Caterpiller or caterpillar?
Did you mean caterpillar? Here's the right spelling and how to remember it.
Incorrect
caterpiller
Correct
caterpillar
Correct spelling: caterpillar. Misspelling: caterpiller.
letters the misspelling gets wrong or leaves out letters that shouldn't be there
Memory tip
One T, and the ending is -pillar, like a stone pillar.
Why people write “caterpiller”
The misspelling “caterpiller” is only one letter off: it writes E where caterpillar has A, an easy slip because in an unstressed syllable both vowels can sound like the same soft "uh".
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 caterpillar automatic.
What does “caterpillar” mean?
caterpillar noun
- a wormlike and often brightly colored and hairy or spiny larva of a butterfly or moth
- a large tracked vehicle that is propelled by two endless metal belts; frequently used for moving earth in construction and farm work
Synonyms:cat
Definitions from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Full dictionary entry
“Caterpillar” in a sentence
- A caterpillar turns into a butterfly.
Is “caterpillar” a playable word?
15 points in Scrabble · 19 in Words With Friends
- Scrabble (US)
- Scrabble (UK)
- Words With Friends
“caterpiller” is not accepted in any of these games. See every word you can make from CATERPILLAR.