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What are the Commonly Misspelled Words in English?

9IELTS by 9IELTS
July 18, 2022
in Blog
Reading Time: 24 mins read
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Spelling appears to be a small issue. However, it is considered to be one of the most difficult problems that we face in academics and business.

Poor spelling can affect your reputation in the business and if you are a student, your grades. 

But do not fret! On this page, we will enumerate the most commonly misspelled words in English along with what causes them so you will not commit such mistakes. Keep reading. 


British vs. American English Spelling

While both the United Kingdom and the United States speak the same language (English), no one can argue that the way some words are spelled differs significantly. 

People frequently misinterpret the spelling of several terms and are unable to determine which is proper, resulting in mistakes that could have been avoided.

The primary distinction is that British English retains the spelling of terms borrowed from other languages, primarily French and German.

While American English spellings are primarily determined by how a word sounds when spoken.

Here are the differences between British English and American English spelling and a few examples for your reference. 

1. Words that end in -re or -er

One of the most common English spelling mistakes is shown in this category of common English spelling mistakes. 

For this reason, nouns ending in -re are more prevalent in British English than in American English, where the identical terms are usually spelled with -er.

British English  American English 
centre

fibre

metre

spectre

theatre

center

fiber

meter

specter

theater


2. Words that end in -ise or -ize and -yse or -yze

The sole distinction between American English and British English in this category, according to the Oxford dictionary, is that in American English, verbs are always spelled with -ize and -yze at the end, whereas in British English -ise and -yse is preferred.

British English  American English 
apologise

civilise

organise

prioritise

analy

separalyse

apologize

civilize

organize

prioritize

analyze

paralyze


3. Words that end in -our or -or

Another notable distinction is the British choose to add -our at the end of a word, while the Americans prefer to use a plain -or instead.

British English  American English 
colour

favour

flavour

humour

neighbour

color

favor

flavor

humor

neighbor


The occurrence of a second ‘l’ in some terms is another typical English spelling error.

This is more common in British English than in American English since Americans tend to skip it entirely.

British English  American English 
equalled

fuelled

modelling

quarrelling

travelling

equaled

fueled

modeling

quarreling

traveling


5. Words with double vowels 

In most circumstances, American English is simplified, and it appears that Americans feel that there is no need to add an extra letter where it does not appear to be required. 

British English adds an extra vowel to several words in this circumstance as well.

British English  American English 
anaemia 

encyclopaedia

leukaemia

oestrogen

paediatric

anemia 

encyclopedia

leukemia

estrogen

pediatric


6. Words that end in -ogue or -og

This is true for some nouns with this specific ending. In British English, they should be spelled with –ogue, but in American English, they should be spelled with –og.

British English  American English 
analogue

catalogue

dialogue

monologueprologue

analog

catalog

dialog

monolog

prolog


7. Words that end in -ense or -ence

Some nouns in British English have a ‘c’ ending, but they have an ‘s’ ending in American English. 

This is a typical writing error, but it is easy to avoid because these words do not have anything else to search for.

British English  American English 
defence

licence

offence

pretence

defense

license

offense

pretense



What are the Common Causes of Misspellings?

According to one survey, 43% of hiring managers dismiss a candidate’s CV if it contains spelling problems. 

Another study found that spelling and grammatical errors were the main ‘deal breakers’ in job hunting for 79 percent of recruiters and human resource managers. This just goes to show how important spelling words correctly is. 

Here are the most common causes of misspellings that you need to avoid so that your academic and professional life will not suffer. 

1. Mispronunciation

One of the most common reasons for misspelling is mispronunciation. 

As a result, when a word is mispronounced, the phonetic misspelling is widespread.

The word ‘realize’, for example, could be misspelled as ‘relise’.


2. Typing Errors

Because some people’s typing is not faultless, some spelling errors are introduced, such as:

  • letters are doubled, or in the case of ‘betwween’ and ‘betweeen’, double letters are tripled
  • letters are singled such as ‘between’
  • keys are sometimes transposed, ‘because’ has become ‘becuase’ 

3. Homophones

If two (or more) differently spelled words with distinct meanings are pronounced the same, they are homophones. This seems to be one of the major causes of misspellings as well.

Below are a few words that are often used incorrectly in place of their homophones. 

  • ‘advice’ instead of ‘advise’ or vice versa
  • ‘affect’ instead of ‘effect’ or vice versa
  • ‘breath’ instead of ‘breathe’ or vice versa
  • ‘principal’ instead of ‘principle’ or vice versa
  • ‘loose’ instead of ‘lose’ or vice versa

4. Personal Names

Personal names and surnames are spelled differently than standard English words: ‘balance’ and ‘John Balance’, ‘war’ and ‘Evelyn Waugh’ (if spoken without a rhotic accent); ‘marshal’ and ‘George Marshall’.

Of course, most personal names begin with a capital letter. 

Furthermore, personal names have several spellings, such as ‘Catherine’, ‘Katharine’, and ‘Kathryn’, or ‘Stewart’ and ‘Stuart’, and a writer may not be aware of the right spelling of a specific individual’s name.


5. Foreign Writers

Someone who is used to a different spelling in another language may make a mistake in English; for example, ‘address’ is translated ‘adresse’ in German and French. 

Many words from Spain are identical or similar to English ones, but with a ‘n’ is appended or a ‘m’ replaced, resulting in errors such as ‘inmigrant’ instead of ‘inmigrante’, ‘cementery’ instead of ‘cementerio’, and ‘confortable’ instead of ‘comfortable’. 

To Germans, the English word ‘loss’ appears to be pronounced as ‘lose’, because a lone ‘s’ in German often sounds like an English ‘z’, while a lone ‘o‘ in English rarely sounds like ‘oo’.


6. Apostrophe

A plural possessive form can cause some difficulty. When the singular is ‘book’s title’ and the plural is ‘books’ titles’, the plural can be ‘book’s or ‘books’s’. ‘Apple’s and pear’s’ can be written with an incorrect apostrophe (‘grocer’s apostrophe’ in Britain). 

The apostrophe denotes the elided ‘o’, therefore ‘doesn’t’ could be misspelled ‘does’nt’.


7. Silent Consonants 

Although this is a surprisingly common occurrence in English, spelling errors appear to be uncommon. 

In fact, pronunciation issues, such as mispronouncing both ‘b’s in ‘bombing’, appear to be more common.


8. The spelling of Another Word

The noun ‘improvement’ is an example of a word spelled as the spelling of a closely related word would suggest; it simply adds to the verb ‘improve’s basic spelling without changing it. 

The word formed from ‘maintain’, on the other hand, is ‘maintenance’ rather than ‘maintainance’, and as a result, it is often misspelled. This base spelling change is completely unpredictable; you only need to be aware of it.


9. Endings of the Same Word with Different Spellings

-Sion/-tion, -able/-ible, and -ent/-ant are three word ends that have different spellings. 

With the first of these, choosing the correct spelling is not necessarily an issue because there are certain fairly clear rules, such as that verbs ending in -d, such as suspend, become nouns ending in -sion, such as ‘suspension’.


10. Words That are Difficult to Pronounce

There are times when struggling to speak a word correctly does not result in a spelling error, but this does not happen all the time. 

Many East African language speakers, for example, have difficulty pronouncing the /ɪ/ sound in the middle of longish words like ‘discipline’, ‘hesitate’, ‘municipal’, ‘president’, and ‘studying’, as a result of which the corresponding letter is sometimes lost from the spelling.



What are the 100 Commonly Misspelled Words?

At one point or another, we have committed a spelling mistake.

Mistakes might be caused by a lack of proofreading time or a lack of understanding of proper spelling.

Sometimes it is because of a misunderstanding of how to use the word. 

The examples provided here will assist you in staying on track.

Correct Word Meaning Spelling Tip Common Misspellings
accommodate To provide a place to stay or enough space for There is a double ‘c’ and a double ‘m’ accommodate

acommodate

achieve To succeed in completing something or achieving a goal, especially after a significant amount of effort Remember that ‘i’ comes before ‘e’ except in ‘c’ acheive
across From one end of the spectrum to the other The ‘c’ is single accross
address The specifics of where someone lives or where an organization is located There is a double ‘d’ and a double ‘s’ address

adress

advice Guidance or suggestions for sensible future action  If it is the noun, use ‘c’, if it is the verb, use ‘s’ advise
aggressive Ready, willing, or able to attack or challenge There is a double ‘g’ and a double ‘s’ aggressive

aggresive

assassination A murder committed in a surprise or covert strike, usually for political purposes There are two double ‘s’es assassination

asassination

awful Very unpleasant or bad  Forget the ‘e’ aweful
beginning The point in space or time when something begins to happen There is only one ‘g’ but a double ‘n’, think of the root word ‘begin’  beggining
believe To accept something as true Remember that ‘i’ comes before ‘e’ except in ‘c’ beleive
breathe To take air into the lungs and then expel it, particularly as a physiological process There is an extra ‘e’ at the end if it is the verb, if it is the noun, forget the ‘e’ breath
business The act of making a living through commerce is a common practice The single ‘s’ comes before the double ‘s’ bussiness
careful  Ensuring that there is no danger, disaster, or harm; with caution  Be careful not to add an extra ‘l’ carefull
cemetery A graveyard  There is no ‘a’ in cemetery  cemetary 
chauffeur A person who is compensated to drive a personal or rental vehicle There are two ‘u’s; one after the ‘a’ and one after the ‘e’ chauffer
coming Due to happen  There are no double letters  comming
committee A group of people assigned to perform a specific task, usually made up of members of a larger group There are three double letters; ‘m’, ‘t’ and ‘e’ committee

commitee

conscience An voice or inner feeling that serves as a guidance to the correctness or incorrectness of one’s actions Think of the prefix ‘con’ added to the word ‘science’  conscience

consience

convenience The state of being able to complete a task with minimal effort or difficulty An ‘e’ follows the ‘v’, not an ‘i’ convinience
curiosity A burning desire to study or know something There is only one ‘u’ curiousity
decide To come to a mental conclusion as a result of deliberation There is no ‘s’ decide
definite Not ambiguous or doubtful; plainly expressed or resolved There are two ‘i’s in between the two ‘e’s defenite
desperate Feeling, displaying, or involving a dismal sensation that a situation is so horrible that it is unmanageable There is only one ‘a’ – after the ‘r’ desparate
disappear To stop being visible  Only one letter is doubled – ‘p’ dissappear
difference A distinction between individuals or objects at a certain period or in a certain way Do not forget the ‘e’ after the double ‘f’ diffrence
dilemma A situation in which a difficult choice must be made between two or more options, particularly those that are both equally bad Only the ‘m’ is doubled  dillema

dillemma

discipline The system of teaching people to abide by norms or a decorum by enforcing penalty for noncompliance Do not forget the ‘s’ before the ‘c’ or the ‘c’ after the ‘s’  discipline

disipline

ecstasy An overpowering sense of joy or joyous exhilaration There is only one ‘c’ and two ‘s’s ecstacy
embarrass To experience discomfort, self-consciousness, or humiliation There are two double letters – ‘r’ and ‘s’ embarrass

embarras

environment The environment or circumstances in which a person, plant, or animal lives or works Do not forget the ‘n’ after the ‘o’ enviroment
exaggerate To give the impression that something is bigger, better, or worse than it is Only the ‘g’ is doubled exagerrate
excellent Really good; exceptional Do not forget the ‘c’ after the ‘x’ The letter ‘l’ is doubled excellent

excelent

except Not included  Do not forget the ‘c’ after the ‘x’  exept
excited Extremely ecstatic and eager Do not forget the ‘c’ after the ‘x’  exited
experiment A technique used in science to create a discovery, test a hypothesis, or prove a known fact The ‘i’ comes after the ‘r’  expirement
familiar Well-known as a result of a long or intimate relationship There are no double letters  familliar
finally After a long period of time, usually with difficulty or delay Only the ‘l’ is doubled; think of the root word ‘final’  finally

finnally

fluorescent Vibrantly colored Do not forget the ‘u’ after the ‘l’ and the ‘c’ after the ‘s’ florescent

fluoresent

foreign Pertaining to or dealing with foreign countries Remember that ‘i’ comes before ‘e’ except in ‘c’ foriegn
forty Four tens  Forget the ‘u’  fourty
forward Toward the front; in the direction one is facing or traveling There is no ‘e’ after the first ‘r’ foreward
friend A person who is not an opponent or on the same side Remember that ‘i’ comes before ‘e’ except in ‘c’ freind
gauge An apparatus or gadget that measures the size, quantity, or substance of anything, usually with a visual display of the results Just like in the alphabet, ‘a’ comes before the ‘u’  guage
generally Most of the time; typically Only ‘l’ is doubled; think of the root word ‘general’ genneraly
glamorous Excitingly appealing Do not forget the ‘o’ after the ‘r’  glamorus
government A nation’s, state’s, or community’s governing body Do not forget the ‘n’ after the ‘r’ goverment
grateful Thankfulness; feeling or expressing gratitude for kindness An ‘a’ follows the ‘r’ – not an ‘e’ greatful
guarantee Something that ensures a positive outcome There is no ‘y’ Do not forget the ‘u’ after the ‘g’ guarantee

guaranty

happiness A state of mind characterized by feelings of happiness, contentment, and fulfillment There are two double letters – ‘p’ and ‘s’;  hapiness
harass To be subjected to coercion or intimidation Only the ‘s’ is doubled  harrass
heroes A person who is admired or idealized for their bravery, extraordinary accomplishments, or virtuous traits Do not forget the ‘e’ before the ‘s’ heros
imitation Something that attempts to imitate or mimic something else There are no double letters  immitation
immediately Instantly The ‘m’ is doubledAn ‘e’ comes after the double ‘m’  immediately

immidiately

incidentally Used when someone has something else to say or is about to say something unrelated to the current topic Do not forget the ‘a’ after the ‘t’ incidentlly
independent Not relying on others for a living or sustenance There is only one ‘i’; the beginning letter  indipendent
intelligent Having or demonstrating a high level of intelligence An ‘i’ follows the double ‘l’ intellegent
interesting Arousing or maintaining someone’s interest in something; retaining or capturing someone’s attention Do not forget the ‘e’ after the first ‘t’ intresting
interruption A situation in which someone or something temporarily prevents something from happening The ‘r’ is doubled  interuption
irrelevant Not important since it has nothing to do with what is being discussed or considered Only the ‘r’ is doubled  irrelevant

irrellevant

irresistible Too appealing and enticing to refuse An ‘i’ follows the ‘t’ – not an ‘a’ irresistable
length The length or measurement of something from beginning to end; a body’s greater of two or greatest of three dimensions Do not forget the ‘g’ after the ‘n’  lenth
lightning A natural electrical discharge with a very short duration and high voltage that occurs within a cloud, usually accompanied by a blinding flash and thunder Do not forget the ‘n’ after the ‘t’ lighting
losing The act of being defeated in a game or contest; suffering There is only one ‘o’  loosing
medicine A substance or preparation used to treat or prevent disease, particularly a medicine or drugs administered orally An ’i’ follows the ‘d’ – not an ‘e’ medecine
millennium A ten-thousand-year period There are two double letters – ‘l’ and ‘n’ millennium

milennium

miniature A little duplicate or model, especially one that is substantially smaller than typical Do not forget the ‘a’ after ‘mini’  miniture
necessary Required to be done, accomplished, or present Only the ‘s’ is doubled  necessary

neccesary

noticeable Plain or obvious; easily seen or noticed Remember the words ‘notice’ and ‘able’ put together  noticeble
occasion A specific moment or occurrence of an event Only the ‘c’ is doubled  occasion

occassion

occurred Took place Two letters are doubled – ‘c’ and ‘r’  occured
official Pertaining to a government agency or public body’s tasks, actions, and obligations The ‘f’ is doubled oficial
omission The act of leaving something or someone out or excluding them Only the ‘s’ is doubled  ommision
parallel Side by side, with the same distance between them all the time Only the ‘l’ is doubled parallel

parrallel

peculiar Odd or strange; unusual There are no double letters  peculliar
perceive To become aware of or mindful of something; to comprehend or recognize Remember that ‘i’ comes before ‘e’ except in ‘c’ percieve
possession Owning, or controlling something is the state of having, owning, or controlling anything There are two double ‘s’es possession

possesion

preferred To like one item or person over another or others Only the ‘r’ is doubled  preferred

preffered

prejudice Predetermined notions that are not founded on logic or experience A ‘c’ follows the ‘i’ – not an ‘s’ prejudise
privilege A unique right, benefit, or immunity bestowed on or available to a single individual or group There is no ‘d’An ‘i’ follows the ‘v’ – not an ‘e’ privilege

privelege

professional Pertaining to or being a member of a profession Only the ‘s’ is doubled  professional

proffesional

pronunciation The way a word is pronounced Do not put an ‘o’ after the first ‘n’ pronounciation
really In reality, rather than what is claimed or thought to be true or possible The ‘l’ is doubled  realy
receive To be provided, presented with, or compensated with Remember that ‘i’ comes before ‘e’ except in ‘c’ recieve
recommend To put someone or something forth as being appropriate for a specific purpose or duty Only the ‘m’ is doubled  recommend

reccomend

referred To imply or make a reference to Only the ‘r’ is doubled  referred

reffered

religious Relating to a pious order or other group of individuals who share a common religious practice Do not forget the ‘i‘ after the ‘g’ religous
resistance The unwillingness to accept or comply with anything; the action or argument used to try to prevent something from happening An ‘a’ follows the ‘t’ – not an ‘e’ resistence
separate Developing or being seen as a separate unit or by itself An ‘a’ follows the ‘p’ – not an ‘e’  seperate
successful Achieving a goal or objective Two letters are doubled – ‘c’ and ‘s’  succesful
therefore As a result; thus Do not forget the ‘e’ at the end therefor
threshold The size or intensity that must be exceeded in order for a particular reaction, phenomenon, result, or situation to occur or exhibit itself Do not double the ‘h’ after the ‘s’  threshhold
tomorrow The day after today The ‘r’ is doubled – not the ‘m’ tommorow
tongue A mammal’s fleshy muscular organ used for tasting, licking, ingesting, and (in humans) producing speech The ‘u’ comes after the ‘g’ – not after the ‘o’  tounge
truly In a sincere manner The ‘l’ is not doubled  trully
until Up until the given point in time or occurrence The ‘l’ is not doubled untill
vicious Willfully brutal or violent There is only one ‘s’ – at the end  viscious
weird Implying something supernatural; bizarre The ‘e’ comes after the ‘w’ – not after the ‘r’ wired
wherever In any place; regardless of where you are There are no double letters  whereever
whether Expressing apprehension or a decision between two options Do not forget the ‘h’ after the ‘w’ wether
writing The act or talent of writing down a set of comprehensible words on paper and putting them together into a text The ‘t’ is not doubled  writting

Why Do Proper Spelling Matter in Writing?

While some spelling errors are harmless and funny, the majority are not. Not only may a simple error make us appear less smart than we really are. 

Poor spelling can lead to misunderstandings, a lack of clarity, and, in extreme circumstances, millions of dollars in lost sales and job prospects. 

It has the potential to sabotage our business and as a student, your chances of getting good grades could be jeopardized. 

Needless to say, it is important that we be extremely careful when it comes to spelling, as this could seriously affect our personal and professional life. 



Additional FAQs — Commonly Misspelled Words

What is the #1 Misspelled Word?

Based on 2020 research, the most commonly misspelled word is ‘quarantine’. 

To a point, there are even people who spell it as ‘corn teen’. 

Which Spelling Should I Use: British English or American English? 

While both spellings are accepted almost everywhere, it is advised that you lean towards the spelling being followed or preferred in the university/company/country you are in. 

For example, if you are in Australia, you should stick to British English spelling as it is one of the countries that follow British English spelling. 

Does Spelling Matter in English Proficiency Exams? 

Yes, spelling matters in standardized English proficiency exams such as IELTS, TOEFL, and Duolingo English Test. 

Spelling plays a crucial role in your IELTS marks but not as much in the TOEFL and Duolingo tests. 

The TOEFL and Duolingo examiners are keener on the content of your answers rather than the spelling, but it is important to note that poor spelling will surely affect your marks in these three exams. 


Additional Reading — ENGLISH GRAMMAR


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