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A Cappella? Is That How You Spell It? The phrase a cappella is among the most butchered and misunderstood musical terms. The predominant, and most "correct" spelling, is ... a cappella - two words, two "p's", two "l's." A Cappella, A Picky Definition Musicologist ....

Middle of Essay
.... muddy the waters with two spellings? The phrase was first used in Italian Catholic churches, where Latin was the language for sacred text. Thus, the Latin spelling for 'in the style of the chapel' - a capella - has some historical basis. However, most other musical terms - forte, accelerando, and many others - are Italian in origin. Since the Italian spelling is more consistent with other musical terms, it has been used more frequently. Given the difficulty of spelling our favorite style of music, we'd like to endorse the simplicity of a single spelling: a cappella - two words, two "p's", two "l's." ....