orthography

UK: /ɔːˈθɒɡrəfɪ/ US: /ɔrˈθɑgrəfi/ ,(ôr thog′rə fē)

Inflections of 'orthography' (n): npl: orthographies

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

or•thog•ra•phy /ɔrˈθɑgrəfi/   n., pl. -phies. 

1. Linguistics [uncountable] the way of writing words with the proper letters according to accepted usage; correct spelling.
2. Linguistics [countable] a method or system of spelling, as by the use of an alphabet or other system of symbols.

or•tho•graph•ic /ˌɔrθəˈgræfɪk/  adj. [before a noun]

One orthographic convention in English is that "qu'' is pronounced like "kw.''

See -graph-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

or•thog•ra•phy  (ôr thog′rə fē), n., pl. -phies for 3–5.

1. Linguistics the art of writing words with the proper letters, according to accepted usage;
   correct spelling.
2. Linguistics the part of language study concerned with letters and spelling.
3. Linguistics a method of spelling, as by the use of an alphabet or other system of symbols;
   spelling.
4. Linguistics a system of such symbols:
   Missionaries provided the first orthography for the language.
5. an orthographic projection, or an elevation drawn by means of it.

• Greek orthographía. See ortho-, -graphy
• Latin orthographia correct writing, orthogonal projection
• late Middle English ortografye 1425–75

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

orthography / ɔːˈθɒɡrəfɪ/ noun ( -phies)

1. a writing system
2. spelling considered to be correct
3. the principles underlying spelling
4. the study of spelling

orˈthographer, orˈthographist noun