permanent picture on your skin. ▶

The part people get wrong

Watch for an unstressed vowel that is hard to hear.

Same family: perm, permanently, hairdo, hairstyle, stylist. If you can spell one, the shared part carries to the others.

Where it comes from: The hairstyle meaning of "permanent" comes from the longer phrase "permanent wave," first popular in the early 1900s when new chemical treatments could keep hair curly for months. Over time, people shortened "permanent wave" to just "permanent" and then even further to "perm."

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

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