Spelling.School · How to spell

How to spell total

Total is spelled T-O-T-A-L.

What it means: Complete or whole.

In a sentence: The total number of apples in the basket is ten. ▶

The part people get wrong

Watch for an unstressed vowel that is hard to hear.

Same family: totaled, totaling, totaled up, totally, totality. If you can spell one, the shared part carries to the others.

Where it comes from: Total comes from a Latin word 'totalis,' meaning 'entire' or 'whole.' English first used it as a noun and adjective, and later it also became a verb meaning 'to add up completely.'

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

disclosure · funeral · measure · certificate · necessarily · calendar · definitely · refund

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.