‘Kindergarden’ and ‘kindergarten’: two common spellings for the same word. But which one is correct? That’s what this article will reveal.
In short, the correct spelling is ‘kindergarten.’
To find out why and what it means, read on.
Kindergarten is an educational establishment for children between four and seven years of age, in which they learn pre-reading and pre-math skills to prepare them for elementary school.
Some other words for kindergarten include preschool, nursery school, play school, and reception.
The correct spelling for the word is ‘kindergarten.’
‘Kindergarden’ with a -d is not a word.
It is commonly misspelled because the word ‘garden’ is English and ‘garten’ is not. But ‘kindergarten’ isn’t an English word, to begin with. It’s a loan word from the German language.
‘Kinder’ translates as ‘child’ and ‘garten’ as ‘garden.’ So the word ‘kindergarten’ translates as ‘child garden.’
These institutions were established in the late 18th century, and the word has been used ever since.
Although spelled with a ‘t,’ the word ‘kindergarten’ is usually pronounced as though it had a ‘d’.
It’s difficult to set specific rules around the pronunciation of loanwords that have received no modification, like ‘kindergarten.’ That’s because unless you pronounce them exactly as they should be in their original language, the pronunciation will never be perfect.
However, it is almost impossible to pronounce the word like a native. That’s why my stance on this is that how you pronounce it isn’t a big deal. How you spell it, however, is.
Verdict? You can pronounce it ‘kindergarden’ or ‘kindergarten.’
Now that we’ve clarified the meaning and correct spelling of the word, let’s see some examples of the word ‘kindergarten’ in a sentence.
I can’t believe Tommy’s starting kindergarten soon. Time flies!
Some kids find kindergarten challenging; it isn’t natural for them to sit in a chair for so long.
Which kindergarten are you sending your kids to?
If you don’t know that, you should go back to kindergarten.
Zoe loves her kindergarten; I can barely pull her away!
Timmy’s kindergarten is located at the end of the street.
Here are a few incorrect examples:
I had the best teacher in kindergarden, I'll never forget her. ❌
There are many kindergardens to choose from in the area. ❌
She was homeschooled apart from kindergarden. ❌
The kindergardeners are out on a school trip. ❌
To conclude, the correct spelling for the word is ‘kindergarten’ with a -t. It’s never right to spell it ‘kindergarden’ with a ‘d’.
It’s a loanword from the German language, just like angst, sauerkraut or doppelganger.
If you wish to learn more confusing words, we have a blog dedicated to that. Check it out, and improve your English in record time!
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