How to spell zodiac

hear itzo·di·ac/'zoʊdɪ,æk/nounRules and real life

What it means: A belt of stars used in astrology.

In a sentence: The zodiac has many stars shining in the night sky.

The part people get wrong

Watch for an unstressed vowel that is hard to hear. Often misspelled as zodiak or zodeac.

Same family: zodiacal, astrology, astrological, constellation, horoscope. If you can spell one, the shared part carries to the others.

Where it comes from: The word "zodiac" comes from the Greek word *zōidiakos*, meaning "circle of little animals," because many of the signs are represented by animals. The concept was used by ancient Babylonians and Greeks to map the path of the sun, moon, and planets across the sky.

Patterns it uses: The unstressed vowel (schwa)

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