Spelling.School · How to spell

How to spell reference

Reference is spelled R-E-F-E-R-E-N-C-E. Refer plus -ENCE, and the R before -ENCE is not doubled: ref-er-ence.

What it means: A source of information or citation.

In a sentence: She used a book as a reference to learn about dinosaurs. ▶

The part people get wrong

Watch for an unstressed vowel that is hard to hear.

Same family: references, refer, referral, referee, referring. If you can spell one, the shared part carries to the others.

Where it comes from: “Reference” comes from Latin roots meaning “to carry back” or “to relate.” Over time, it shifted from the idea of “bringing information back” to also mean a person’s written or spoken recommendation that “points back” to your past work and character.

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

evidence · patience · influence · funeral · measure · certificate · necessarily · calendar

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.