Spelling.School · How to spell

How to spell surprise

What it means: An unexpected event or fact.

In a sentence: I had a big surprise at my birthday party! ▶

The part people get wrong

Often misspelled as suprise or surprize.

Same family: surprises, surprised, surprising, surprisingly, surpriser. If you can spell one, the shared part carries to the others.

Where it comes from: “Surprise” comes from Old French *surprise*, meaning “unexpected attack,” from *surprendre* “to overtake,” formed from *sur-* (“over”) + *prendre* (“to take”). Over time, the word softened from the idea of being ‘taken over’ suddenly to any sudden, unexpected event or feeling.

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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