How Do You Spell APOSTROPHES?

Pronunciation: [ɐpˈɒstɹəfɪz] (IPA)

The word "apostrophes" is spelled with two vowel sounds: "ah" and "o." The symbol ə indicates the "ah" sound that is heard in the first syllable, while the symbol ʊ represents the "o" sound in the second syllable. The letter "s" at the end of the word denotes the plural form of "apostrophe." This punctuation mark is used to indicate possessiveness or to show omission in a contraction. Accurate use of apostrophes is crucial for effective communication in written English.

APOSTROPHES Meaning and Definition

  1. Apostrophes, denoted by the symbol ' , are punctuation marks that serve multiple functions in the English language. In their most common usage, apostrophes indicate possession or the omission of letters in contractions.

    When expressing ownership or possession, such as a person's name or an object belonging to someone, apostrophes are used. For instance, "John's book" indicates that the book belongs to John. Similarly, "the dog's bone" signifies that the bone belongs to the dog.

    Apostrophes are also employed in contractions, where words are combined and certain letters are omitted. Notable examples include "can't" (from "cannot"), "won't" (from "will not"), or "it's" (from "it is"). The apostrophe takes the place of the omitted letter(s) to form a concise word.

    However, it is important to note that apostrophes should not be used to form plurals, as they are frequently mistaken. Plurals are formed by adding an -s at the end of a word, e.g., "books," "dogs," or "apples." Incorrect usage of apostrophes in plurals, such as "apple's" or "dog's," is considered a grammatical error.

    Furthermore, apostrophes are used in exceptional cases, such as indicating the plural possessive form of a word ending in -s (e.g., "the Joneses' house"), or in abbreviations or acronyms (e.g., "Mind your p's and q's"). However, the rules regarding apostrophes can vary depending on style guides and dialects, so it is advisable to consult trusted sources to ensure correct usage.

Top Common Misspellings for APOSTROPHES *

* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.

Other Common Misspellings for APOSTROPHES

Etymology of APOSTROPHES

The word "apostrophes" is derived from the Greek word "apostrophē", which means a turning away or a turning back. It comes from the verb "apostrephein", meaning to turn away or to avert. The term was later adopted into Latin as "apostropha" and finally entered the English language as "apostrophe". It originally referred to a punctuation mark used to indicate the omission of one or more letters in a word, as well as possession or contractions. The plural form "apostrophes" simply indicates more than one apostrophe.

Similar spelling words for APOSTROPHES

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