Are you hardened to the word

There are so many words with spellings that just don’t appear to make sense in the English language. Many students have many worries when writing an essay or paper with so many hard words to spell. Although we live in an age where autocorrect is the new fad, the importance of spelling correctly can not be denied. It is always hard to spell words that do not appear the way they sound.

To aid school graders, college students, and adults alike, we have some of the hardest words to spell. This list of hard words to spell spans across words that are hard to spell for all categories of students and adults. Are you ready to go through our list of very hard words to spell? Here’s our list of top 100 hardest words to spell. Let’s explore!

Hardest Words To Spell Ever

The English language could be a real pest, even for native speakers. Sometimes, the spelling of some words seems to slip out of our heads the very times we need them, while sometimes, we just don’t know how to spell some words and make funny typos.

There are many hard English words to spell. A word may be difficult to spell for many reasons. It could be because it is from a language very different from the English language, e.g., Afrikaans, Sanskrit, etc., or because the pronunciation is very different from the spelling. A word can also be difficult if it has a silent letter or more or a peculiar double letter. Here’s a list of some super hard word to spell!

1. Abacaxi
2. Abgesang
3. Aitch
4. Autochthonous
5. Chiaroscurist
6. Coelacanth
7. Kierkegaardian

Long Hard Words To Spell

1. Antidisestablishmentarianism
2. Floccinaucinihilipilification
3. Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanokoniosis
4. Pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism
5. Psychoneuroendocrinological
6. Hepaticocholangiogastrostomy
7. Spectrophotofluorometrically

Easy Words That Are Hard To Spell

Surprisingly, some of the easiest words to spell in the English language often get misspelled. The words are usually so common and have been used so commonly that it’s unbelievable to know that many can’t spell it correctly – including you! So here’s a list of common words that are hard to spell.

1. Misspell
2. Pharaoh
3. Weird
4. Intelligence
5. Pronunciation
6. Handkerchief
7. Logorrhea

Hard Words To Spell For 6th Graders

If you are looking for a nice spelling challenge for a 6th grader, you’re in the right place. Take a look at these hardest English words to spell for 6th graders.

1. Noticeable
2. Vacuum
3. Recommend
4. Chaos
5. Accommodation
6. Accidentally
7. Strengthen
8. Pneumonia
9. Acknowledgment
10. Occasion
11. Descendant
12. Liaison

Hard Words To Spell For 7th Graders

Looking for a 7th grade selling challenge, here are some really hard words to spell for 7th graders.

1. Association
2. Atmosphere
3. Bicycle
4. Corollary
5. Confetti
6. Defalcation
7. Bizarre
8. Braggadocio
9. Echelon
10. Gelatinous
11. Panache
12. Xylem

Hard Words To Spell For 8th Graders

1. Condescend
2. Discernible
3. Concede
4. Assuage
5. Contemptuous
6. Imprudent
7. Conscience
8. Bazaar
9. Ferocious
10. Pistachio
11. Eloquent
12. Lucrative

Hard Words To Spell For 9th Graders

1. Stretch
2. Substantial
3. Superintendent
4. Pageant
5. Pamphlet
6. Parachute
7. Nuisance
8. Omitted
9. Tyranny
10. Unanimous
11. Vengeance
12. Villain

Hard Words To Spell For 12th Graders

1. Absolution
2. Acerbic
3. Adumbrate
4. Dearth
5. Encumber
6. Expunge
7. Insidious
8. Penurious
9. Resplendent
10. Saccharine
11. Scurrilous

Hard Words To Spell For College Students

1. Arctic
2. Australia
3. Caribbean
4. Euclidean
5. Presbyterian
6. Teutonic
7. Abysmal
8. Boulevard
9. Bouillon
10. Bourgeois

Hard Words To Spell For Adults

1. Acquiesce
2. Andragogy
3. Criterion
4. Holistic
5. Incongruous
6. Juxtaposition
7. Malapropism
8. Obfuscate
9. Onomatopoeia
10. Soliloquy

There are many spelling rules in the English language that often, it’s difficult to remember which applies. Learning how to spell hard words is a bane to students and adults alike. But don’t fret, we have some proven techniques that will make you conquer most words and spell them with ease.

It may be considered rather unfortunate that the old-fashioned rote memorization method remains the best way to learn how to spell the hardest words. However, memorization techniques have gotten better, making the learning process much more bearable.

There are several mnemonic training techniques and methods used by champion spellers worldwide, such as kinetic learning. This learning technique is the association of mental concepts with a series of movements which make learning much fun and retentive than mere repetition. So here are some tips for learning how to spell hard words!

1. Trace the Letters

   With one hand, track the letters on your palm as you pronounce them. This method is an easy way to apply kinetic learning. You use three learning pathways that reinforce the words in the memory. These are:

   • The motion of your mouth and lips
   • The movement of the fingers of one hand moving
   • The feeling of the motion on the other palm

   For a more active learning experience, you can engage the larger body. Also, movement makes more blood flow to the brain, making it more active and receptive.

2. Vocalize the Letters

   Another useful tool is to vocalize the letters of the words as you learn them. Repetition words by vocalization give those words a melodic feel, imprinting them more firmly on your mind, just like nursery rhymes. If used appropriately, this leaning method will help you recall words when other methods fail.

3. Design Short Study Sessions

   Short study sessions are usually more effective for long-term memorization. When you take breaks, the brain can refresh itself and get ready to take a new set of words without becoming overwhelmed.

4. Use Repetitive Drills

   It usually takes more than one repetition to get spelling correct consistently. Repeat the words you want to learn many times until it sinks into your mind and becomes melodic.
5. Group The Words

   This is another effective strategy for learning how to spell hard words. Grouping words imply that you put words that follow the same spelling pattern in a group. For example, words with “-ei-“combinations will follow the same pattern. Learning all similar words at the same time will help you build association and reinforce spellings. This method will help you to categorize words, which makes memorization much more manageable.

6. Read, Read, Read

   One of the best methods to learn how to spell words is to increase your reading. By merely reading and consuming a wide variety of books like wildfire, you’ll become a spelling champion without knowing it. Reading simply makes all the above rules much less confusing. You’ll also be able to build your intuition level and know just when a spelling looks wrong.

7. Have Fun

   Learning becomes easier if you can apply fun to it. Take the words you want to memorize and see how you can weave fun into it!

So here we are! 100 hard words to spell and how to learn to spell hard words. Wishing you luck in your spelling bee and life in general! If you need homework help, just contact our English assignment helpers.

As any participant in a spelling bee can tell you, correctly spelling words in the English language is not always easy. In most languages, the way words are spelled (graphemes) consistently relate to the way they sound (phonemes). But the English language uses a mix of spellings and pronunciations from Latin, Greek, French, German, and many others. To further confuse matters, words in English have different spellings in different countries. No wonder English is practically the only language spelling competitions are held in!

If you struggle spelling some of these challenging words, just know you are not alone. They are some of the trickiest words to spell in English.

1. necessary

One of the things that makes English hard to spell is that there are letters that can—but don’t always—make the same sounds, such as c and s. This, combined with the use of double consonants that don’t change how the word is pronounced, makes necessary tricky to spell. How do you remember where and how many c or s letters you need? Well, take a look at the word. Do you “c” two s‘s? Ask yourself this to make sure there is first one c and then a double s in necessary.

2. narcissistic

Similar to necessary, narcissistic is challenging to spell because of the c and s letters that make the same sound. It can also be hard to remember where to place the double s. It might help you to know that the word narcissistic ultimately comes from the Greek nárkissos, a plant name associated with narcotics.

3. occasion

The word occasion also features the letters c and s, but here they are not making the same s sound. Part of what makes spelling this word challenging are the hard c (like a k) sounds, spelled with a double c. This double c comes from the Latin origin of the word, the equivalent of the prefix oc- combined with the verb cāsus, meaning roughly “to have befallen.” Also, you may be tempted to add another s, but there is only one in occasion.

4. accommodate

The word accommodate also uses a double c … and throws in a double m for good measure. But what makes spelling this word tricky isn’t the consonants, but rather the vowels. The word accommodate [ uh–kom–uh-deyt ] sounds as if it could be spelled with three o‘s, or maybe there is a u in there? But no, there are no u‘s and the first letter is an a, of all things.

5. vacuum

Speaking of words with double c, one word you might expect to have such a spelling but does not is vacuum. Instead of a double c, vacuum features the rare double u (continuum and muumuu are others with this strange combination). The word comes from the Latin vacuus, meaning “empty.”

6. accessory

The word accessory breaks the pattern we have seen so far (remember what we said about the rules of English spelling being inconsistent?). Unlike accommodate, where the double c makes a single k sound, in accessory, the first c makes a k sound, and the second c makes an s sound. Throw in a double s, and accessory is a real challenge to spell correctly.

7. broccoli

Broccoli also features a double c to make a k sound. Besides this complication, you may be tempted to spell the ending with a y or ee to make the lee sound. However, broccoli is a word that comes from Italian, where the ee sound is represented with the letter i.

8. zucchini

Similar to broccoli, zucchini is a word from Italian that uses an i at the end to make an ee sound and has a double c that makes a k sound. If this spelling trips you up too much, you could try the British English word for zucchini instead, which comes from French: courgette [ koor-zhet ].

9. spaghetti

Another word with Italian origins that is a challenge to spell is spaghetti. The letter i at the end of a word in Italian indicates that it is plural. (Technically, a single spaghetti is a spaghetto.) The nearly-silent h might also throw you off when spelling this word.

Bite into more funny tidbits about words with uncommon singular forms here.

10. embarrass

Another word we aren’t embarrassed to admit can be hard to spell is, well, embarrass. One thing that might trip you up is the ending—it sounds like uhs, but is spelled, well, ass. Another thing that makes spelling embarrass difficult is the double r and double s. What explains both of these tricky elements is that embarrass was adopted into English from the Portuguese embaraçar via the French verb embarrasser.

11. bourbon

Speaking of words that come from French throwing us curveballs, another tricky one is bourbon. In English, we use an anglicized pronunciation of this word: [ bur-buhn ], but we have kept the French spelling. The difference between these two is what makes spelling this word hard—just try to remember there are two o‘s, not just one.

12. charcuterie

The French have a very different system of spelling, which can make it confusing when we adopt their words into English. One example of this is charcuterie. In French, the letters char are pronounced  shahr. That’s why this fancy word for “cooked, processed, or cured cold meats” (like sausage and pâté) is spelled with a ch instead of the sh you might expect.

13. entrepreneur

Yet another word whose French spelling makes it a challenge for English speakers is entrepreneur [ ahn-truh-pruh–nur ]. Because it starts with an ah sound, you may think it includes an a, but that’s not the case. Next time you write this word, remind yourself that most of the vowel sounds are e‘s, except for the eu at the very end for the oor sound. 

14. liaison

The word liaison also has French origins. You may be tempted to spell it phonetically: lee-ay-zon. However, much like the i at the end of Italian words, the i in French can make an ee sound. That might help you remember that liaison has two i‘s.

15. Connecticut

Of course, French and Italian are not the only foreign languages whose words have been adopted into English. Many place names in the United States come from the Indigenous languages of those areas, and these spellings can be difficult. One example is Connecticut, which is pronounced [ kuh–net-i-kuht ], but is spelled “Connect I Cut.” The word comes from the Mohegan-Pequot language and means “upon the long river.”

16. Massachusetts

Another example of this is Massachusetts, named for the tribe of Algonquin people who lived there, whose name means “at the large hill.” This word is particularly challenging to spell because you may be tempted to double the second s … especially because there is a double t at the end.

Did you know Massachusetts is a commonwealth? Learn the difference between commonwealth and state here.

17. epitome

Words that come originally from Greek are also challenging to spell. One example is epitome [ ih-pit–uh-mee ]. The word sounds like it ends in a y or ee, but it doesn’t. One reason for this is because, similar to Italian, all of the vowels from Greek words are pronounced—no silent e here.

18. asthma

Speaking of silent letters, English has a remarkable number of them we use when spelling. There is no way to know these letters ought to be there unless you are familiar with the word. One example of this is asthma, which has a silent th. That’s right, English sometimes will throw in a silent th, just to keep you on your toes.

19. indict

Another word with a deceptive silent letter is indict [ in-dahyt ]. You don’t pronounce the letter c in this word, so you may forget to include it when spelling. The c is a holdover from its late Latin origins, indictāre, related to the English verb dictate.

20. gnaw

We have seen silent th and silent c, but we would be remiss not to mention the silent g that pops up from time-to-time in English. One example of a word with a silent g is gnaw [ naw ].

21. phlegm

Silent g‘s do not only appear at the beginning of words; they can show up in endings as well. One example of this is phlegm [ flem ]. This word is also tricky because it uses the letters ph to make a ff sound. This way of writing the ff sound can be found in words from Greek, such as phlegm and phone.

22. paradigm

Another example of a word from Greek with a silent g is paradigm, from the Greek parádeigma. Based on the way this word is pronounced, you would expect the ending to be spelled dime, not digm.

23. pneumonia

Another silent letter you may come across sometimes is a silent p, as in pneumonia [ noo–mohn-yuh ]. Even if you remember that silent p, the word pneumonia is still tricky because of the oo sound, spelled with an eu.

24. island

The letter s is also occasionally silent in English. One word you have likely come across that uses a silent s is island. The s was added to the word via isle, a word ultimately derived from Latin and meaning “a small island.”

25. rhythm

The word rhythm is particularly challenging to spell. It has two h‘s, but one is silent and the other is used in the diphthong th. It also sounds as if it should have a u [ rith–uhm ], but it doesn’t. Rhythm comes from the Greek rhythmós, a clue that might help you remember its spelling in English.

26. Wednesday

The word Wednesday [ wenz-dey ] is particularly challenging to spell because the d is silent. Wednesday comes from the Old English for “Woden’s day”; Woden is what the pagan Anglo-Saxons called the Norse god Odin. Keeping Woden—or Odin—in mind is a good way to remember that pesky d.

27. eight

The word eight is a homophone of the past participle of “to eat,” ate. That’s not the only thing confusing about this old word. The ending is spelled ight which we associate with words like bright and tight. Here, however, this combination of letters is pronounced [ eyt ] instead.

English is full of homophones galore! Read about some of familiar pairs here.

28. acquiesce

Another word that contains some confusing letter combinations related to how it is pronounced is acquiesce [ ak-wee-es ], a verb meaning “to assent tacitly; agree.” The word comes from the Latin acquiēscere, meaning “to find rest in.” One thing to keep in mind when spelling this word is that ac- is a prefix meaning “toward” or “to.” That means the word breaks down as ac-qui-esce, which may help you spell it correctly.

29. nauseous

The word nauseous [ naw-shuhs ] appears to have just way too many vowels. Like the tricky acquiesce, nauseous comes from Latin. Nauseous means you suffer from nausea, a word that looks practically nautical (nau and sea). If you take the a off of nausea and add the common adjectival ending -ous, you have the correct spelling of nauseous.

30. conscious

A word with the same ending as nauseous that is also tricky to spell is conscious [ kon-shuhs ]. It may help you to spell it if you remember that it comes from the Latin conscius, meaning “sharing knowledge with,” equivalent to con-(with) + sci- (know) + -us (-ous, indicating an adjective).

31. grateful

One of the biggest challenges when it comes to spelling words in English are the number of homophones, or words that sound the same but are spelled differently. That’s why you may be tempted to spell the word grateful with an ea, as in great. However, grateful comes from the obsolete grate, meaning “pleasing,” not the word great, as in “large.”

32. separate

The word separate is tricky because the second vowel sound is spelled with an a and not a u or e, even though in many accents it sounds as if it should be.

33. lightning

Finally, there are some words in English that seem as if they should have more letters than they do. One example of this is lightning [ lahyt-ning ]. The unusual combination of tn may throw you off here. However, adding an e would make the word lightening, which has another meaning altogether.

If you ever get stuck on one of these words, or any others, you can always look up how to spell them here. Do your best to sound it out, and our algorithm will suggest the words you might be looking for. You can also use this handy word list to test yourself on these words. Whether you struggle to spell these words or others, keep in mind that the English language is a real challenge to spell!

жесткий, трудный, твердый, жестко, твердо, тяжело, каторга, брод

прилагательное ↓

наречие ↓

существительное ↓

Словосочетания

a hard left to the chin — сильный удар с левой в челюсть  
a Teutonic commitment to hard work — тевтонская приверженность к упорной работе  
a hard theory to put into practice — труднореализуемая на практике теория  
hard / heavy / severe blow — сильный, тяжёлый удар  
hard copy — напечатанный на бумаге рекламный текст  
hard of digestion — трудно усваиваемый  
a dose of hard luck — полоса невезения  
to drink hard / heavily — пить беспробудно, пить запоем  
hard drinker, heavy drinker — горький пьяница  
hard drug — сильный наркотик  
to be accustomed to working hard — иметь обыкновение много работать  
to be hard at work — усердно работать  

Примеры с переводом

Примеры, ожидающие перевода

Фразовые глаголы

hard up — в трудном положении, сильно нуждающийся, нуждающийся

Возможные однокоренные слова

harden  — затвердевать, затвердеть, твердеть, укреплять, укрепляться, ожесточаться
hardily  — смело
hardiness  — выносливость, крепость, смелость, дерзость
hardly  — вряд ли, едва, едва ли, чуть, с трудом, еле, насилу, резко, сурово, несправедливо
hardness  — твердость, жесткость, прочность, плотность, крепость, степень твердости, суровость
hardship  — трудность, лишение, лишения, нужда, тяжелое испытание, неудобство
harding  — закалка
hardish  — твердоватый, жестковатый
overhard  — слишком твердый

Формы слова

adjective
срав. степ. (comparative): harder
прев. степ. (superlative): hardest

Full list of words from this list:

1. abject

   of the most contemptible kind

2. aberration

   a state or condition markedly different from the norm

3. abjure

   formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief

4. abnegation

   the denial and rejection of a doctrine or belief

5. abrogate

   revoke formally
6. abscond

   run away, often taking something or somebody along

7. abstruse

   difficult to understand

8. accede

   yield to another’s wish or opinion

9. accost

   approach and speak to someone aggressively or insistently

10. accretion

    an increase by natural growth or addition

11. acumen

    shrewdness shown by keen insight

12. adamant

    impervious to pleas, persuasion, requests, or reason

13. admonish

    scold or reprimand; take to task

14. adumbrate

    describe roughly or give the main points or summary of

15. adverse

    in an opposing direction

16. advocate

    a person who pleads for a person, cause, or idea

17. affluent

    having an abundant supply of money or possessions of value

18. aggrandize

    embellish; increase the scope, power, or importance of

19. alacrity

    liveliness and eagerness

20. alias

    a name that has been assumed temporarily

21. ambivalent

    uncertain or unable to decide about what course to follow

22. amenable

    disposed or willing to comply

23. amorphous

    having no definite form or distinct shape

24. anachronistic

    chronologically misplaced

25. anathema

    a formal ecclesiastical curse accompanied by excommunication

26. annex

    attach to

27. antediluvian

    of or relating to the period before the biblical flood
28. antiseptic

    thoroughly clean and free of disease-causing organisms

29. apathetic

    showing little or no emotion or animation

30. antithesis

    exact opposite

31. apocryphal

    being of questionable authenticity

32. approbation

    official acceptance or agreement

33. arbitrary

    based on or subject to individual discretion or preference

34. arboreal

    of or relating to or formed by trees

35. arcane

    requiring secret or mysterious knowledge

36. archetypal

    of an original pattern on which other things are modeled

37. arrogate

    seize and take control without authority

38. ascetic

    someone who practices self denial as a spiritual discipline

39. aspersion

    a disparaging remark

40. assiduous

    marked by care and persistent effort

41. atrophy

    a decrease in size of an organ caused by disease or disuse

42. bane

    something causing misery or death

43. bashful

    self-consciously timid

44. beguile

    influence by slyness

45. bereft

    lacking or deprived of something

46. blandishment

    flattery intended to persuade

47. bilk

    cheat somebody out of what is due, especially money

48. bombastic

    ostentatiously lofty in style

49. cajole

    influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering

50. callous

    emotionally hardened

51. calumny

    a false accusation of an offense

52. camaraderie

    the quality of affording easy familiarity and sociability

53. candor

    the quality of being honest and straightforward

54. capitulate

    surrender under agreed conditions

55. carouse

    engage in boisterous, drunken merrymaking

56. carp

    any of various freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae

57. caucus

    meet to select a candidate or promote a policy

58. cavort

    play boisterously

59. circumlocution

    an indirect way of expressing something

60. circumscribe

    draw a geometric figure around another figure

61. circumvent

    surround so as to force to give up

62. clamor

    utter or proclaim insistently and noisily

63. cleave

    separate or cut with a tool, such as a sharp instrument

64. cobbler

    a person who makes or repairs shoes

65. cogent

    powerfully persuasive

66. cognizant

    having or showing knowledge or understanding or realization

67. commensurate

    corresponding in size or degree or extent

68. complement

    something added to embellish or make perfect

69. compunction

    a feeling of deep regret, usually for some misdeed

70. concomitant

    following or accompanying as a consequence

71. conduit

    a passage through which water or electric wires can pass

72. conflagration

    a very intense and uncontrolled fire

73. congruity

    the quality of agreeing; being suitable and appropriate

74. connive

    form intrigues (for) in an underhand manner

75. consign

    give over to another for care or safekeeping

76. constituent

    one of the individual parts making up a composite entity

77. construe

    make sense of; assign a meaning to

78. contusion

    an injury in which the skin is not broken

79. contrite

    feeling or expressing pain or sorrow

80. contentious

    showing an inclination to disagree

81. contravene

    go against, as of rules and laws

82. convivial

    occupied with or fond of the pleasures of good company

83. corpulence

    the property of excessive fatness

84. covet

    wish, long, or crave for

85. cupidity

    extreme greed for material wealth

86. dearth

    an insufficient quantity or number

87. debacle

    a sudden and complete disaster

88. debauch

    a wild gathering

89. debunk

    expose while ridiculing

90. defunct

    no longer in force or use; inactive

91. demagogue

    a leader who seeks support by appealing to popular passions

92. denigrate

    attack the good name and reputation of someone

93. derivative

    a compound obtained from another compound

94. despot

    a cruel and oppressive dictator

95. diaphanous

    so thin as to transmit light

96. didactic

    instructive, especially excessively

97. dirge

    a song or hymn of mourning as a memorial to a dead person

98. disaffected

    discontented as toward authority

99. discomfit

    cause to lose one’s composure

100. disparate

     fundamentally different or distinct in quality or kind

101. dispel

     cause to separate and go in different directions

102. disrepute

     the state of being held in low esteem

103. divisive

     causing or characterized by disagreement or disunity

104. dogmatic

     pertaining to a code of beliefs accepted as authoritative

105. dour

     showing a brooding ill humor

106. duplicity

     the act of deceiving or acting in bad faith

107. duress

     compulsory force or threat

108. eclectic

     selecting what seems best of various styles or ideas

109. edict

     a formal or authoritative proclamation

110. ebullient

     joyously unrestrained

111. egregious

     conspicuously and outrageously bad or reprehensible

112. elegy

     a mournful poem; a lament for the dead

113. elicit

     call forth, as an emotion, feeling, or response

114. embezzlement

     the fraudulent appropriation of funds or property

115. emend

     make corrections to

116. emollient

     a substance with a soothing effect when applied to the skin

117. empirical

     derived from experiment and observation rather than theory

118. emulate

     strive to equal or match, especially by imitating

119. enervate

     weaken physically, mentally, or morally

120. enfranchise

     grant freedom to, as from slavery or servitude

121. engender

     call forth

122. ephemeral

     anything short-lived, as an insect that lives only for a day

123. epistolary

     written in the form of letters or correspondence

124. equanimity

     steadiness of mind under stress

125. equivocal

     open to two or more interpretations

126. espouse

     choose and follow a theory, idea, policy, etc.

127. evanescent

     short-lived; tending to vanish or disappear

128. evince

     give expression to

129. exacerbate

     make worse

130. exhort

     spur on or encourage especially by cheers and shouts

131. execrable

     unequivocally detestable

132. exigent

     demanding immediate attention

133. expedient

     appropriate to a purpose

134. expiate

     make amends for

135. expunge

     remove by erasing or crossing out or as if by drawing a line

136. extraneous

     not belonging to that in which it is contained

137. extol

     praise, glorify, or honor

138. extant

     still in existence; not extinct or destroyed or lost

139. expurgate

     edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate

140. fallacious

     containing or based on incorrect reasoning

141. fatuous

     devoid of intelligence

142. fetter

     a shackle for the ankles or feet

143. flagrant

     conspicuously and outrageously bad or reprehensible

144. foil

     hinder or prevent, as an effort, plan, or desire

145. forbearance

     good-natured tolerance of delay or incompetence

146. fortuitous

     lucky; occurring by happy chance

147. fractious

     easily irritated or annoyed

148. garrulous

     full of trivial conversation

149. gourmand

     a person who is devoted to eating and drinking to excess

150. grandiloquent

     lofty in style

151. gratuitous

     unnecessary and unwarranted

152. hapless

     unfortunate and deserving pity

153. hegemony

     the dominance or leadership of one social group over others

154. heterogenous

     consisting of elements that are not of the same kind

155. iconoclast

     someone who attacks cherished ideas or institutions

156. idiosyncratic

     peculiar to the individual

157. impecunious

     not having enough money to pay for necessities

158. impetuous

     characterized by undue haste and lack of thought

159. impinge

     infringe upon

160. impute

     attribute or credit to

161. inane

     devoid of intelligence

162. inchoate

     only partly in existence; imperfectly formed

163. incontrovertible

     impossible to deny or disprove

164. incumbent

     necessary as a duty or responsibility; morally binding

165. inexorable

     impossible to prevent, resist, or stop

166. inimical

     tending to obstruct or cause harm

167. injunction

     a judicial remedy to prohibit a party from doing something

168. inoculate

     inject or treat with the germ of a disease to render immune

169. insidious

     working or spreading in a hidden and usually injurious way

170. instigate

     provoke or stir up

171. insurgent

     in opposition to a civil authority or government

172. interlocutor

     a person who takes part in a conversation

173. intimation

     a slight suggestion or vague understanding

174. inure

     cause to accept or become hardened to

175. invective

     abusive language used to express blame or censure

176. intransigent

     impervious to pleas, persuasion, requests, or reason

177. inveterate

     habitual

178. irreverence

     a mental attitude showing lack of due respect

179. knell

     the sound of a bell rung slowly to announce a death

180. laconic

     brief and to the point

181. largesse

     liberality in bestowing gifts

182. legerdemain

     an illusory feat

183. libertarian

     an advocate of freedom of thought and speech

184. licentious

     lacking moral discipline

185. linchpin

     a central cohesive source of support and stability

186. litigant

     a party to a lawsuit

187. maelstrom

     a powerful circular current of water

188. maudlin

     very sentimental or emotional

189. maverick

     someone who exhibits independence in thought and action

190. mawkish

     very sentimental or emotional

191. maxim

     a saying that is widely accepted on its own merits

192. mendacious

     given to lying

193. modicum

     a small or moderate or token amount

194. morass

     a soft wet area of low-lying land that sinks underfoot

195. mores

     the conventions embodying the fundamental values of a group

196. munificent

     very generous

197. multifarious

     having many aspects

198. nadir

     the lowest point of anything

199. negligent

     characterized by undue lack of attention or concern

200. neophyte

     a participant with no experience with an activity

201. noisome

     offensively malodorous

202. noxious

     injurious to physical or mental health

203. obdurate

     stubbornly persistent in wrongdoing

204. obfuscate

     make obscure or unclear

205. obstreperous

     noisily and stubbornly defiant

206. officious

     intrusive in a meddling or offensive manner

207. onerous

     burdensome or difficult to endure

208. ostensible

     appearing as such but not necessarily so

209. ostracism

     the act of excluding someone from society by general consent

210. palliate

     lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of

211. panacea

     hypothetical remedy for all ills or diseases

212. paradigm

     a standard or typical example

213. pariah

     a person who is rejected from society or home

214. partisan

     a fervent and even militant proponent of something

215. paucity

     an insufficient quantity or number

216. pejorative

     expressing disapproval

217. pellucid

     transparently clear; easily understandable

218. penchant

     a strong liking or preference

219. penurious

     excessively unwilling to spend

220. pert

     characterized by a lightly saucy or impudent quality

221. pernicious

     exceedingly harmful

222. pertinacious

     stubbornly unyielding

223. phlegmatic

     showing little emotion

224. philanthropic

     of or relating to charitable giving

225. pithy

     concise and full of meaning

226. platitude

     a trite or obvious remark

227. plaudit

     enthusiastic approval

228. plenitude

     a full supply

229. plethora

     extreme excess

230. portent

     a sign of something about to happen

231. potentate

     a powerful ruler, especially one who is unconstrained by law

232. preclude

     make impossible, especially beforehand

233. predilection

     a predisposition in favor of something

234. preponderance

     exceeding in heaviness; having greater weight

235. presage

     a foreboding about what is about to happen

236. probity

     complete and confirmed integrity

237. proclivity

     a natural inclination

238. profligate

     unrestrained by convention or morality

239. promulgate

     state or announce

240. proscribe

     command against

241. protean

     taking on different forms

242. prurient

     characterized by lust

243. puerile

     displaying or suggesting a lack of maturity

244. pugnacious

     ready and able to resort to force or violence

245. pulchritude

     physical beauty, especially of a woman

246. punctilious

     marked by precise accordance with details

247. quaint

     attractively old-fashioned

248. quixotic

     not sensible about practical matters

249. quandary

     state of uncertainty in a choice between unfavorable options

250. recalcitrant

     stubbornly resistant to authority or control

251. redoubtable

     inspiring fear

252. relegate

     assign to a lower position

253. remiss

     failing in what duty requires

254. reprieve

     postpone the punishment of a convicted criminal

255. reprobate

     a person without moral scruples

256. rescind

     cancel officially

257. requisition

     an authoritative demand

258. rife

     excessively abundant

259. sanctimonious

     excessively or hypocritically pious

260. sanguine

     confidently optimistic and cheerful

261. scurrilous

     expressing offensive, insulting, or scandalous criticism

262. semaphore

     an apparatus for visual signaling

263. serendipity

     good luck in making unexpected and fortunate discoveries

264. sobriety

     the state of being unaffected or not intoxicated by alcohol

265. solicitous

     full of anxiety and concern

266. solipsism

     the philosophical theory that the self is all that exists

267. spurious

     plausible but false

268. staid

     characterized by dignity and propriety

269. stolid

     having or revealing little emotion or sensibility

270. subjugate

     make subservient; force to submit or subdue

271. surfeit

     indulge (one’s appetite) to satiety

272. surreptitious

     marked by quiet and caution and secrecy

273. swarthy

     naturally having skin of a dark color

274. tangential

     of superficial relevance if any

275. tome

     a large and scholarly book

276. toady

     a person who tries to please someone to gain an advantage

277. torpid

     in a condition of biological rest or suspended animation

278. travesty

     a composition that imitates or misrepresents a style

279. trenchant

     having keenness and forcefulness and penetration in thought

280. trite

     repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse

281. truculent

     defiantly aggressive

282. turpitude

     a corrupt or depraved or degenerate act or practice

283. ubiquitous

     being present everywhere at once

284. umbrage

     a feeling of anger caused by being offended

285. upbraid

     express criticism towards

286. utilitarian

     having a useful function

287. veracity

     unwillingness to tell lies

288. vestige

     an indication that something has been present

289. vicissitude

     a variation in circumstances or fortune

290. vilify

     spread negative information about

291. virtuoso

     someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field

292. vitriolic

     harsh, bitter, or malicious in tone

293. vituperate

     spread negative information about

294. vociferous

     conspicuously and offensively loud

295. wanton

     a lewd or immoral person

296. winsome

     charming in a childlike or naive way

297. yoke

     join with stable gear, as two draft animals

298. zephyr

     a slight wind

299. wily

     marked by skill in deception

300. tirade

     a speech of violent denunciation

Created on September 30, 2012
(updated August 18, 2021)

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Rewordify.com simplifies difficult English. Enter hard sentences (or whole chapters) into the yellow box at the top of the page. (You can also enter a web site URL.) Click Rewordify text and you’ll instantly see an easier version, for fast understanding. The reworded words are highlighted— click them to hear and learn the original harder word. You can change how the highlighting works to match the way you learn!

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A Learning Session isn’t an online quiz: it’s an effective, step by step process where you hear words and phrases, type them, and read them. The software re-teaches you exactly what you need when you need it, and moves ahead when you’re ready. When you’ve learned a word, the site stops «rewording» it, so the site grows with you as you learn! Learn more about Learning Sessions.

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Do you need to teach (or not teach) particular vocabulary words and phrases? Rewordify.com gives you the exact control you need for specialized vocabulary instruction. You can make customized word lists so the site rewords and teaches any word or phrase exactly the way you want.

Learn the way you want—from what you want to read. You can change the way the site works to fit your learning style as you read and learn from almost any text passage or web page. See the different highlighting styles in the box? You can pick any of them, and lots more options. Click the Settings link (at the bottom of the page now, or at the top of any page) to see all the choices you have. (The demo text in the box here never changes.)

Chart your progress and have fun. You can keep track of your learning with lots of detailed charts that show how you’re doing. Plus, as you use the site, you earn points and get Learning Stars—a fun reward for reading and learning!

Now you can easily get your students involved in their learning: let them select the text that interests them. Let them print and complete the activities with which they’re most comfortable. Imagine each student learning vocabulary customized to his or her interests, while you have time to teach instead of typing. Could differentiation by interest or readiness be any easier? You can start doing it today, for free.

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It’s fast. Wasting your (and your students’ time) is bad. That’s why Rewordify.com was designed from the ground up to be lightning-fast and use very little data. The site doesn’t have a hundred images of puppies and kittens and a hundred links to a hundred lists. What it does have is speed and ease of use, which are very nice when you have to teach a room full of teenagers. Or adults.

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Rewordify.com can display simplified versions of web pages. Our state-of-the-art web filtering technology blocks millions of inappropriate sites and questionable language, to protect kids online and keep them reading only what they should be reading. Read more about how we protect children from inappropriate material.

Features & benefits

Features	Benefits	How to get it
Difficult English is intelligently simplified with our exclusive Rewordifying Engine	Saves time when reading hard text, improves comprehension and self-confidence, and increases total reading time	Copy-paste entire text passages into the yellow box and press Rewordify text. You’ll see a simplified version. Read more.
Definitions are easy to understand, context-aware, and match verb tense and part of speech	Reduces frustration and improves comprehension by maximizing time spent reading versus dictionary research	Copy-paste any text passage into the yellow box and «rewordify» it. Click the highlighted words. Read more.
Learning Sessions actively teach individualized vocabulary lessons with research-proven multimodal techniques	Improves vocabulary and word retention	After you «rewordify» text, you’ll see a purple bar at the top. Click the buttons to pick hard words and learn them in an effective Learning Session. Read more.
Site carefully monitors student reading time, learning progress, and learning errors, and gives educators full-color, real-time charts and reports	Gives actionable learning data that helps improve student learning outcomes	Create an account. Click on Educator Central. Create free student accounts. Post assignments online. Get learning data. Make smart classroom decisions based on valid data. Read more.
Site identifies and extracts over 58,000 difficult words and phrases from any text and creates a rich variety of learning activities with answer keys	Saves time when teaching and gives students individualized learning activities	Copy-paste any text passage into the yellow box and «rewordify» it. Click Print/Learning Activities. Pick the quizzes, activities, vocab lists, cloze activities you want, with keys. Print them. Read more.
Software allows users to change the difficulty level and presentation style of the output text	Improves engagement by allowing easy differentiation by learning style and readiness	Copy-paste any text passage and «rewordify» it. Click Settings. Change the text presentation style, «rewordifying level» (difficulty level), even the highlighting style. Read more.
Site works as an app on any device, using a minimum of data	Allows for easy district rollout on nearly any existing device while conserving Internet bandwith	Point any device’s browser to Rewordify.com and it works like an app. Here’s how to make an app icon on your home screen or desktop.
Site calculates accurate text complexity measures, including our exclusive READ score	Improves engagement and learning through the selection of appropriate reading materials	Rewordify any text passage. Click the Stats button. Read more.
Site’s browser app (bookmarklet) extracts most web pages to Rewordify.com for learning in one click	Improves engagement and total reading time through independent selection of high-interest materials	Install our free browser app. Browse the web. At any page, click the «Rewordify text» button. Read the extracted text on Rewordify.com.
You can post any document and share it publicly, privately, or with a password	Increases reading time and organization of learning materials	Log in. Paste in a document and «rewordify» it. Click the Share button, share it, and get a link. Post the link to your teacher page. Or, add it as a Rewordify.com assignment. Here’s how to post documents. Here’s how to create assignments.
Site calculates points and displays Learning Stars based on total minutes read and words learned	Increases reading time and engagement by making the site more fun	Log in and start reading and clicking on the purple bar to do Learning Sessions. Points and Learning Stars will display. Click My Learning/My Documents to see charts of your progress. Read more.
Over 300 pieces of classic literature are available	Improves comprehension of the classics—from Shakespeare to Douglass to Austen	Click Classic literature at the top. Or, type a word like Frankenstein into the search box at the top.

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Site summary: Rewordify.com helps with reading comprehension and vocabulary development by simplifying English to a lower reading level. It lets you reword a sentence or reword a paragraph. It will simplify English by reducing text complexity. It’s a dictionary alternative that will improve comprehension and teach vocabulary. It’s an important part of reading instruction and vocabulary instruction for ESL students, people with reading disabilities, people with a learning disability, or anyone who wants to improve reading skill.

One of the most problematic aspects of documenting words from audio is deciphering words that may be mispronounced due to being difficult for foreigners and even English-speaking Americans. That’s one of the many reasons to hire translation services that can do the work for you. Here are 20 English words that commonly cause pronunciation problems. 

20 Most Difficult Words to Pronounce in the English Language

1. Colonel                                                             
2. Worcestershire
3. Mischievous
4. Draught
5. Quinoa
6. Onomatopoeia
7. Scissors
8. Anemone
9. Isthmus
10. Otorhinolaryngologist
11. Squirrel
12. Ignominious
13. Successful
14. Sixth
15. Phenomenon
16. Rural
17. Specific
18. Synecdoche
19. Temperature
20. Often

1. Colonel — Derived from Middle French, this pronunciation is «ker-nul.» The reason it’s a strange word for foreigners is that it lacks an «r,» despite using that sound when spoken. The second «o» is silent, which adds to the confusion. 

2. Worcestershire — Americans mispronounce this name since it uses its traditional British-English pronunciation, which is «woo-ster-sher» instead of wor-cest-er-shi-er.» The ending «shire» means «county» in Britain. So the Worcestershire sauce used as food seasoning is merely named after the region in which it originates. It may help to remember that after «wo» the «rce» part of the word is silent and «shire» is pronounced «sher,» like in New Hampshire.

3. Mischievous — While many Americans say «mis-CHEEV-ee-us,» the actual pronunciation is «MIS-chiv-us.» The confusion lies in the fact that it’s a three-syllable word but appears to have four syllables. 

4. Draught — Travelers from outside the United States or the UK might say «drot,» but the correct pronunciation of this British word is «draft,» which is also what it means, as in cool air or alcoholic beverage from a keg.  

5. Quinoa — This super food has gained popularity among health food consumers in recent years, even though it’s a grain from the ancient world. Some people might mispronounce it as «qwin-o-ah,» but this Spanish word has multiple pronunciations, such as «KEEN-wah,» «ken-WAH» or «KEN-on-ah.»

6. Onomatopoeia — Have you even ever heard of this word, which applies to words that imitate the sound they make?  It’s actually a six-syllable word and is pronounced «on-o-mot-o-PEE-a.» An example of a term that would fit this description is «buzz.»

7. Scissors — While most Americans know how to pronounce this word as «sizz-ers,» people who are just learning English might say «skiss-ors.» They might think the «s» at the end makes it plural, although it’s a singular tool referred to as a pair of scissors. 

8. Anemone — From the buttercup family, this wild, colorful plant may look hard to say for any person unfamiliar with gardening. It’s pronounced «ah-NEM-oh-nee.» Just ignore the «mone» ending, which looks like it should rhyme with «phone» but doesn’t. 

9. Isthmus — If you study geography, you might recognize this two-syllable term as a reference to a tight strip of land between two seas. It helps if you forget about the «th,» which is silent, as the word is pronounced «is-muss.»

10. Otorhinolaryngologist – Many people can trip over this lengthy word that is used in the medical profession for an ear, nose and throat doctor. It’s understandably complex for anyone outside of the medical field, as it’s pronounced «oh-toh-rye-no-lar-ing-GOL-uh-jee.» A more convenient title for this medical position is «ENT.»

11. Squirrel — German speakers may have problems with this animal word since the «rl» sound is usually coming at the end of a syllable. They might say «skwörl,» when most Americans say «SKWIR-rel.»

12. Ignominious — Articulate speakers who show off vocabulary use this word to describe a person who is dishonorable.» It’s a five-syllable word that is pronounced «ig-ne-MIN-ee-us.»

13. Successful — Here’s one of the easiest words on this list for anyone to pronounce, although people unfamiliar with English might be confused by the double c and double “s” since the «cc» has a «k» sound. Yet just «c» alone can be an «s,» «k» or «ch» sound. 

14. Sixth — Numbers are among the first things students of second languages learn to pronounce, but adding a «th» after «x» can be tricky for some people new to English. 

15. Phenomenon — This singular form of «phenomena» means an amazing event and is pronounced «fi-NOM-uh-non.»

16. Rural — Residents of farms and ranches are familiar with this term, which is pronounced «roor-uhl,» whereas urban dwellers who don’t talk about less populated areas much might find it to be a tongue twister.

17. Specific — Here’s another easy word for most to decipher, but difficult for those who don’t understand that «s» and «c» can have the same, yet different sounds within the same word. 

18. Synecdoche — This rare literary device is more read than spoken, making it unfamiliar to many, as it’s pronounced «se-NEK-de-kee.»

19. Temperature — For some people, «tem-per-uh-chur» is difficult to say quickly, as the «t» takes on a «ch» sound. Many people chop the four syllables down to three. 

20. Often — Many Americans, more often than not, drop the «t» to say «OFF-uhn,» while others say «OFT-uhn.» But either pronunciation is acceptable in the United States.

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