Orthography
noun
The way words are spelled in a language.
English orthography is known for its irregularities.

Often appears as...
- english orthography
- conventional orthography
Usage tips
Academic
noun
A method of representing a language or the sounds of a language by written symbols.
He's studying the orthography of Old English.

Often appears as...
- study orthography
- orthography of a language
Usage tips
Academic
noun
The way words are spelled in a language.
English orthography is known for its irregularities.

Often appears as...
- english orthography
- conventional orthography
Usage tips
Academic
noun
A method of representing a language or the sounds of a language by written symbols.
He's studying the orthography of Old English.

Often appears as...
- study orthography
- orthography of a language
Usage tips
Academic
Definition 1 of 2

Irregular Patterns
Some English words don't follow standard spelling rules, making them tricky to learn.

Though 'knight' and 'night' sound the same, their orthography differs greatly.
Historical Spelling
English spelling can reflect the word's history, not always how it sounds today.

The word 'debt' includes a 'b' due to its historical orthography linked to Latin.
Influenced by Other Languages
English orthography is influenced by various languages, such as French and Latin.

The 'ch' in 'chorus' reflects Greek origins in its orthography.
Irregular Patterns
Some English words don't follow standard spelling rules, making them tricky to learn.

Though 'knight' and 'night' sound the same, their orthography differs greatly.
Historical Spelling
English spelling can reflect the word's history, not always how it sounds today.

The word 'debt' includes a 'b' due to its historical orthography linked to Latin.
Influenced by Other Languages
English orthography is influenced by various languages, such as French and Latin.

The 'ch' in 'chorus' reflects Greek origins in its orthography.
Irregular Patterns
Some English words don't follow standard spelling rules, making them tricky to learn.

Though 'knight' and 'night' sound the same, their orthography differs greatly.
Historical Spelling
English spelling can reflect the word's history, not always how it sounds today.

The word 'debt' includes a 'b' due to its historical orthography linked to Latin.
Influenced by Other Languages
English orthography is influenced by various languages, such as French and Latin.

The 'ch' in 'chorus' reflects Greek origins in its orthography.
Quote examples
David Crystal
English Educator
The story of English spelling is the story of thousands of people - some well-known, most totally unknown - who left a permanent linguistic fingerprint on our orthography.

Quote examples
David Crystal
English Educator
The story of English spelling is the story of thousands of people - some well-known, most totally unknown - who left a permanent linguistic fingerprint on our orthography.

Example 1 of 1
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