How do you spell the word for a rule?

The correct spelling of the word for a rule or regulation is Law: l-a-w, three letters, the shortest word on the USCIS writing vocabulary list. The word comes from the Old English lagu, from a Scandinavian source related to the Old Norse log (something laid down). With only three letters there are essentially no common spelling errors, although applicants writing quickly might invert letters (Lwa) or add an unnecessary letter (Lawe).

The word is lowercase in nearly all uses and capitalized only when part of a proper name (the Law of the Sea, Law Day on May 1). On the USCIS writing test sentences containing law are very common, including "Citizens follow the law," "Congress makes laws," "The Constitution is the supreme law of the land," or "What is the rule of law?"

In U.S. legal system law has several layers arranged in a hierarchy: the Constitution is the supreme law of the land (Article VI's Supremacy Clause), followed by federal statutes and treaties, federal regulations, state constitutions, state statutes, state regulations, and local ordinances. Federal law generally prevails where it conflicts with state law on a matter within Congress's enumerated powers. Common law, developed through court decisions, fills gaps not covered by statute.

The rule-of-law principle holds that everyone (including officials) must obey the law and that no one is above it. The civics test asks several questions about laws, the lawmaking process, and the duties of citizens to obey the law. Federal regulations, codified in the Code of Federal Regulations and totaling roughly 200,000 pages, fill in the operational details of statutes; new regulations are published daily in the Federal Register.