綴り

• Reading: つづり
• Romaji: tsuzuri
• Kanji breakdown: 綴 (tei/tsuzuri) — to bind, stitch, spell; り — nominalising suffix
• Pronunciation: /tsɯ.dzɯ.ɾi/

Meaning

Spelling; orthography; also composition (a piece of writing), binding, or patching. The written form of a word letter by letter.

The nominalised form of 綴る (tsuzuru), which originally meant to bind or stitch together, giving rise to multiple meanings: spelling (binding letters), composition (stitching sentences), and physical binding of a book. In modern usage 綴り most commonly refers to spelling — particularly in the context of foreign-language learning or traditional kana orthography (歴史的仮名遣い). 作文の綴り can also refer to a composition or essay.

Examples

1. 彼女は英語の綴りを何度も間違えて辞書を引いた。 She kept misspelling English words and had to look them up in the dictionary.
2. 正確な綴りを覚えることは外国語学習の基礎だ。 Memorizing correct spelling is fundamental to learning a foreign language.
3. 子供たちが書いた文集の綴りを先生が丁寧に整えた。 The teacher carefully corrected the spelling in the compositions the children had written.

Usage Guide

Context: writing, education, language learning, orthography

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Nominalisation of 綴る, derived from 綴 (tei/tsuzuri — to bind, stitch together). The original meaning of stitching threads or binding pages evolved metaphorically to assembling letters into words and sentences.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical–Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal