Separate vs. Seperate: Which spelling is correct?

Lindsay Maia -

In the majority of cases, it's not easy to know the difference between two words that are spelled basically the same. This is typically the case when it comes to these two in particular: separate and seperate. Separate is among the most frequently misspelled terms in the English language.

Seperate appears to stand out since even well-educated writers can fall into the trap of spelling the word in this manner. It's surprising how often is misspelled and not caught. Separate, on the other hand, is an English word that could be used as an adjective, verb, or noun.

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The correct spelling is separate, with 2 a's. Remembering the number of vowels in the word (2 a's, 2 e's) will help you keep this tricky word in line.

Definition of separate

What is the meaning of separate? As a verb, it means to divide or to make distinct. As an adjective, it implies that it is unrelated. Although it is not often used as a noun, it can reference distinct units.

Seperate is not a term used in the English language, and it has no significance; it can only be thought of as the spelling mistake for the term.

Here are a few examples of the correct word in practice as an adjective:

  • Each house has a separate sitting room.
  • Business accounts were kept separate from personal bank accounts.

As a verb, here are a few more examples to help:

  • The teacher went to separate the two groups.
  • They separated. Alex returned home.

In certain situations, separate can also be used as a noun such as:

  • The clothing separates looked great.
  • The diamond separates turned out to be very valuable.

Is it seperate or separate?

The right answer is separate.

Seperate is a misspelling for the word "separate" and should always be avoided. Seperate is no longer an actual word, but at one time both spellings may have been accepted. This happens often as language develops. Some versions of a word stick, while others are gradually lost to history and eventually taken out of the dictionaries altogether.

Since there is such a small difference between these two words, you can see why it would be easy to mix them up.

Tips to Remember the Difference

Separate that has an "a '' after the "p" is the correct option and seperate using"e" after the "p" is not correct. The best method to identify the difference is to remember how many vowels there are, and where they belong.

The word itself also serves as a great visual clue. For instance, the PAR in the middle divides SE from RATE. The word separate originates from Latin. The middle PAR is Latin for match or pair, meaning to connect two things. So, to separate is to unmatch or unpair them.

Sometimes knowing the origin of a tricky word can help you keep it straight.