Five Hard Words Play today

Tier two of five

How to spell fictional

What it means

made up, not real

How it sounds

/ˈfɪkʃənəl/

Why it catches people out

Fiction plus al. No extra i after the c.

The spellings people reach for

In a sentence

The town is fictional but feels real.

First appeared in

Puzzle #58 — September 20, 2026