100 Most Often Mispelled Misspelled Words in English

A

• acceptable – This word appears on our list due to the suffix with the -êbl pronunciation, which can be written as either -ible or -able. To remember the correct spelling, think of accepting every table you see and you'll get it right.
• accidentally – Interestingly, when identifying adverbs that end in -ly, you check whether they derive from an adjective ending in -al (here: "accidental"). When this is true, you must retain the -al in the spelling. Not publical, but publicly.
• accommodate – Bear in mind that this word is spacious enough to hold both a double "c" and a double "m".
• acquire – Work to acquire the understanding that this word and the following one originally had the prefix ad-, though the [d] transforms into [c] when it precedes [q].
• acquit – Refer to the explanation above.
• a lot – This phrase is written as two separate words! With any luck, you won't need to allot much time to mastering this distinction.
• amateur – An amateur doesn't have to be mature: the word concludes with the French suffix -eur (equivalent to English -er).
• apparent – While a parent might not be apparent, "apparent" must pay the rent—so always remember this word has "rent" in it.
• argument – There's no need to quarrel about how the verb's silent [e] disappears when the suffix -ment is added.
• atheist – May the Lord help you recall that this word is made up of the prefix a- meaning "not" plus "god" (found also in the-ology) plus -ist meaning "one who believes".

B

• believe – You have to believe that [i] typically precedes [e], with the exception of after [c] or when pronounced like "a" as in "neighbor" and "weigh", or like "e" as in "their" and "heir". Additionally, examine "foreign" further down. (In reality, the "i-before-e" rule has far more exceptions than cases where it actually works.)
• bellwether – People frequently misspell it as "bellweather". A wether is a castrated ram selected to lead the flock (hence the bell on him) because he is more likely to consistently stay in front of the female sheep.

C

• calendar – Note that this word contains an [e] positioned between two [a]s. Its final vowel is [a].
• category – Although it sounds similar to "catastrophe", this word is not grouped with it: the middle letter is [e].
• cemetery – Don't allow this one to bury your spelling: it concludes with -ery rather than -ary. Obviously, it starts with [c].
• changeable – The verb "change" retains its [e] to signal that the [g] remains soft rather than hard. (This is likewise why "judgement" is the accurate spelling of that word, regardless of other opinions.)
• collectible – Yet another -ible word. Simply commit it to memory.
• column – Although silent final [e] is typical in English, a silent final [n] is rather unusual, especially when preceded by [m].
• committed – Should you be dedicated to accurate spelling, you'll recall that this word has a doubled final [t] when changing "commit" to "committed".
• conscience – Misspelling this word shouldn't burden your conscience: the [ch] sound spelled as "sc" is rare but valid.
• conscientious – Study spelling carefully and recall that this word has the [ch] sound represented in two distinct ways: "sc" and "ti". That's English for you!
• conscious – Strive to be conscious of how the "sc" represents [ch] and pay attention to all the vowels in this word's ending, where i-o-u certainly merits recognition.
• consensus – Although they sound alike, census and consensus aren't related, so a census doesn't require a consensus.

D

• daiquiri – Before you pour yourself another daiquiri, learn to spell this quirky word—it's named after a Cuban village.
• definite (ly) – The word definitely seems to finish with just -it, yet it contains a silent "e" in all its forms.
• discipline – With some discipline, remembering to spell it with both the [s] and [c], you'll arrive at the correct spelling.
• drunkenness – It's surprising how often even sober individuals forget one of the [n]s in this word.
• dumbbell – Intelligent individuals frequently overlook one of the [b]s in this word. (Mind you, be cautious about who you label as such when writing.)

E

• embarrass (ment) – This word won't cause you embarrassment if you recall it can accommodate both a double [r] and a double [s].
• equipment – This word is misspelled “equiptment” 22,932 times on the web right now.
• exhilarate – When you recall the [h] in spelling this word, your mood will brighten, and if you also remember both [a]s, your spelling will truly be exhilarating!
• exceed – Keep in mind this spelling uses -ceed, not -cede. (When you want to exceed all expectations, learn the correct spellings of this word along with "precede" and "supersede" listed below).
• existence – You won't find another word spelled like this one using an [a] anywhere in existence. It combines one [i] together with three [e]s.
• experience – Don't make the mistake so many people do with "existence" above when writing this word: it ends in -ence!

F

• fiery – The silent "e" from "fire" acts cowardly too: it hides within the word rather than standing before the -y suffix.
• foreign – This is one of several words that breaks the i-before-e rule. (See "believe" above).

G

• gauge – It's essential to recognize how [a] and [u] are positioned in this word. Keep in mind they follow alphabetical order (unlike the [e]).
• grateful – Be grateful for this insight: the word doesn't actually contain "great" even though it might sound that way.
• guarantee – I can promise you this word has a completely different spelling than "warranty" despite meaning the same thing.

H

• harass – This short word doesn't accommodate two double letters, so don't be bothered by it—simply use only one [r].

• height – The language reaches its height (not heighth!) of peculiarity in how completely different "height" and "width" look when written.
• hierarchy – Since the i-before-e rule actually holds here, what causes the difficulty?
• humorous – Please spell "humorous" correctly for us: that [r] is so fragile it requires an [o] on each side for support.

I

• ignorance – Avoid showing ignorance by refusing to spell this word with -ence!
• immediate – The key point is this word contains the prefix in- "not" which changes to [m] when it comes before [m] (or [b] or [p]). Since "not mediate" equals direct, that's why "immediately" means "directly".
• independent – Feel free to be independent, but when spelling this word, stick to the rule: it ends with -ent.
• indispensable – Understanding that this word closes with -able is essential for correct writing.
• inoculate – It sounds like a needle going into the eye. One [n] in the eye is all you need.
• intelligence – Employing two [l]s and using the -ence ending (instead of -ance) are signals of ... well, what you'd guess.
• its/it's – An apostrophe shows a shortened version of "it is". When something belongs to it, you write "its".

J

• jewelry – Sure, a jeweler creates it, but the last [e] in this word vanishes like a stolen gem. In British English, however, you'll see the [l] doubled: "jeweller", "jewellery".
• judgment – Historically, judgment has been the standard spelling across the English language. Yet judgement (adding an e) became widespread in the United Kingdom outside legal writing. In legal documents, however, judgment is still favored. This change differs from other spelling modifications that America adopted while Britain rejected them. In American English at least, judgment remains standard and judgement is viewed as incorrect by most American style manuals.

K

• kernel (colonel) – It's absolutely true that every vowel in this word is [e]. So why is the military rank (colonel) pronounced the exact same way? English spelling can prove quite disorderly.

L

• leisure – Here's another word that defies the i-before-e rule. You can predict how the final syllable is spelled, but less so how it sounds.
• liaison – This French import presents us with a spelling puzzle: an additional [i] inserted as backup. And that [s]? It actually sounds like [z].
• library – Though it might seem as inviting as a berry patch, that's not how this word is spelled. Also, that opening [r] really should be voiced.
• license – How does English justify using both of its [s] letters for a single sound within this one word?
• lightning – Grasping how to leave out the [e] in this spelling should make English orthography feel a bit more manageable.

M

• maintenance – The essential components are "main" and "tenance" even though it comes from the verb "maintain". English spelling at its most punishing.
• maneuver – Quite a price to pay for words taken from French, isn't it? This traces back to French main + oeuvre meaning "hand-work"—a form the British version better preserves as "manoeuvre".
• medieval – Even the spelling of medieval times plays tricks on us: the period of the MIDdle Ages is spelled MEDieval or, in British form, mediaeval.
• memento – What would lead one to expect an object meant to remind one of a moment to be spelled "memento"? Yet that is precisely how it is spelled.
• millennium – Another substantial word, spacious enough to accommodate two sets of doubled consonants—[l] and [n] each appearing twice.
• miniature – Because that [a] is rarely heard, it is rarely written. Picture it as "mini ature" and the spelling will stick with you.
• minuscule – Ako je nešto minuscule manje od miniature, logično bi bilo da se pišu slično, zar ne? Manje nego "cool", ili kako bi se reklo: "minus cule".
• mischievous – This tricky word contains two snares: [i] preceding [e] and [o] preceding [u]. This word houses four of English's five vowels.
• misspell – Could anything be more awkward than getting wrong the very word for spelling incorrectly? The solution: keep in mind it's mis + spell, and this knowledge will spare you any doubt about spelling "spell".

N

• neighbor – "Neighbor" defies the i-before-e convention and includes a soundless "gh". Many pitfalls can hide here. In British spelling, you'll encounter an additional [u]: "neighbour".
• noticeable – The [e] remains in this word in a notably deliberate manner, showing that [c] carries a "soft" sound, like [s]. Omit the [e] and the [c] becomes "hard", sounding like [k], as in "applicable".

O

• occasionally – From time to time writers become fatigued by all the doubled consonants and neglect to include one, typically one of the [l]s. You must never make this error.
• occurrence – Don't merely recall the appearance of paired doubled consonants in this word; also keep in mind that the ending is -ence, not -ance. It's arbitrary—just English being inconsistent.

P

• pastime – One would logically anticipate two [s]s here, given that a pastime is an activity to pass the time. Yet only one [s] appears. The other [s] disappeared into the depths of English spelling long ago.
• perseverance – With enough dedication, you may achieve (near-)perfect spelling abilities. The suffix happens to be -ance, though no reason explains this choice.
• personnel – An Amusing Tale (related by Bill Rudersdorf): The Deputy Vice-President of Personnel observes his supervisor, the VP, unlocking a small secured container each morning, grinning, then securing it again. Years later, assuming this role and inheriting its key, he arrives early to ensure complete solitude. With much anticipation, he opens the box. Inside sits a single note reading: "Two Ns, one L".
• playwright – One might reason that someone who performs well is a right-player, so shouldn't those who compose plays be "play-writes"? That reasoning seems sound, right? Incorrect. Recall that in ancient English, a creator of plays was known as a "play worker", and "wright" originates from an archaic term meaning "work" (as seen in wrought iron).
• possession – Reč possession sadrži više slova [s] nego što bi mogao zmaj da tolerira.
• precede – If what comes next means "succeed", shouldn't what comes first follow the identical pattern? Absolutely not—you're attempting to apply reason. English spelling and rational thinking are bitter enemies. You get "succeed" yet "precede". (Hold on until you encounter "supersede".
• principal/principle – The trick to distinguishing these lies in recalling that your school principal is a prince and your pal (irrespective of evidence to the contrary)—likewise for anything of primary value. A "principle", by contrast, represents a fundamental rule.
• privilege – Based on how this word is pronounced (and mind you, it's "pronunciation", not "pronounciation"!), that central vowel might seem to be nearly any letter. The solution: two [i]s followed by two [e]s.
• pronunciation – Many nouns diverge in spelling from their corresponding verbs. This is one such instance. Moreover, the way you articulate it differs as well, which serves as a helpful indicator.
• publicly – Allow me to state this rule once more in the clearest way: when you form an adverb from an adjective ending in -al, preserve that ending in the adverb; when your adjective doesn't end in -al, as in this case, you remove it.

Q

• questionnaire – The French language at work once more. You'll need both [n]s and must not overlook the quiet [e]. Perhaps one day English spelling will make this word entirely its own.

R

• receive/receipt – Hopefully the lesson has become clear by now: [e] before [i], except when . . .
• recommend – I suggest envisioning this word as an act of commending once more: re+commend. Such a view renders the spelling recommendable.
• referred – When suffixes are added, terminal consonants regularly double (remit becomes remitted or remitting). Still, this guideline works exclusively for stressed syllables finishing in [l] or [r]—"rebelled" and "referred" exemplify this—yet not "traveled" or "buffered"—and the syllable must lack a diphthong, such as in "prevailed" or "coiled".
• reference – Look back at the previously noted word and recall that when forming the noun version, you append -ence.
• relevant – What matters most is that you'll never encounter "revelant", "revelent", or "relevent". The correct sequence is [l] then [v], finishing with -ant.
• restaurant – Pay close attention! When spelling "restaurant", don't forget these two words. They're tucked into the center.
• rhyme – Actually, “rime” was the correct spelling until 1650. After that, egg-heads began spelling it like “rhythm”. Why? No rhyme nor reason other than to make it look like “rhythm”.
• rhythm – English adopted this from Greek (and has never bothered returning it), so it follows the spelling conventions we apply to Greek words we've permanently retained.

S

• schedule – Should improving your spelling land on your to-do list, note that [sk] is written identically to "school". (For those who speak British or Canadian English, I've long wondered: why does this word sound like [shedyul] while "school" sounds like [skul]?)
• separate – What's the vowel arrangement in this word? The [e]s bracket the [a] on either side.
• sergeant – The [a] that belongs in both syllables has oddly retreated toward the end. Keep this in mind along with [e] appearing in each part, and you'll write your sergeant's rank with absolute certainty.
• supersede – No word quite matches this one for pure stubbornness. Beyond the challenge of distinguishing -ceed from -cede words ("succeed", "precede", and others), this word refuses to follow convention. The upside: it stands as the sole English word from this root using the -sede spelling.

T

• their/they're/there – Sound identical, spelled differently—that's the issue here. "Their" shows ownership, "they're" abbreviates "they are", and "there" covers the rest.
• threshold – You might reach the threshold with this one. It seems built from "thresh + hold", but appearances deceive. Two [h]s will get you there.
• twelfth – People often drop the [f] when pronouncing this (wrongly), yet the letter must still appear when you write it.
• tyranny – If you're still fighting the tyranny of English orthography, here's one more challenge: [y] appears somewhere it shouldn't belong. The tyrant practices tyranny. (And those [n]s must be doubled.)

U

• until – I won't stop making this point until you write it with that extra [l] every single time!

V

• vacuum – Unless your mind is empty like a vacuum, recall that the silent [e] in this word bonded with [u] and took up residence inside where they share the space. The indication is there, even if not definitively proven. Regardless, spell it with two [u]s, not as "volume".

WXYZ

• weather – Love it or hate the weather, always put an [a] between the two [e]s in your spelling.
• weird – The strangeness of repeating this rule constantly shows the very point: [i] goes before [e], except…? (Spoiler: it's not [w]!)

Izvor:

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