Ditto is a term used to indicate agreement or similarity, but many people are unsure of its spelling. The correct way to spell the word is /ˈdɪtəʊ/, with a silent 't' at the end. The word is derived from the Italian word 'detto', meaning 'said' or 'stated'. Ditto gained popularity in the 19th century and is still commonly used today. Remembering that the word ends with an 'o' rather than an 'e' can help prevent any errors in spelling.
Ditto is a term that can be used as a noun or a verb, and is commonly used in English to express agreement or similarity with a previous statement or action.
As a noun, ditto refers to a symbol (") that is used to indicate that the word or phrase directly above it should be repeated. This repetition can occur when transcribing or copying written material, in order to save time and space. For example, if there is a list of items and the first item is labeled "apples," the following items can be labeled with a ditto mark (") instead of writing "apples" repeatedly.
As a verb, ditto means to repeat or imitate something that has already been said or done. It can be used in conversation or writing to express agreement or to confirm that one's sentiments align with those expressed earlier. For instance, if someone says, "I absolutely loved the movie!" and another person responds with "Ditto!" it means that they share the same sentiment and have nothing further to add.
Additionally, ditto can also be used informally to represent the same as the preceding material, indicating similarity or sameness. For example, if someone asks, "Do you like ice cream?" and the response is "Ditto," it means that the person does indeed enjoy ice cream.
Overall, ditto allows for concise communication, emphasizing agreement or similarity with minimal repetition or elaboration.
The same as above; what has been said before; the same.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "ditto" has its roots in Italian and Latin. It can be traced back to the Italian word "detto", which means "said" or "stated". This Italian term comes from the Latin word "dictus", which also means "said" or "spoken". Over time, "detto" was adopted into English and evolved into "ditto" as we know it today.