When writing, you might wonder whether you should use surprise or suprise. The answer is simple: only surprise is correct. Surprise can be three different parts of speech and thus has multiple definitions; all involve something unexpected. By reading on, you’ll learn more about those definitions and the current usage of the word.
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What Does Surprise Mean?
As mentioned earlier, surprise can be a noun, verb, or adjective. All of its meanings have to do with something unexpected. For instance, you can experience a surprise, you can surprise someone, or something can have an element of surprise. A good example of that last usage is a surprise party.
So, what’s the etymology of the word? The origins of surprise go back to the Medieval Latin superprehendere, which meant “seize.” In Old French, it became surprendre. Late Middle English was when the current spelling came about. Then, the word meant “unexpected seizure of a place or attack on troops.”
Examples of surprise in sentences:
- It was a great surprise to see many of my old classmates at my 40th birthday party.
- I was in a state of surprise after hearing the truth at last.
- I’ll call ahead of time so I don’t surprise you when I show up.
- The police caught the thief by surprise.
- I was surprised by the student’s unintended action.
- The Sixth Sense has one of the best surprise endings of all time.
Synonyms of Surprise
There are several other words you can use in the place of surprise. It’s good to know for variety or in case one of them is a better choice in a particular context. Some examples:
- Shock
- Eye-opener
- Bombshell
- Astonish
- Startle
- Astonishment
- Amaze
- Unexpected
- Unforeseen
- Staggering
What’s the Correct Spelling?
Surprise is the one and only correct spelling of the word in British English and American English. Suprise is a misspelling, and so is surprize.
The former misspelling probably comes from the fact that many people mispronounce the word by omitting the r. Correctly pronounced, surprise sounds like “sir-prize.”
The latter misspelling is likely due to the fact that the s sounds like a z in surprise.
When and How to Use Surprise?
Surprise is the appropriate word to use in situations where the unexpected occurs.
As a noun, it can be an unexpected event or revelation. For example, if a heavy underdog wins a game, that outcome is a surprise. Similarly, finding out that your best friend undermined you would be a very unpleasant surprise.
You can also be in a state of surprise, which can result from an unexpected event or from attaining unexpected information.
Surprise, as a verb, is usually transitive and has an object. In other words, someone or something has to be surprised. You could surprise a friend with a nice gift for no special reason, for instance.
As an adjective, surprise describes something as unexpected or amazing. Surprise endings and surprise outcomes are good examples.
Trick to Remembering the Correct Spelling
Knowing the correct pronunciation of surprise is probably the surest way to remember whether to use surprise or suprise. Here are some handy tips:
- Surprise has two r’s.
- Quite often, a revealed secret is sure to surprise. Both words start with sur.
Final Thoughts
Using surprise or suprise isn’t tricky. Only surprise (the spelling variation with the double r’s) is the correct spelling. Suprise is not an alternative spelling. Remember, surprise is a highly versatile word that you can use in different contexts. So, you can surprise someone with a surprise reveal that leaves them in a state of jaw-dropping surprise.
