100 Most

Often Mispelled Misspelled
Words in English
7th grade8th grade9th gradeMiddle SchoolHigh SchoolCollege
Here are the 100 words most commonly misspelled ('misspell' is one of them). Dr. Language has
provided a one-stop cure for all your spelling ills. Each word has a mnemonic pill with it and, if you
swallow it, it will help you to remember how to spell the word. Master the orthography of the words
on this page and reduce the time you spend searching dictionaries by half.

A
 acceptable - Several words made the list because of the suffix pronounced -êbl but sometimes
spelled -ible, sometimes -able. Just remember to accept any table offered to you and you will
spell this word OK.
 accidentally - It is no accident that the test for adverbs on -ly is whether they come from an
adjective on -al ("accidental" in this case). If so, the -al has to be in the spelling. No publical,
then publicly. See?
 accommodate - Remember, this word is large enough to accommodate both a double "c"
AND a double "m."
 acquire - Try to acquire the knowledge that this word, and the next one, began with the prefix
 ad- but the [d] converts to [c] before [q].
 acquit - See the previous discussion.
 a lot - Two words! Hopefully, you won't have to allot a lot of time to this problem.
 amateur - Amateurs need not be mature: this word ends on the French suffix -eur (the
equivalent of English -er).
 apparent - A parent need not be apparent but "apparent" must pay the rent, so remember this
word always has the rent.
 argument - Let's not argue about the loss of this verb's silent [e] before the suffix -ment.
 atheist - Lord help you remember that this word comprises the prefix a- "not" + the "god"
(also in the-ology) + -ist "one who believes."


B
 believe - You must believe that [i] usually comes before [e] except after [c] or when it is
pronounced like "a" as "neighbor" and "weigh" or "e" as in "their" and "heir." Also take a look at
"foreign" below. (The "i-before-e" rule has more exceptions than words it applies to.)
 bellwether - Often misspelled "bellweather." A wether is a gelded ram, chosen to lead the
herd (thus his bell) due to the greater likelihood that he will remain at all times ahead of the
ewes.

C
 calendar - This word has an [e] between two [a]s. The last vowel is [a].
 category - This word is not in a category with "catastrophe" even if it sounds like it: the
middle letter is [e].
 cemetery - Don't let this one bury you: it ends on -ery nary an -ary in it. You already know it
starts on [c], of course.
 changeable - The verb "change" keeps its [e] here to indicate that the [g] is soft, not hard.
(That is also why "judgement" is the correct spelling of this word, no matter what anyone says.)
 collectible - Another -ible word. You just have to remember.
 column - Silent final [e] is commonplace in English but a silent final [n] is not uncommon,
especially after [m].
 committed - If you are committed to correct spelling, you will remember that this word
doubles its final [t] from "commit" to "committed."
 conscience - Don't let misspelling this word weigh on your conscience: [ch] spelled "sc" is
unusual but legitimate.
 conscientious - Work on your spelling conscientiously and remember this word with [ch]
spelled two different ways: "sc" and "ti." English spelling!
 conscious - Try to be conscious of the "sc" [ch] sound and all the vowels in this word's
ending and i-o-u a note of congratulations.
 consensus - The census does not require a consensus, since they are not related.

D
 daiquiri - Don't make yourself another daiquiri until you learn how to spell this funny word-
the name of a Cuban village.
 definite (ly) - This word definitely sounds as though it ends only on -it, but it carries a silent
"e" everywhere it goes.
 discipline - A little discipline, spelled with the [s] and the [c] will get you to the correct
spelling of this one.
 drunkenness - You would be surprised how many sober people omit one of the [n]s in this
one.
 dumbbell - Even smart people forget one of the [b]s in this one. (So be careful who you call
one when you write.)

E
 embarrass (ment) - This one won't embarrass you if you remember it is large enough for a
double [r] AND a double [s].
 equipment - This word is misspelled "equiptment" 22,932 times on the web right now.
 exhilarate - Remembering that [h] when you spell this word will lift your spirits and if you
remember both [a]s, it will be exhilarating!
 exceed - Remember that this one is -ceed, not -cede. (To exceed all expectations, master the
spellings of this word, "precede" and "supersede" below.)
 existence - No word like this one spelled with an [a] is in existence. This word is a menage a
quatre of one [i] with three [e]s.
 experience - Don't experience the same problem many have with "existence" above in this
word: -ence!

F

 fiery - The silent "e" on "fire" is also cowardly: it retreats inside the word rather than face the
suffix -y.
 foreign - Here is one of several words that violate the i-before-e rule. (See "believe" above.)

G
 gauge - You must learn to gauge the positioning of the [a] and [u] in this word. Remember,
they are in alphabetical order (though not the [e]).
 grateful - You should be grateful to know that keeping "great" out of "grateful" is great.
 guarantee - This word is not spelled like "warranty" even though they are synonyms.

H
 harass - This word is too small for two double letters but don't let it harass you, just keep the
[r]s down to one.
 height - English reaches the height (not heighth!) of absurdity when it spells "height" and
"width" so differently.
 hierarchy - The i-before-e rule works here, so what is the problem?
 humorous - Humor us and spell this word "humorous": the [r] is so weak, it needs an [o] on
both sides to hold it up.

I

 ignorance - Don't show your ignorance by spelling this word -ence!
 immediate - The immediate thing to remember is that this word has a prefix, in- "not", which
becomes [m] before [m] (or [b] or [p]). "Not mediate" means direct which is why "immediately"
means "directly."
 independent - Please be independent but not in your spelling of this word. It ends on -ent.

 indispensable - Knowing that this word ends on -able is indispensable to good writing.
 inoculate - This one sounds like a shot in the eye. One [n] the eye is enough.
 intelligence - Using two [l]s in this word and ending it on -ence rather than -ance are marks
of . . . you guessed it.
 its/it's - The apostrophe marks a contraction of "it is." Something that belongs to it is "its."