Certian or certain?
Did you mean certain? Here's the right spelling and how to remember it.
Incorrect
certian
Correct
certain
Correct spelling: certain. Misspelling: certian.
letters the misspelling gets wrong or leaves out letters that shouldn't be there
Memory tip
It ends in -tain, like captain: cer-TAIN.
Why people write “certian”
The misspelling “certian” is only one letter off: it swaps the order of A and I.
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 certain automatic.
What does “certain” mean?
certain adjective
- definite but not specified or identified
“set aside a certain sum each week”
- having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
“felt certain of success”
Synonyms:sure
- established beyond doubt or question; definitely known
“what is certain is that every effect must have a cause”
- certain to occur; destined or inevitable
“he was certain to fail”
Synonyms:sure
Definitions from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Full dictionary entry
“Certain” in a sentence
- Are you certain about that?
- Set aside a certain sum each week.
- Felt certain of success.
- What is certain is that every effect must have a cause.
Is “certain” a playable word?
9 points in Scrabble · 11 in Words With Friends
- Scrabble (US)
- Scrabble (UK)
- Words With Friends
“certian” is not accepted in any of these games. See every word you can make from CERTAIN.