How Do You Spell “Maintenance”?
The correct spelling of maintenance is m-a-i-n-t-e-n-a-n-c-e.
- The building was undergoing scheduled maintenance.
Maintanance, maintenence, and maintanence are common misspellings.
How To Spell “Maintenance” Correctly
Do you struggle to spell the word maintenance correctly? You’re not alone! Although it’s a commonly used term, it’s also a frequently misspelled word. But fear not because in this blog post, we’ll break it down and teach you tips and tricks to ensure you always spell maintenance correctly. Plus, we’ll also give you example sentences and synonyms, to help you get a thorough understanding of this word.
Spelling “Maintenance”
The only correct spelling of maintenance is m-a-i-n-t-e-n-a-n-c-e.
The school building suffered from years of bad maintenance.
Maintanance, maintenence, maintanence, and maintainance are incorrect spellings.
There was a lot of maintanance that needed to be done.
There was a lot of maintenence that needed to be done.
There was a lot of maintanence that needed to be done.
There was a lot of maintainance that need to be done.
What Does “Maintenance” Mean?
Now that we’ve covered the correct spelling of maintenance, let’s go over what this word means.
Maintenance is a noun that has a few different meanings. It generally refers to “the process of keeping something in good condition by inspecting and repairing it regularly.” Keep in mind that it’s generally an uncountable noun, meaning there is no plural form of maintenance.
The machines undergo regular maintenance to prevent them from getting damaged.
We have to do some maintenance on the car because it’s been overheating.
Because of the lack of maintenance, the equipment broke down.
Maintenance can also mean “the act of perpetuation of a state or condition.”
The parents supported initiatives that ensured the maintenance of safety and community at the school.
In British English, it also refers to the money someone has to legally pay their ex-wife, ex-husband, or ex-partner, especially when they have children. In US-American English, this is usually known as alimony or child support.
She has to pay child maintenance to her ex-husband.
What Is the Meaning of “High-Maintenance”?
High-maintenance is an adjective that describes something that requires great effort to keep in good condition.
- Although beneficial, it’s a high-maintenance type of technology.
Informally, high-maintenance is also used to describe someone that “demands a lot of attention, and sometimes even money”.
- My girlfriend is high-maintenance, but I don’t mind.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, low-maintenance describes something as “requiring little work to keep in good condition.” Similarly, in informal situations, someone who is low-maintenance does not require a lot of attention or effort.
- I was looking for a low-maintenance pet for my kid because I don’t have time to take care of a dog.
- I prefer a low-maintenance type of partner.
“Maintenance” Synonyms
There are a few synonyms you can use in place of maintenance to refer to keeping something in good condition.
1. Upkeep
The maintenance of the house was getting too expensive.
The upkeep of the house was getting too expensive.
2. Servicing
I called to schedule maintenance for the motorcycle.
I called to schedule servicing for the motorcycle.
3. Preservation
Regular maintenance is a necessity in national parks.
Regular preservation is a necessity in national parks.
“Maintenance”: Tips & Tricks
Breaking down a word is an effective way to help you remember what it means and how to spell it correctly.
Let’s take a look at the word maintenance, but let’s start with the last part of the word: “-ance.”
“-ance” is a suffix that means “action or process” or “quality or state.” It gets attached to verbs to form nouns (and also to adjectives that end in “-ant”).
- accept + “-ance” = acceptance
- appear + “-ance” = appearance
- perform + “-ance” = performance
- brilliant + “-ance” = brilliance
- distant + “-ance” = distance
- resistant + “-ance” = resistance
Knowing this, can you look at the first half of the word maintenance and find the verb?
If you answered maintain, you’re right!
- maintain + “-ance” = maintenance
The verb maintain also has a few meanings, but generally means “to keep something in good condition” or “to cause a condition or state to continue.” Thus, adding “-ance” to it transforms it into a noun with the definitions previously mentioned.
Another trick that can help you remember how to spell maintenance is to simply remember the syllables instead of the word as a whole. Maintenance has three syllables: Main-te-nance. Remembering it like that can help you always spell the word correctly.
Maintain Immaculate Writing With LanguageTool
The last tip to ensure you always correctly spell maintenance is to use LanguageTool as your writing assistant. This advanced spelling, grammar, and punctuation checker ensures proper spelling, regardless of how complex a word is. Plus, it’s free to use:
