spell (FORM WORDS) Show phonetics
verb [I or T] spelled or UK AND AUSTRALIAN ENGLISH ALSO spelt, spelled or UK AND AUSTRALIAN ENGLISH ALSO spelt
to form a word or words with the letters in the correct order:
"How do you spell 'receive'?" "R E C E I V E".
Shakespeare did not always spell his own name the same way.
Our address is 1520 Main Street, Albuquerque - shall I spell that (out) (= say in the correct order the letters that form the word) for you?
I think it's important that children should be taught to spell (= how to form words with the letters in the correct order).

speller Show phonetics
noun
good/bad speller someone who is good/bad at spelling

spelling Show phonetics
noun
1 [U] forming words with the correct letters in the correct order, or the ability to do this:
He's hopeless at spelling.
My computer has a program which corrects my spelling.
Your essay is full of spelling mistakes/errors.

2 [C] the way a particular word is spelt:
This dictionary includes both British and American spellings of words.

(from Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary)


Related sites from Cambridge: The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language