In writing, do you write skeptical or sceptical? Is one a misspelling? Believe it or not, both are actually correct, and they mean the same thing: “doubtful or having reservations about something.” The difference is that skeptical is the preferred American English spelling, while sceptical is preferred in British English. Skeptical about this information? Read on to learn more.
Related:
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- Grammar or Grammer: Which Spelling Should You Use?
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What Does Skeptical Mean?
The adjective skeptical is from the Greek skeptikos, meaning “inquiring or thoughtful.” Interestingly, the closely related noun skeptic (someone who is doubtful) has a different origin. It instead comes from the Greek skepsis, which means “consideration, examination, or inquiry.”
Skeptical describes someone as being doubtful or unconvinced about something.
Fun Fact: To turn “skeptical” into an adverb, add the suffix -ly (skeptically).
Example sentences:
- My friends were skeptical about my license.
- The farmer wants you to double-check the inventory. He was skeptical.
- I’m very skeptical about his withdrawal from the competition.
- I’m very skeptical because you did not present enough data to support the trends.
- We don’t allow skeptical arguments here.
- Until you persuade me better, I’ll stay skeptical about switching shampoo brands.
- I’m skeptical that we can finish the network security upgrade.
Synonyms of Skeptical
With synonyms, your writing will be less repetitive, and sometimes, one word works better than another. Following are five related words for skeptical.
- Dubious
- Doubtful
- Unconvinced
- Wary
- Unsure
When and How to Use Skeptical
Skeptical (pronounced SKEP-TICK-AL) is common in both speech and text and in formal and informal contexts.
Say someone is trying to persuade you to do something, but you’re not sure it’s a good idea. That means you’re skeptical about the matter at hand.
Another situation that might leave you skeptical could have to do with timing. Let’s say you bring a car in for an oil change late in the day. The technician might be skeptical that they’ll get around to it before closing time.
Skeptical commonly follows a linking verb (a conjugation of be or seem, for example). However, it can be directly before the person who is skeptical.
Here’s an example:
- He’s a deeply skeptical person; it’s hard to get him to try new things or change his mind.
What Does Sceptical Mean?
Sceptical and skeptical mean the same thing. Sceptical is just the preferred spelling in British English.
Which Spelling Should You Use?
If the country you’re in prefers American English, you should use skeptical. Such countries are the United States, Jamaica, and the Philippines.
Where British English is the preference, use sceptical. Here are some countries where that’s likely to apply:
- United Kingdom (UK)
- Australia
- New Zealand
- India
- South Africa
- Bahamas
- Canada
The same applies to skeptic (American) and sceptic (British).
Trick to Remembering the Correct Spelling
Are you uncertain about whether to use skeptical or sceptical? The following tips might help.
- Britain has long had a royal family, and a king or queen holds a sceptre. Associate the sc in that word with the British sceptical.
- For the American spelling, associate skeptical with sketchy. After all, you might feel skeptical about someone’s idea because it sounds sketchy.
Final Thoughts
You don’t really have to worry much about using skeptical or sceptical. Both mean the same thing (“doubtful”). American English prefers the former, and British English prefers the latter, but either way, most people will know what you mean.
