How do you spell a formal public statement?

The correct spelling of the word for a formal public statement is Declaration: d-e-c-l-a-r-a-t-i-o-n, 11 letters, with the root declar- (as in declare) plus the ending -ation. The word comes from the Latin declaratio, from the verb declarare (to make clear or proclaim), through Old French. The most common spelling errors are doubling a consonant (Decllaration or Declarration), substituting an e for an a (Decleration), or missing a vowel (Declration). One memory aid: deCLARE-ation, since declare is the obvious root.

Declaration is capitalized when referring to the specific Declaration of Independence and lowercase in generic uses. On the USCIS writing test sentences containing Declaration of Independence are common, including "Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence," "The Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776," or "Independence Day celebrates the Declaration."

The Declaration of Independence, adopted by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, is the founding document that announced the thirteen American colonies' separation from Great Britain. The document was drafted principally by Thomas Jefferson with editing by Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Congress, and was signed by 56 delegates. Its preamble articulates the natural-rights philosophy of the new nation, asserting that all people are endowed by their Creator with unalienable rights including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

The civics test includes several questions about the Declaration. The Declaration was signed primarily on August 2, 1776, although the date displayed on the document is July 4, the day Congress voted to adopt the text. The original signed parchment is displayed at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.