How Do You Spell COLUMN and Pronounce It Correctly?

Your submissions keep coming in for hard words to spell for this English teacher-artist to illustrate, and I love fulfilling them from you! Today’s hand-drawn cartoons contain a lesson with two memory tricks for remembering how to correctly spell COLUMN. Before we dive in, let’s clarify the definition, plus how to pronounce “column.”

Defining Column

A column is a noun defined as a tall, thin shape. In architecture, stone columns are the “I” shaped cylinders that often surround entryways in Greek or Roman-style buildings. In newspapers, magazines, or spreadsheets, columns are the long, thin chunks of text that run from the top to the bottom of a page. In life, a column of people is comprised of folks standing in a line, and a column of smoke is a tall, thin cloud of it.

How to Pronounce Column

The challenge in spelling the word stems from the sneaky answer about how to pronounce “column.” You see, the “N” at the end is silent! The correct way to say the word column is: “KAA-lum.” Given this, it seems “column” should be spelled like “colum,” “calum,” “kalum,” “kalim,” “callum,” or “calim,” right?! Well, it’s definitely not. Let’s learn a trick to remember the right letter order.

How Do You Spell Column?

To remember the answer to the question “how do you spell column?” keep the cartoon above in mind. In it, a man is declaring: “No! I will NOT forget the ‘N’ in COLUMN!” Hopefully, this will keep that sneaky silent last letter fresh in your mind.

Remembering the “MN” in Column

Want a more mathematical option for remembering column’s spelling? There’s a certain symmetry to the two separate parts of the word, if you examine my drawing above. “Column” starts with four letters, “COLU,” then balances that out with four “columns” formed from the legs of the letters M and N!

Types of Columns

There are three main types of columns used in Greek architecture and still today. These are: Doric (simple), Ionic (spirals at the ends), and Corinthian (complex and ornate).

VIDEO: Spell Column

https://youtu.be/s28nRyQwD8M

Spelling Column, in Sum

I hope these two tricks for remembering how to spell “column” are helpful. What other commonly misspelled words (or any concepts in English or life) would you like me to illustrate? Do feel free to comment below with your requests!

Want more? Check out “How to Spell Grateful.”