How Do You Spell ANSWER and Pronounce It? Two Funny Tricks…

It’s time for another entry into the hard words to spell in English list: “How do you spell answer?” Yes indeed, writing out “answer” stumps many people, but never fear — with this article, you’ll learn two funny and memorable ways to remember the correct spelling of “answer” forever.

How to Pronounce Answer

The main confusion with how to spell the word “answer” stems from the fact that it is NOT pronounced how it’s spelled. How to pronounce answer, then? It’s pronounced like: “AN-sr.” The “w” in the middle of the word is silent (just like the “n” at the end of column is silent), and it’s very difficult to tell from the pronunciation of “answer” which vowel goes before the “r.” (The word “separate” has a similar pronunciation issue.)

Spelling Answer WRONG

Given the confusion due to the pronunciation, common misspellings of the word “answer” include: anser, antser, awnser, awnsir, awnsur, awenser, answur, answir, ahnser, aynsir, antswer, ansir, antsir… and more. Ready to learn the tricks to remember the CORRECT spelling of “answer?” Let’s go.

Answer Spelling Trick 1:

To remember the silent “W” in the middle of “answer,” visualize the cartoon I drew for you, above: a Whale in Water asking “Why?” This image should help keep that “W” in your mind, especially because the question “Why?” is the perfect match for “Answer.”

Why is that? Because the definition of “answer” is: a response to a question or situation (noun) or the act of making a response (verb). When someone asks “Why?” you give them an ansWer.

Trick 2 for Spelling Answer:

Ok, now we’ll get a little sillier in our memory tricks — but sometimes silliness is the best way to learn something. To help you remember every letter of the spelling of “answer,” I’ve created the mini-story above: Annie Needs Some Wild Earrings — Really! Aww, that woman named Annie REALLY needed those giant bangles to look her best! Hehe.

At the very least, my hope is that this cartoon illustration of Annie will help you remember that there’s an “E” (for “Earrings”) before the “R” in the spelling of ANSWER. Well, either that, or it will give you a burning desire to buy some fabulous jewelry!

VIDEO: Answer Spelling

https://youtu.be/lyiDtLsF2FQ

How to Spell Answer and Pronounce It, in Sum

Hopefully these tricks will help you remember how to spell “answer,” even though the word is pronounced differently than it’s spelled! I’m curious to hear from you in the comments section: which way have you misspelled it? What other words or concepts would you like me illustrate? Do share!

Want more spelling memory tricks? Check out my English lessons: “Spell Definitely,” “Spell Dilemma,” “Spell Rhythm,” and “Loose vs. Lose.” Want to hear a beautiful song with the word “Answer” in it? Listen to “Answer Me” from the musical, The Band’s Visit.