Questionnaire or Questionaire: Which Spelling Is Correct? Meaning, Grammar, Examples, and Common Mistakes

Have you ever wondered whether the correct spelling is questionnaire or questionaire? You’re not alone. This is a common English spelling mistake because the ending -naire can be confusing. Many people accidentally leave out one of the letters and write questionaire, but only one spelling is accepted in standard English.

The correct spelling is questionnaire. It is a noun that refers to a written or digital set of questions designed to collect information, opinions, feedback, or data. Questionnaires are widely used in education, business, healthcare, research, marketing, and surveys to gather accurate responses from individuals or groups.

The spelling questionaire is incorrect. It is a common misspelling caused by simplifying the word’s ending. Standard dictionaries in both American and British English recognize only questionnaire as the correct spelling.

In this guide, you’ll learn the correct spelling, meaning, pronunciation, grammar rules, US vs. UK usage, examples, common mistakes, memory tricks, and frequently asked questions about questionnaire or questionaire.


Quick Answer

SpellingCorrect?
✅ QuestionnaireCorrect
❌ QuestionaireIncorrect

Questionnaire means a form containing questions used to collect information or opinions.

Examples

  • Please complete the questionnaire before your appointment.
  • The company sent a customer satisfaction questionnaire.
  • Students filled out a research questionnaire.

What Does “Questionnaire” Mean?

Questionnaire is a noun.

It refers to a document, paper, or online form containing a series of questions.

Examples

  • The doctor asked me to complete a questionnaire.
  • Researchers created a detailed questionnaire.
  • Every participant received the same questionnaire.
  • The questionnaire took only five minutes to complete.

Why Is “Questionaire” Incorrect?

The spelling questionaire is incorrect because it omits one of the letters in the correct ending -naire.

The correct spelling is:

Questionnaire

No standard English dictionary recognizes questionaire.


Grammar Role of Questionnaire

Questionnaire functions as a noun.

It names a document or survey used to collect responses.

Common Expressions

  • Online questionnaire
  • Customer questionnaire
  • Survey questionnaire
  • Medical questionnaire
  • Research questionnaire
  • Feedback questionnaire
  • Employee questionnaire
  • Application questionnaire

Examples

  • The questionnaire included twenty questions.
  • Participants completed the questionnaire anonymously.

Questionnaire in American English

American English always uses questionnaire.

Examples

  • Please submit the questionnaire today.
  • The survey included a detailed questionnaire.
  • Customers completed the questionnaire online.
  • The questionnaire measured user satisfaction.
  • Every applicant received a questionnaire.

Questionnaire in British English

British English also uses questionnaire.

Examples

  • The questionnaire was distributed to all participants.
  • Patients completed a health questionnaire.
  • The questionnaire gathered valuable feedback.
  • Teachers reviewed the completed questionnaires.
  • The questionnaire contained multiple-choice questions.

There is no spelling difference between American and British English.


Questionnaire vs Questionaire

FeatureQuestionnaireQuestionaire
Correct spelling✅ Yes❌ No
Dictionary wordYesNo
MeaningA form containing questionsNo meaning
Part of speechNounIncorrect spelling
American EnglishYesNo
British EnglishYesNo

Pronunciation

Questionnaire

UK IPA: /ˌkwes.tʃəˈneə/

US IPA: /ˌkwes.tʃəˈner/

Pronunciation:

KWES-chuh-NAIR

Remember that although it sounds simple, the spelling ends with -naire.


Common Uses of “Questionnaire”

Education

  • Student questionnaire
  • Course evaluation questionnaire

Business

  • Customer feedback questionnaire
  • Employee questionnaire

Healthcare

  • Medical questionnaire
  • Patient questionnaire

Research

  • Survey questionnaire
  • Research questionnaire

Questionnaire vs Similar Words

WordMeaning
QuestionnaireA list of questions for gathering information
SurveyA method of collecting data
FormA document to fill in
QuizA short test of knowledge
InterviewA spoken question-and-answer session

Examples

  • Participants completed the questionnaire.
  • The company conducted a survey.
  • Please fill out the form.

Common Mistakes

Incorrect

❌ Please complete the questionaire.

Correct

✅ Please complete the questionnaire.


Incorrect

❌ The doctor gave me a questionaire.

Correct

✅ The doctor gave me a questionnaire.


Incorrect

❌ Everyone received the questionaire.

Correct

✅ Everyone received the questionnaire.


Incorrect

❌ The research used an online questionaire.

Correct

✅ The research used an online questionnaire.


Real-Life Examples

School

  • Students completed a learning questionnaire.
  • The teacher reviewed every questionnaire.

Workplace

  • Employees filled out a workplace questionnaire.
  • The company analyzed the questionnaire results.

Healthcare

  • Patients completed a medical questionnaire.
  • Doctors reviewed each questionnaire carefully.

Everyday Conversations

  • I filled out the questionnaire online.
  • The questionnaire only took a few minutes.

American English Example Sentences

  1. Please complete the questionnaire.
  2. Customers answered the questionnaire honestly.
  3. The survey included a detailed questionnaire.
  4. We received hundreds of completed questionnaires.
  5. The questionnaire measured customer satisfaction.
  6. Every participant filled out the questionnaire.
  7. Researchers analyzed the questionnaire responses.
  8. The online questionnaire was easy to use.
  9. The questionnaire contained ten questions.
  10. Students completed the questionnaire before class.

British English Example Sentences

  1. The questionnaire gathered useful information.
  2. Patients completed a health questionnaire.
  3. The questionnaire was available online.
  4. Researchers reviewed every questionnaire.
  5. Teachers distributed the questionnaire.
  6. The questionnaire took five minutes to complete.
  7. Staff completed the employee questionnaire.
  8. The questionnaire helped improve services.
  9. Participants returned the completed questionnaire.
  10. The questionnaire included open-ended questions.

Easy Memory Tricks

Remember the Ending

The word ends with:

-naire

Think of words like:

  • Millionaire
  • Billionaire

The ending looks similar.


Don’t Drop the Letters

Correct:

Questionnaire

Not:

❌ Questionaire


Practice

Write it three times:

Questionnaire

Questionnaire

Questionnaire


Frequently Asked Questions

Is questionnaire or questionaire correct?

Questionnaire is the correct spelling.


Is questionaire a real word?

No. It is a spelling mistake.


What does questionnaire mean?

It means a document or form containing questions used to collect information.


Is questionnaire a noun?

Yes.


How do you spell questionnaire?

Q-U-E-S-T-I-O-N-N-A-I-R-E


Is the spelling different in British and American English?

No. Both use questionnaire.


How do you pronounce questionnaire?

KWES-chuh-NAIR


People Also Ask

Why do people spell questionnaire as questionaire?

Because the ending -naire is unusual, many writers accidentally simplify it to -naire by dropping one of the letters. However, the correct spelling is questionnaire.


Is questionnaire used in formal writing?

Yes. It is widely used in education, business, healthcare, research, government, and professional communication.


What’s the easiest way to remember questionnaire?

Think of the ending in millionaire. Both words end with -naire, making it easier to remember the correct spelling.


What’s the difference between a questionnaire and a survey?

A questionnaire is the actual list of questions, while a survey is the overall process of collecting and analyzing responses using one or more questionnaires.


Conclusion

If you’re choosing between questionnaire and questionaire, the correct spelling is questionnaire. Questionaire is a common spelling mistake caused by simplifying the unusual -naire ending.

Questionnaire is a noun that refers to a written or digital set of questions used to collect information, opinions, or feedback. It is the standard spelling in both American and British English and is commonly used in education, research, healthcare, business, and everyday communication. A simple way to remember it is to think of the word millionaire, which shares the same -naire ending. This memory trick will help you spell questionnaire correctly every time.

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