Questionnaire or Questionaire: Spell It Right

Questionnaire is the only correct spelling, and the double n is the part most people miss.

The correct spelling is questionnaire, with two n’s in the middle. Questionaire, with one n, is a common misspelling and is not accepted in dictionaries. The easiest way to remember it is to break the word into two parts: question plus naire. Because question ends in n and naire begins with n, the two n’s meet in the middle.

What Does Questionnaire Mean?

A questionnaire is a written set of questions used to collect information from people. It is pronounced US /ˌkwɛstʃəˈnɛr/ and UK /ˌkwɛstʃəˈnɛə/. People use questionnaires in schools, hospitals, companies, research projects, and customer feedback forms.

For example:

• The company sent a questionnaire to all customers.
• Please complete the short questionnaire before your appointment.
• Researchers used an online questionnaire to study sleep habits.

The plural is questionnaires. The word is a noun, and it has no common verb form, so you fill out, complete, or answer a questionnaire.

Why the Double N Confuses People

When you say the word, the two n sounds blend into one, so the spelling does not match what the ear hears. That is why many writers drop one n and produce questionaire. A few other mistakes appear often as well.

• Questionaire: one n is missing.
• Questionnair: the final e is missing.
• Questionere: the ending is wrong.
• Questionairre: an extra r is added.

The correct spelling has these parts in order: question, n, aire. If you can see question inside the word, you will know that the second n belongs to the ending.

A Simple Memory Trick

Think of the word as question plus naire. You already know how to spell question, so just add naire. Another trick is to count the letters in the middle: the word has double n, and you can picture two question marks standing side by side to remind you that questionnaire has two n’s.

Word History

Questionnaire was borrowed from French in the early 1900s. French builds the word from questionner, meaning to question, plus the ending aire, which is used to form nouns and adjectives. English kept the French spelling, including the double n and the final e, which is why the word looks unusual.

Earlier English writers sometimes used the older word questionary for a similar idea, but questionnaire is the standard form today.

Questionnaire vs Survey vs Poll

These words are related, but they are not the same.

• Questionnaire: the actual list of questions that people answer.
• Survey: the whole process of collecting, studying, and reporting information. A survey often uses a questionnaire.
• Poll: a short count of opinions, usually on one topic, such as an election.
• Form: a document that collects personal details, such as a registration form.
• Interview: a spoken exchange where questions are asked in person or by phone.

For example, a university might run a survey of student life. The questionnaire is the page of questions that students fill in, and the results are the data from that survey.

Common Question Types

Good questionnaires use a clear mix of question styles.

• Closed questions: the answer comes from a list, such as yes or no.
• Open questions: people write their own answer in their own words.
• Rating scale questions: people choose a number or level, such as from 1 to 5.
• Likert scale questions: people say how much they agree with a statement. The scale is named after the psychologist Rensis Likert.
• Multiple choice questions: people pick one or more options.

Tips for Writing a Good Questionnaire

• Keep it short, because people stop answering long forms.
• Ask one idea per question.
• Use simple words, and avoid terms that readers may not know.
• Avoid leading questions that push people toward one answer.
• Test the questionnaire with a few people before you send it to everyone.
• Start with easy questions and place personal ones near the end.

Example Sentences

• The teacher handed out a questionnaire about reading habits.
• All new patients must fill out a health questionnaire.
• The online questionnaire took only five minutes.
• She designed a questionnaire to measure customer satisfaction.
• Thousands of people returned the completed questionnaire.

Common Mistakes

• Writing questionaire. Add the second n.
• Using questionnaire as a verb. Use fill out or complete instead.
• Using survey and questionnaire as exact twins. A survey is the process, while a questionnaire is the tool.
• Writing questionnaires with an apostrophe, as in questionnaire’s. The plural has no apostrophe.
• Capitalizing it in the middle of a sentence. It is a common noun.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it questionnaire or questionaire? Questionnaire is correct. Questionaire is a misspelling.

How many n’s are in questionnaire? Two, placed side by side in the middle.

What is the plural of questionnaire? Questionnaires.

What is the difference between a questionnaire and a survey? A questionnaire is the set of questions, while a survey is the full process of collecting and studying answers.

Where does questionnaire come from? It comes from French, built from questionner and the ending aire.

Is it questionnaire or questions?
Both are correct, but they mean different things. “Questions” is the plural of “question,” meaning individual things you ask. A “questionnaire” is a complete set of written questions used to collect information, such as a survey form.

Is it questionnaire or questionary?
“Questionnaire” is the standard spelling and the one to use. “Questionary” is a rare variant with the same meaning, listed by Merriam-Webster, but most readers will see it as a mistake.

Is it questionnaire or questioner?
They are different words. A “questionnaire” is a form with a set of questions, while a “questioner” is the person who asks questions. Example: “The questioner read each item on the questionnaire aloud.”

Conclusion

Questionnaire is the only correct spelling, and the double n is what makes it right. Questionaire is a common slip that spell checkers will usually underline.

Remember the formula of question plus naire. It keeps both n’s in place and shows why the word looks the way it does.

With that simple trick, you will spell questionnaire correctly every time.

Read More: Baptised or Baptized: Which Is Correct?