Amateur Vs. Amature: a Quick Spelling Guide

English is a tricky language that creates its own rules and is often the first to break them too. This is because many of the vocabulary terms in English have a different origin that has evolved into a newer version.

Amateur Vs. Amature — Which Is Correct?

According to the English dictionary, “amateur” is the correct spelling of the word. “Amature” is just a misspelled version of the word with no definition.

However, “amature” is frequently used by people because it sounds similar to the word “mature.” But this is an incorrect spelling! The standardized spelling is “Amateur.”

What Does Amateur Mean?

“Amateur” can function as a noun or adjective, and it has multiple dictionary definitions.

As a noun, amateur means a person who participates in an activity, particularly sports, for its love rather than for monetary gain. It could also mean someone unskilled or non-experienced in a particular activity.

• The amateur editor didn’t know about copy write infringement in music.
• I am an amateur when it comes to cooking.
• Amateurs cannot take part in the advanced spelling competition.

“Amateur” can also serve as an adjective in a sentence. It is characterized by a person lacking competence or skill in a specific activity.

• His amateur comments on my video don’t bother me.
• It won’t be that difficult to beat the amateur debaters.
• Doing a theatrical play with amateur artists is going to be fun.

How Do You Spell Amateur?

The accepted pronunciation of a word varies based on the dialects. In the American dialect, the sound of “amateur” can be broken down into “AM-uh-cher” with an emphasis on the first syllable.

The origin of “amateur” was from the Latin word “amator,” which means “lover.” It was formed by combining the root Italian word “amare-” which means “to love,” and the Latin suffix “-or.” Knowing the origin of the word will help you recall the correct spelling of the word.

This word was then adopted by the French, who spelled the word as “amateur” by replacing the “-or” with “-teur.” The English version of the word was derived from the French. So it only makes sense that the correct spelling is with the suffix “-teur” not “-ture” or “-tuer.” Therefore, when trying to spell the word right, recall the French origin for the correct spelling of “A-M-A-T-E-U-R”.

To Wrap up

How do you spell amateur now? We hope it’s not “amature” anymore. This article is a quick guide on the meaning and origin of the word to help you remember the correct spelling while writing.

Spelling errors can drain your reputation, and the audience may question your credibility as a writer. So, make sure you don’t fall into the category of people misspelling “amateur” with “amature,” or “amatuer.”