Spelling.School · How to spell

How to spell purchase

Purchase is spelled P-U-R-C-H-A-S-E. It ends with the word chase, with UR at the start: pur-CHASE.

hear itpur·chase/'pɜrʧəs/verbLong vowels

What it means: To buy something in exchange for money.

In a sentence: Mom went to the store to purchase some apples.

The part people get wrong

Watch for an unstressed vowel that is hard to hear.

Same family: purchase (verb, to buy), purchasing, purchasable, lever, grip. If you can spell one, the shared part carries to the others.

Where it comes from: In this mechanical sense, "purchase" comes from a Middle English meaning of "to exert effort" or "to obtain by effort," which itself traces back to Old French *pourchacier*, "to seek for" or "to pursue." Over time, the word developed the technical meaning of a firm hold or mechanical advantage, especially when using tools like levers or winches.

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

Everyone has words they always get wrong. Spelling.School finds yours, shows you exactly why you miss them, and uses spaced repetition until you spell them right every time. Five minutes a day. Try five words without signing up.