The correct spelling of the word is "literal" /ˈlɪtərəl/. The word "literal" means "according to the letter" or "exact". It is derived from the Latin word "litera" which means letter of the alphabet. The word "litteral" is often misspelled because the pronunciation of the first syllable "lit" sounds like "lit-er-al". However, the correct pronunciation is "lit-er-al". It is important to use correct spelling for clear communication and to avoid confusion.