Spelling of Occasionally — a Quick Guide

A commonly misspelled word in the English language is ‘occasionally.’ While some spell it as ocasionally, others spell it as ocassionally – but both spellings are wrong! So, the question is, how do you spell occasionally?

Definition of Occasionally

Occasionally, ocasionally or ocassionally. Which is the correct one? Let’s delve into this subject.

‘Occasionally’ is an English word and adverb, formed by adding the suffix –ly to the adjective form of the word ‘occasional.’ The word means “sometimes, but not regularly,’ ‘at times,’ ‘from time to time.” The term refers to a happening that is not frequent or regular.

Ocasionally and ocassionally are common misspellings of the actual word occasionally. They are unacceptable and inappropriate in writing.

How Do You Spell Occasionally?

The accurate spelling of the adverb formed from occasional is O-C-C-A-S-I-O-N-A-L-L-Y. It is a 12-lettered, five-syllable word with seven consonants and five vowels. The phonetic pronunciation of the word is [əˈkeɪʒənəlɪ], with the stress on the second syllable as inoc-CA-sion-al-ly. You can use a dictionary to learn how to pronounce the word correctly.

The misspellings of this word always occurs with the number of c and s.

Note that the word is spelled with two letters c but just one letter s.

A simple tip is to learn how to spell the root word ‘occasional‘ and add the suffix -ly to form the adverb form – Occasionally.

What Part of Speech Is ‘Occasionally?’

The word ‘occasionally’ is an adverb. It means; “sometimes, but not frequently,’ ‘from time to time,’ ‘now and then.” It modifies or describes a verb, adjective, or another adverb.

Sentence Examples

I occasionally go on vacation with my friends.
You seem to have this allergy occasionally.
I am an exceptional footballer but write occasionally.
My husband lives in Canada; he only visits occasionally.
We all make mistakes occasionally; we are only human.
I am a great cook but occasionally work too.
I am a nurse, and I volunteer with non-profit organizations occasionally.
The car occasionally crashes while it’s moving.
“Do you come here often?” “No, only occasionally.”
I occasionally worry over fruitless things.
You should occasionally let your children take a break from learning.
It’s true that Mary is intelligent, but she occasionally fails her tests.
My mum occasionally prepares our favorite meal.
“I never eat pizza.” “Maybe you should occasionally.”
Daniel lives in the boarding house. We visit him occasionally.

person holding on red pen while writing on book — Photo by lilartsy on Unsplash

To Wrap Up

How do you spell OCCASIONALLY? The word is an adverb that means ‘sometimes,’ ‘at times,’ or ‘now and then.’ It is coined from the adjective occasional by adding the suffix -ly. The only correct spelling of the word is OCCASIONALLY – not ocassionally or ocasionally.

It’s a good thing you now know how to spell the word correctly. You can now use it confidently in writing.