How to Spell Separately
Is it seperately, or separately?
Common Misspellings:
📊 One of the most commonly misspelled adverbs in English writing
You're Not Alone
This is one of the most commonly misspelled adverbs in English. The confusion between "seperately" and "separately" trips up even experienced writers. The vowel reduction in casual speech makes the A sound like an E, leading thousands of writers to second-guess this spelling daily. The confusion is understandable - and completely fixable with the right memory trick.
Why This Mistake Happens
Vowel reduction in speech: When you say "separately" out loud, the middle syllable often sounds like "uh" or "eh" rather than a clear "AY" sound. This makes it natural to think it's spelled with an E instead of an A.
Disconnection from root word: Many writers don't immediately connect "separately" with its root word "separate" (which clearly has an A). Once you see that "separately" is just "separate" + "ly," the spelling becomes obvious.
Visual pattern mismatch: The letter pattern "separ" doesn't follow common English spelling patterns, making it easy to default to the more phonetic "seper." The A seems random unless you know the Latin origin from "parare" (to prepare).
Word Origin
"Separate" entered English in the 15th century from Latin "separatus," the past participle of "separare" (to set apart). The Latin word combines "se-" (apart) with "parare" (to prepare, arrange). The adverb form "separately" was created by adding the English suffix "-ly" to mean "in a separate manner."
Etymology Path:
Latin separare → Latin separatus → Modern English separately
The Spelling Trick
"There's A RAT in sepARAtely (like sepARATe)"
Why it works: This spelling trick highlights the A-RAT-A pattern in the middle of the word, making it impossible to forget that it's spelled with an A, not an E. The visual image of finding a rat hidden inside the word creates a memorable and slightly humorous mental anchor.
How to use it: When you're typing or writing "separately" and hesitate about the vowel, think: "There's A RAT in sepARAtely." The capitalized RAT pattern shows you exactly where the A goes, and connects it back to the root word "sepARATe."
Examples in Context
Professional: "Please invoice each department separately for better cost tracking."
Casual: "We can meet separately or all together - whatever works for you."
Academic: "The researchers examined each data set separately to avoid statistical bias."
Technical: "Store user credentials separately from application data for security."
Formal: "Each proposal will be evaluated separately by the review committee."
Common Mistakes to Avoid
✗ seperately - E instead of A (most common error, based on pronunciation)
✗ separatly - Missing the E before LY (hasty typing error)
✗ sepratley - Scrambled letters (confusion with the -ATELY ending)
Quick tip: Always think of the root word "separate" (with an A). When you add "-ly" to form the adverb, the A stays: SEPARATE + LY = SEPARATELY. The root word never changes when adding suffixes.