How to Spell Committee
Is it comittee, or committee?
The correct spelling is committee with double M, double T, and double E. It's commonly misspelled as comittee, commitee, or comitee.
A committee is a small group of people appointed or elected to handle a specific task, make decisions, or oversee a function on behalf of a larger group.
Common Misspellings:
Why Committee Is Hard to Spell
You're not alone. Committee is famously difficult because it contains three sets of double letters: MM, TT, and EE. Getting all three right requires remembering which letters double - and people often nail two but forget the third. This isn't poor spelling; it's a genuine cognitive load challenge.
Why this mistake happens: Each double consonant seems unnecessary from pronunciation - "comitee" sounds identical to "committee." The related word "commitment" adds confusion: it has double M and single T, while "committee" has double M AND double T AND double E. Your brain has to override the "commitment" pattern and remember all three pairs.
Committee Spelling Breakdown
Break it into chunks: com-mit-tee
Notice the three pairs: coMMiTTEE - double M from the root "commit," double T before the suffix, double E from the "-ee" ending. Think of it as three groups sitting together: MM, then TT, then EE.
Word Origin
"Committee" shares its root with "commitment" and "commit" - all from Latin "committere" (to connect, entrust, commit). The word entered English in the 1600s, originally meaning a person to whom something was committed. The "-ee" suffix (denoting a person appointed to a role) was added in English, requiring the T to double before the vowel suffix. This gives committee its unique triple-double structure: MM from "committere," TT from the English doubling rule before "-ee," and EE from the suffix itself.
Etymology Path:
Latin committere → French comité → Modern English committee
Memory Trick for Committee
Use this simple phrase to lock in the correct spelling forever:
"A coMMiTTEE meets in pairs: MM-TT-EE"
Why it works: "Meets in pairs" is the core insight - a committee is literally a group that works together, and its spelling reflects this: MM pairs, TT pairs, EE pairs. The mnemonic captures both the word's meaning (a group gathering) and its spelling pattern (three paired letters) in one vivid image. Picture people sitting in pairs at a committee meeting - everything comes in twos.
How to use it: When you write "committee," think: "Who's at a committee? People in pairs. What letters does it use? Pairs of letters." Count them: MM... TT... EE. Three pairs, in order. If you're missing any pair, the committee isn't complete - send more people.
What Committee Means
A committee is a small group of people appointed or elected to handle a specific task, make decisions, or oversee a function on behalf of a larger group.
Governance: "The budget committee meets every quarter to review departmental spending."
Academic: "She was elected to the student activities committee for the new academic term."
Common Misspellings of Committee
✗ comittee - Missing one M (dropped a letter from the double MM at the start)
✗ commitee - Missing one T (the T must double before the "-ee" suffix)
✗ comitee - Missing both one M and one T (two errors at once - the most stripped-down misspelling)
Quick tip: Remember "MM-TT-EE - three pairs" - committee needs all three double letters. Count them: 1 pair (MM), 2 pairs (TT), 3 pairs (EE). If any pair is missing, the committee is incomplete.
