Ambigous or ambiguous?
Did you mean ambiguous? Here's the right spelling and how to remember it.
Incorrect
ambigous
Correct
ambiguous
Correct spelling: ambiguous. Misspelling: ambigous.
letters the misspelling gets wrong or leaves out letters that shouldn't be there
Memory tip
There is a U after the G, as in ambiguity: am-bi-GU-ous.
Why people write “ambigous”
The misspelling “ambigous” is only one letter off: it leaves out the silent U, a letter you barely hear when the word is spoken.
Spell-checkers catch the mistake in a document, but not in a handwritten note, a text message or a word game. Writing the word out a few times while saying the tricky part aloud is the quickest way to make ambiguous automatic.
Other misspellings of “ambiguous”
People also write “ambiguos”. Here is where each one goes wrong.
“ambiguos”
Correct spelling: ambiguous. Misspelling: ambiguos.
letters the misspelling gets wrong or leaves out letters that shouldn't be there
The misspelling “ambiguos” is only one letter off: it leaves out the U.
What does “ambiguous” mean?
ambiguous adjective
- open to two or more interpretations; or of uncertain nature or significance; or (often) intended to mislead
“an equivocal statement”
Synonyms:equivocal
- having more than one possible meaning
“ambiguous words”
- having no intrinsic or objective meaning; not organized in conventional patterns
“an ambiguous situation with no frame of reference”
Definitions from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Full dictionary entry
“Ambiguous” in a sentence
- The instructions were ambiguous, so we guessed.
- An equivocal statement.
- Ambiguous words.
- An ambiguous situation with no frame of reference.
Is “ambiguous” a playable word?
14 points in Scrabble · 19 in Words With Friends
- Scrabble (US)
- Scrabble (UK)
- Words With Friends
“ambigous” is not accepted in any of these games. See every word you can make from AMBIGUOUS.