How to spell underwear

hear itun·der·wear/'əndər,wɜr/nounSounds

What it means: undergarment worn next to the skin and under the outer garments

In a sentence: I put on my favorite underwear before I got dressed.

The part people get wrong

Often misspelled as underwere or underware.

Same family: outerwear, sportswear, swimwear, nightwear. If you can spell one, the shared part carries to the others.

Where it comes from: The word “underwear” is a compound of “under” and “wear,” meaning clothing worn underneath other clothes. It became common in English in the late 19th century as people began using more specific words for different kinds of garments.

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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