How Do You Spell← Check another word

How do you spell Bacteria?

Correct spelling

bacteria

Remember the Greek 'bakterion' staff: bac-te-ri-a ends with 'ia' not 'ea'

Why is bacteria spelled this way?

From Greek bakterion, small staff. Early bacteria seen under microscopes looked like tiny rods or staffs — their name describes their shape, not their nature.

Common misspellings of bacteria

bactriabactiriabacterea

Example

The doctor explained that bacteria in the wound could cause a serious infection.

Frequently asked questions

How do you spell bacteria?+
The correct spelling is "bacteria". Remember the Greek 'bakterion' staff: bac-te-ri-a ends with 'ia' not 'ea'
Is it bactria or bacteria?+
The correct spelling is "bacteria", not "bactria".

Other commonly misspelled words

encyclopedia endeavor endorse endurance

More spelling guides

excellence exception exceptional excerpt

Never misspell a word again. Get weekly spelling tips and tricky word pairs in your inbox.

Looking up financial terms? MoneyTerms.app → — plain-English definitions for every money term you'll encounter.