If you wonder whether 'wellcome' or 'welcome' is correct, I can help! The term is commonly used in everyday English conversation. So, it is essential to know the correct spelling and meaning.
I will go over all of that in this informative guide.
Are you in a hurry?
If so, here is a quick answer:
While the answer above will help you correctly spell 'welcome,' there is much more to learn. So, if you have a few minutes, stick around.
'Welcome' is always the correct answer because 'wellcome' is a misspelling. However, that was not always the case. 'Wellcome' was the proper spelling in the past.
Over time, the archaic form changed to the single l version we use today.
In regards to compound words, knowing grammar rules that apply to them can help you decide which version of a spelling to use in many cases. However, 'welcome' is not a typical English word.
So, how do you know 'welcome' is the right choice?
In English, there are many words created with two or more smaller words, for example:
If you look closely, each word on the list above contains two words simply stuck together. However, when creating a term and one of the words you are compounding ends in two consonants, you sometimes drop one consonant before adding the second word to the end.
For example:
Unlike when you drop the last s in miss, in most cases when you make words with well, you do not drop one of the l's, for example:
You likely noticed that the other words on the list contain miss. When you create a compound word with miss, you drop one of the s's before you make the new term. In most cases, though, when you use well, you hyphenate well- and the second word.
So, you do not drop an l, for example:
If you followed the format of other compound words using well, the correct spelling would be:
However, over the years, many widely used phrases have become shorter, and hyphenated compound words have become one.
For example:
'Welcome' does not follow the same rules as other similar terms. So, you just have to remember that it is spelled with one l.
As I mentioned above, 'welcome' can be a verb, interjection, noun, or adjective, and according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the definition is:
It can also mean:
Learning to pronounce words correctly is one of the best things you can do to raise your confidence as a writer or when speaking English.
So, here is a pronunciation guide:
wel-km
You likely have a clear understanding of the correct spelling and meaning of 'welcome.' However, before you leave, look at these example sentences to see the term used in different contexts.
Hopefully, you know which is correct. But, just in case, here is a quick recap:
Because 'welcome' does not follow English language standards, you have to remember that it differs from other similar words. It is the only compound word containing well that is shortened to wel. So, if you get mixed up in the future, you can always come back here to review the information in this post.
You should also read a few of the other confusing word guides while you are here. They are an interesting way to learn about the proper grammar, spelling, and usage of many commonly misused terms.
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