How confident are you of your spelling skills? We asked top academics and writing experts to give us their top 100 hardest words to spell they’ve seen in students’ writing assignments. Spellings is extremely importnant, not less than grammar. This is what they came up with tips and a list of 100 most difficult words.
Tips on How to Spell Hard Words
So by now, you’ve realized that you have made your share of spelling mistakes and are wondering what you need to do to be a better speller. These tips are the same ones we see young students participating in spelling competitions use when they tackle any of several hard English words to spell. Give them all a try to see which tips work best for you:
- Watch what others do.
The first thing you may want to consider doing is looking at how others utilize different techniques to spell out difficult words. Start with the kids who compete in national spelling bees to get a sense of all the different things they do spell long or rare words correctly.
- Use your palms to spell.
If you have scratch paper at hand you can always spell out the word as close as you can and then make corrections when you see what you feel can be wrong. Other than this, you can
- Consider the origins.
The origin of words is a study known as etymology which traces a word’s lineage and existence to the first known use in written form. It is especially helpful to people wanting to learn how to spell words because you can trace root words and syllables.
Hard Words to Spell for 6th Graders
If you want to challenge yourself with very hard words to spell at the sixth-grade level, then this collection might be just what you’re looking for:
- Noticeable (Correct) / Noticable (Incorrect)
- Vacuum (Correct) / Vacume (Incorrect)
- Recommend (Correct) / Recomend (Incorrect)
- Occasion (Correct) / Ocassion (Incorrect)
- Beginning (Correct) / Begginning (Incorrect)
- Government (Correct) / Goverment (Incorrect)
- Committee (Correct) / Comitee (Incorrect)
- Mississippi (Correct) / Missisipi (Incorrect)
- Ancient (Correct) / Ainshent (Incorrect)
- Culture (Correct) / Culcher (Incorrect)
Hard Words to Spell for 7th Graders
In a time when spellcheck comes with every computer writing program, we may lose sight of terms in this list of hard words to spell:
- Chaos (Correct) / Kaos (Incorrect)
- Accommodation (Correct) / Accomodation (Incorrect)
- Strengthen (Correct) / Strengten (Incorrect)
- Misspelled (Correct) / Mispelled (Incorrect)
- Deceive (Correct) / Deseave (Incorrect)
- Receipt (Correct) / Receit (Incorrect)
- Arithmetic (Correct) / Arithmatic (Incorrect)
- Embarrass (Correct) / Embaras (Incorrect)
- Constitution (Correct) / Constatution (Incorrect)
- Encyclopedia (Correct) / Encyclopaedia (Incorrect)
Hard Words to Spell for 8th Graders
Here are hard to spell words spell for middle-school teenagers, particularly those in the 8th grade. Can you spell them without using spell-check?
- Pneumonia (Correct) / Neumonia (Incorrect)
- Acknowledgment (Correct) / Acknoledgement (Incorrect)
- Accidentally (Correct) / Accidentilly (Incorrect)
- Descendant (Correct) / Desendent (Incorrect)
- Exaggerate (Correct) / Exagerate (Incorrect)
- Courageous (Correct) / Corageous (Incorrect)
- Competent (Correct) / Compitent (Incorrect)
- Patriarch (Correct) / Patrearch (Incorrect)
- Pediatrician (Correct) / Pidiatrision (Incorrect)
- Picturesque (Correct) / Picturesche (Incorrect)
Hard Words to Spell for 9th Graders
In your first year of high school, you will likely encounter some of the hardest words to spell ever. Check out this list for 9th grade:
- Cavalcade (Correct) / Cavacade (Incorrect)
- Conscientious (Correct) / Consciescience (Incorrect)
- Fluorescent (Correct) / Florescent (Incorrect)
- Martyr (Correct) / Marter (Incorrect)
- Olfactory (Correct) / Ofactory (Incorrect)
- Facsimile (Correct) / Faximile (Incorrect)
- Gruesome (Correct) / Grewsome (Incorrect)
- Incessant (Correct) / Incessent (Incorrect)
- Reservoir (Correct) / Resavoire (Incorrect)
- Spasmodic (Correct) / Spasmodick (Incorrect)
Hard Words to Spell for 12th Graders
As you advance through educational levels, you will be introduced to more reading assignments and will grow your vocabulary. These are the hardest English words to spell at the 12th-grade level:
- Acquiesce (Correct) / Aquese (Incorrect)
- Ambiguous (Correct) / Ambiguus (Incorrect)
- Stringent (Correct) / Stringint (Incorrect)
- Evanescent (Correct) / Evansent (Incorrect)
- Querulous (Correct) / Quarelous (Incorrect)
- Spontaneity (Correct) / Spontenaity (Incorrect)
- Tenacious (Correct) / Tenashus (Incorrect)
- Divergent (Correct) / Divergeant (Incorrect)
- Resilient (Correct) / Resiliant (Incorrect)
- Renovation (Correct) / Renovashun (Incorrect)
Hard Words to Spell for College Students
Technology has made learning the hardest words to spell a rare activity. This list of 10 terms is considered to be college-level. See if you’re able to spell them without help:
- Pharaoh (Correct) / Farow (Incorrect)
- Intelligence (Correct) / Inteligense (Incorrect)
- Didactic (Correct) / Didachtik (Incorrect)
- Pronunciation (Correct) / Pronounsiation (Incorrect)
- Gobbledegook (Correct) / Gobblydigook (Incorrect)
- Euphemism (Correct) / Yufamism (Incorrect)
- Abrogate (Correct) / Abrohgate (Incorrect)
- Demagogue (Correct) / Demagog (Incorrect)
- Facetious (Correct) / Faseshus (Incorrect)
- Hyperbole (Correct) / Hyperboly (Incorrect)
Common Words that Are Hard to Spell
This list includes common hard words to spell for adults. It’s surprising how so many people struggle but all you have to do is check the web for examples of this happening:
- Thorough (Correct) / Thorogh (Incorrect)
- Rhythm (Correct) / Rythm (Incorrect)
- Peculiar (Correct) / Pechuliar (Incorrect)
- Buffet (Correct) / Bufay (Incorrect)
- Liaison (Correct) / Liason (Incorrect)
- Anecdote (Correct) / Anechdote (Incorrect)
- Anonymous (Correct) / Anonimous (Incorrect)
- Collaborate (Correct) / Colaborate (Incorrect)
- Substantiate (Correct) / Substanchiate (Incorrect)
- Reconciliation (Correct) / Reckonsiliation (Incorrect)
Long Hard Words to Spell
Sometimes multisyllabic words that are hard to spell are difficult because we don’t think about silent letters that may appear anywhere. Check these out below:
- Grammatically (Correct) / Gramatically (Incorrect)
- Magnanimous (Correct) / Magnanimus (Incorrect)
- Metamorphosis (Correct) / Metamofisus (Incorrect)
- Satisfactorily (Correct) / Satisfactory (Incorrect)
- Surveillance (Correct) / Surveylance (Incorrect)
- Unanimous (Correct) / Unianomous (Incorrect)
- Reconciliation (Correct) / Reconsiliation (Incorrect)
- Procrastinate (Correct) / Procrastanate (Incorrect)
- Ostentatious (Correct) / Ostantatious (Incorrect)
- Camaraderie (Correct) / Comraderie (Incorrect)
Super Hard Words to Spell
These are really hard words to spell, even for the best English spellers in the world. As you can see most are words familiar to medical professionals and scientists, so unless you’re familiar with the field you are likely to have trouble with them:
- Syllepsis (Correct) / Sylepsis (Incorrect)
- Antediluvian (Correct) / Antidiluvian (Incorrect)
- Crustaceology (Correct) / Crustaciology (Incorrect)
- Epidemiologist (Correct) / Epidimialogist (Incorrect)
- Ophthalmologist (Correct) / Optamologist (Incorrect)
- Nephrology (Correct) / Nefrology (Incorrect)
- Entomology (Correct) / Entimology (Incorrect)
- Chiaroscurist (Correct) / Chiaraschurist (Incorrect)
- Logorrhea (Correct) / Logoria (Incorrect)
- Sacrilegious (Correct) / Sacriligious (Incorrect)
Easy Words that Are Hard to Spell
Finally, this last set includes hard words to spell that is considered easy. Take your time spelling these out because you may find yourself feeling a bit embarrassed if you make a simple mistake:
- Acquire (Correct) / Akwire (Incorrect)
- Argument (Correct) / Arguement (Incorrect)
- Maintenance (Correct) / Maintanence (Incorrect)
- Gauge (Correct) / Ghage (Incorrect)
- Memento (Correct) / Mamento (Incorrect)
- Occurrence (Correct) / Ocurrance (Incorrect)
- Questionnaire (Correct) / Questionaire (Incorrect)
- Sergeant (Correct) / Sargeant (Incorrect)
- Weather (Correct) / Wheather (Incorrect)
- Awkward (Correct) / Awkwerd (Incorrect)
What did you think of our list? Did you manage to spell the majority of them? As you can see, a lot of the mistakes come from simple mispronunciations of the words or syllables. This, of course, can be fixed with time and patience. We’re always available to assist you, so just get a hold of our customer support team and we’ll provide you with more tips and tricks to improve your spelling skills and get better writing jobs.
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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.
⚡️What makes English a difficult language to spell?
Why exactly does English have so many different rules and variations when it comes to spelling? Learn a thing or two about its messy history here.
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!
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!
- Abacaxi
- Abgesang
- Aitch
- Autochthonous
- Chiaroscurist
- Coelacanth
- Kierkegaardian
Long Hard Words To Spell
- Antidisestablishmentarianism
- Floccinaucinihilipilification
- Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanokoniosis
- Pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism
- Psychoneuroendocrinological
- Hepaticocholangiogastrostomy
- 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.
- Misspell
- Pharaoh
- Weird
- Intelligence
- Pronunciation
- Handkerchief
- 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.
- Noticeable
- Vacuum
- Recommend
- Chaos
- Accommodation
- Accidentally
- Strengthen
- Pneumonia
- Acknowledgment
- Occasion
- Descendant
- 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.
- Association
- Atmosphere
- Bicycle
- Corollary
- Confetti
- Defalcation
- Bizarre
- Braggadocio
- Echelon
- Gelatinous
- Panache
- Xylem
Hard Words To Spell For 8th Graders
- Condescend
- Discernible
- Concede
- Assuage
- Contemptuous
- Imprudent
- Conscience
- Bazaar
- Ferocious
- Pistachio
- Eloquent
- Lucrative
Hard Words To Spell For 9th Graders
- Stretch
- Substantial
- Superintendent
- Pageant
- Pamphlet
- Parachute
- Nuisance
- Omitted
- Tyranny
- Unanimous
- Vengeance
- Villain
Hard Words To Spell For 12th Graders
- Absolution
- Acerbic
- Adumbrate
- Dearth
- Encumber
- Expunge
- Insidious
- Penurious
- Resplendent
- Saccharine
- Scurrilous
Hard Words To Spell For College Students
- Arctic
- Australia
- Caribbean
- Euclidean
- Presbyterian
- Teutonic
- Abysmal
- Boulevard
- Bouillon
- Bourgeois
Hard Words To Spell For Adults
- Acquiesce
- Andragogy
- Criterion
- Holistic
- Incongruous
- Juxtaposition
- Malapropism
- Obfuscate
- Onomatopoeia
- 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!
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Spelling in English can be hard. A misspelled word often ruins the impression of your writing. Wrong spelling in your essay will seriously reduce your overall score. At times it can be as simple as just paying attention to what you are writing. Other times though it can be tricky, especially when it comes to words borrowed from other languages, namely the French ones (like connoisseur).
A comforting fact is that ability to spell has little to do with your overall intelligence. Many famous writers were known for being very bad at that (spelling, that is).
How to improve your spelling
The one and only surefire way to increase your spelling literacy is to memorise words. Reading helps and so does looking words up occasionally whenever you have doubts about the correct way of spelling them. You can use flashcards to revise problematic words. Anki is probably the best free software that help memorising things — vocabulary, spelling and much more!
British or American spelling?
As you should already know by now, there are minor differences in spelling and more serious differences in vocabulary. Even though mixing British and American vocabulary isn’t punitive, you absolutely have to be consistent with your spelling. So if you choose to stick to British spelling (e.g. centre, cheque, judgement) then omitting “u” in “valour” or “labour” will be regarded as mistake and scored accordingly. Here is a basic reference table to AmE/BrE spelling:
|
American English |
British English |
|
Color, valor, honor, humor etc. |
Colour, valour, honour, humour etc. |
|
Theater, center, fiber, liter etc. |
Theatre, centre, fibre, litre etc. |
|
Realize, analyze, apologize, colonize etc. |
Realise, analyse, apologise, colonise etc. |
|
Traveler, enrollment, fulfill, jewelry, marvelous etc. |
Traveller, enrolment, fulfil, jewellery, marvellous etc. |
|
Offense, license, pretense etc. |
Offence, licence, pretence etc |
Words with difficult spelling
These are the usual suspects. Take your time to memorise this list of difficult words. You can even use this list for dictation in your English class!
| a lot absence accidentally accommodate achievement acquaintance acquire advice(noun) advise(verb) amateur analysis apartment appearance argue ascend(verb) ascent(noun) assistance athletic attendance balance beginning belief(noun) believe(verb) beneficial business cemetery choose column committee conceivable conscience conscientious conscious controversial controversy criticise definitely disappearance disappoint discipline dissatisfied dormitory effect eighth eligible embarrassing |
encouragement environment equipped exaggerate excellence exhilarate existence experience explanation fascinate foreign forty fourth fulfil generally government grammar guarantee height hierarchy humorous hypocrisy immediate incidentally incredible independence inevitable intellectual intelligence interesting laboratory leisure license lightning loneliness lose/loose maintenance marriage mathematics necessary neighbour ninety noticeable occasionally occurred omitted opinion |
paid parallel paralysis particular pastime performance perseverance personal personnel perspiration physical possession possible practically precede preference preferred principal principle privilege probably pronunciation pursue quantity queue questionnaire receipt receive receiving recommend restaurant rhyme rhythm ridiculous schedule seize sincerely succeed succession technique threshold tomorrow unnecessary weather Wednesday weird |
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Difficult Spelling Words
The English language is full of words that are difficult to spell. A few examples are:
- Acquiesce
- Conscientious
- Mischievous
- Wednesday
- Worcestershire
English Spelling Is Tricky
It’s no secret that the English language is complex. There are grammar rules that have a questionable number of exceptions, words that are spelled the same but have different meanings depending on how they’re pronounced (e.g., (to) produce /prəˈd(j)uːs/ and produce /ˈprəʊd(j)uːs/), and silent letters.
There are also words that are spelled so strangely, that it seems as if someone was playing a prank on us. We’ll be going over 15 of these difficult-to-spell words, and then show you how to make sure you’re spelling them correctly.
Below, we’ll be going over 15 words that are hard to spell, including what they mean and how to pronounce them.
1. Acquiesce
Acquiesce /ˌækwiˈes/ is a verb that is pronounced a-kwee-es and means “to accept or agree passively, without arguing.”
He didn’t want to fight, so he acquiesced to her request.
2. Bologna
Bologna /bəˈləʊnjə/ is a noun that refers to “a large sausage made of various types of meat, often sliced and put in sandwiches.” Technically, the correct pronunciation of this word is bo-lo-nya, but it’s commonly pronounced as ba-lo-nee.
Timmy wanted a bologna and cheese sandwich.
3. Colonel
Colonel /ˈkɜrnəl/ is a noun that means “commissioned officer of high rank in the military.” It looks like it would be pronounced co-lo-nel, but it’s actually pronounced like kur-nuhl. Think of kernel in popcorn kernel next time you have to say this word out loud.
He was promoted to Colonel after only two years.
4. Conscientious
Conscientious /ˌkɑːnʃiˈenʃəs/ is an adjective that describes someone as “meticulous, careful” or who “follows their conscience.” This word is pronounced kaan-shee-en-shuhs. What makes this word challenging is that the “-sc-” and the “-t-” produce the same /ʃ/ (or “sh”) sound.
She was a bright and conscientious student.
5. Dilate
Dilate /daɪˈleɪt/ can be difficult for some people to spell, but only because it’s commonly mispronounced as “di-a-late.” However, that pronunciation is incorrect. The correct pronunciation sounds like dai-layt. This verb means “to become larger or widened,” or “to cause a part of the body to enlarge, widen, or expand.”
The ophthalmologist needed to dilate my eyes for the exam.
6. Fuchsia
Fuchsia /ˈfjuːʃə/ refers to an ornamental bush with deep pink, red, and purple flowers that hang. Fuchsia also refers to a vivid, deep, reddish-purple color. The “-ch-” in this word is what throws writers off. When pronounced out loud, this word sounds like “fyoo-shuh.”
I was looking for a fuchsia-colored dress for prom.
7. Indict
Indict /ɪnˈdaɪt/ means “to charge someone with a crime, fault, or offense.” When said out loud, the “-c-” does not get pronounced. Instead, this word is pronounced like in-dite.
He was indicted on all misdemeanor charges.
8. Jewelry
Jewelry /ˈdʒuːəlri/ is another case of a word that’s often misspelled, simply because it’s also often mispronounced. When said aloud, many people say jew-ler-ry, but the correct pronunciation sounds like jool-ree. This noun refers to “personal ornaments like rings, necklaces, and bracelets that people wear as decorations.”
I can only wear gold jewelry because I’m allergic to everything else.
9. Mischievous
Mischievous /ˈmɪstʃɪvəs/ is an adjective that describes a person or animal who “enjoys playing tricks and annoying people,” or describes an act or thing as “intended to cause harm or trouble.” This word is pronounced like mis-chuh-vuhs when said out loud.
My puppy is going through a mischievous phase.
10. Nauseous
More than half of the letters in nauseous /ˈnɔːʃəs/ are vowels, and figuring out in which order they go can be tricky for a lot of people. This adjective describes someone as “affected with nausea or as if they need to vomit.” It can also mean “an offensive taste or smell.”
The smell of a milk carton that someone had forgotten to throw away made him nauseous.
11. Onomatopoeia
Onomatopoeia /ɑːnəˌmætəˈpiːə/ is a noun that is defined as “the formation of a word (thing or action) by a vocal imitation of the sound associated with it, such as buzz and hiss.” This word has double the number of vowels than it has consonants, and figuring out their order can be challenging. The correct pronunciation of this word sounds like aa-nuh-maa-tuh-pee-uh.
Comic books contain a lot of onomatopoeia to help readers understand what’s going on.
12. Queue
Okay, someone was definitely playing a joke on us when they formed this word. If you think about it, it’s basically the letter “q” with five silent vowels after it. Queue /kjuː/ can function as a noun (a line or sequence of people or vehicles waiting their turn or a list of data items, commands, etc.). But it can also function as a verb (take one’s place in a queue or arrange in a queue), and sounds like kyoo when said out loud.
I had five songs in the queue about to start playing.
13. Wednesday
Wednesday /ˈwenzdeɪ/ refers to the day of the week that follows Tuesday and comes before Thursday. When said out loud, this word is pronounced like wenz-day, but the way it’s spelled makes it seem like it’s pronounced wed-nes-day (but it’s not).
I’m going out of town on Wednesday.
14. Worcestershire
Worcestershire /ˈwʊstərʃər/ is a county in the West Midlands of England. Worcestershire sauce is a sauce made of vinegar, sugar, and other spices. This word is pronounced like wu-stur-shr, and the spelling of the word looks like there’s at least one syllable too many.
I asked for a bit of Worcestershire sauce to go.
15. Yacht
Admittedly, yacht /jɑːt/ is more of a strange spelling than it is difficult. And that’s because when said aloud, there’s no “tch” sound in it. Instead, it sounds like yaat when pronounced. This noun refers to “a large sailing boat” or “a large motor-driven craft used for pleasure sailing.”
We rented a yacht for the bachelorette party.
It’s Not You, It’s English
These are only 15 of the innumerable difficult English words to spell. These words (and many others) can be hard to spell correctly, regardless if you’re an English language learner or a native speaker.
So, how do you make sure you always use the right spelling? By using LanguageTool as your writing assistant. Not only can this multilingual text editor ensure proper spelling, but it can check for many other types of errors and suggest stylistic improvements.
Living in the age of auto-correct and Google search, there is less of an emphasis on spelling as there once was. But its importance can’t be denied.
When writing a resume, a proposal or a school assignment, a misspelled word can be the difference between getting a job and missing out or getting the marks needed to pass an assignment or not.
We don’t recommend trying to use any of the words below in your next important document, they are some of the hardest words to spell in the English language.
10. Misspell
Let the misspelling begin with the misspelled word misspell. While this is number ten in our list of misspelled words, it’s certainly number one in most ironic misspelled words that occur in a spelling bee. Misspelling misspell is like forgetting your phone number, you have seen it all the time and yet when you stop and think about it, it slips your mind.
9. Pharaoh
This misspelled word falls into the error category of ‘you spell it like it sounds’. This term is used to refer to the ruler of ancient Egypt and like an ancient Egyptian ruler, this word will play a tyrant in your mind as it controls your every thought after you have been eliminated for spelling it “pharoh”.
8. Weird
Fear the confusing power of the’ I before E’! This literary rule is viewed as an absolute but there are exceptions. Fitting of the many exceptions to the rule that weird is one of them, as that is what is often thought of the word weird when it is misspelled.
7. Intelligence
The word that can be a shot to the ego when misspelled, intelligence being misspelled often creates the most reflection of intellectual state than any other. Its definition of being a measurement of one’s mental ability tends to relate to the fact that you struggled to use your intelligence to spell intelligence.
100+ Spelling Bee Words That Can Make Every Student Feel Like a Spelling Champion
Read it here
6. Pronunciation
A term related to the thing that brings the marriage of words and spelling, pronunciation is the act in which a word is spoken. This is a trap in a spelling bee (both the word itself and its meaning) as the manner in which a word is spoken can be misleading compared to how the word is written out. That’s why the nifty trick of using your finger in the air to write out the word is often used.
5. Handkerchief
Whether used as a decorative pocket accessory or as a tissue you don’t throw out, the handkerchief is useful as a versatile fashion statement and a spelling bee hurdle. Wipe away the emotional highs and lows of spelling competition in style with this handy tool of cleanliness.
4. logorrhea
Do you have a chatter monster in your class? Next time they participate in a spelling bee, try to slip this word into their spelling bee to see if their babble is up to par. logorrhea is a term used when an individual is excessive and incoherent in talkativeness and wordiness.
3. Chiaroscurist
A term used to describe an artist who specialises in chiaroscuro (pictorial representation of light and dark and its effect on composition). Much like the term itself, contrast the dark and the light by shedding some light on someone’s literary ability with a word that is so difficult to spell it’s dark.
2. Pochemuchka
A Russian term used when a person asks too many questions. One can’t help but think that maybe if I were more pochemuchka, I would have been informed on how to spell this word.
1. Gobbledegook
Gobbledegook is incoherent babbling in a fashion that makes no sense amounting to random words and noises to your listeners. Gobbledegook is a word that in fact sounds like complete gobbledegook, but in actuality is a word that has deep meaning for anyone who has ever heard an infant speak or watched a TV show in another language.
By
Last updated:
January 27, 2022
30 Common English Words That Are Difficult to Spell for Everyone
Have you ever encountered a word in English that you could not spell right, no matter how hard you tried?
Have you made a mistake trying to spell “acquaintance,” “colonel” or “rhythm”?
You are not alone!
There are so many long, complicated, difficult words to spell in English. Isn’t it amazing?
Spelling correctly is an important skill. It is essential for good written English. While spell-checkers are available in word processing programs on computers, on phones and even on web browsers, and they do make your life easier, you should still make spelling exercises a part of your English study routine.
The good news is that everyone makes English spelling mistakes!
Beginner students, learners of advanced English and native speakers alike are not immune (protected). The modern English language has over 170,000 words. Naturally, some of them are more difficult to spell than others. There are several reasons for this!
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Reason 1: Common letter combinations are confusing.
The English language has many combinations of letters that you see often. For example, CH, EI, IE and others can be particularly confusing for English learners. This is because these combinations may be pronounced differently in different words or not pronounced at all!
Here are some examples.
1. Achieve (to accomplish, get something done)
Common misspellings of “achieve” include acheive, acheve, archieve and even achiev. To spell it right, just remember:
- There is no R in “achieve”
- The H is followed by I, just like in the English alphabet!
Now let’s look at a few more similar words.
2. Receive (to be given something)
3. Perceive (to become aware of something)
4. Deceive (to lie to someone)
But wait—why are they spelled with EI instead of IE like the word “achieve”?
There is a great mnemonic rule in English that you may have heard:
I before E, except after C, or when sounding like “A” as in “neighbor” or “weigh.”
The words above are great examples that are commonly spelled wrong because people remember “I before E,” but not the “after C” part or any of the rest.
Recieve, percieve, decieve are all wrong! E comes before I in these examples, because the EI combination comes after C.
This spelling rule, however popular, has plenty of exceptions, one of the most common one being…
5. Weird (strange, unusual)
The correct spelling of “weird” is an exception to the mnemonic above. There is one common, incorrect spelling: “wierd.” The pronunciation of the word may also be to blame. A good way to remember to spell “weird” right is to think of “we” as part of the word. You may be normal, but we can be weird.
Look for more ideas of mnemonic devices and rules in English here and here!
Reason 2: Many English words have long strings of vowels.
Words in this group are difficult because the vowels in them form sounds that are normally represented by just one or two letters. As a result, some vowels “get lost” in the process.
The best way to remember the spelling of these tricky nouns and adjectives is to make associations with other words that you do know how to spell.
6. Acquaintance (someone you know)
“Acquaintance” is a tough one! The combination of U-A-I is not very common in the English language, but it occurs sometimes.
To master the spelling of this word, keep in mind that Q is always followed by U. Then memorize the A and I.
7. Beautiful (pleasing to the eye or the mind)
If you have ever studied French, you are familiar the E-A-U vowel string. It is quite common in French! In fact, the French word “beau” means “beautiful,” which may help you to remember how to spell this important English adjective.
“Beautiful” is also difficult due to the T-I part. People sometimes incorrectly spell the word as “beautyful” because of the obvious connection to the English noun “beauty.”
A rule of thumb to spell “beautiful” correctly is to alternate the Is and Us (U-T-I-F-U) and forget the Y in the noun.
8. Conscientious (hard-working, careful, attentive to detail)
This very useful adjective has a lot of Is and Os with Us and Es added. It can be difficult to spell it right.
Remember the mnemonic, “I before E, except after C”? It does not work here—this word is another exception to the rule.
If you are good at spelling the word “science,” which is yet another exception to the rule, you can use this to your advantage as well.
9. Queue (a line)
This word is all vowels. Wouldn’t it be better if it was just spelled Q? Or Kew? Remember that a Q likes a U. After that, add an E and repeat the vowel combination.
The term is more common in British English, whereas in the American English the word “lineup” or even just “line” is used.
10. Quay (a pier, a wharf)
A friend of mine once confessed that he used to spell the word “quay” as “key,” until the day he saw it in writing. Just like with the word “queue” above, remember the Q-U combination. The rest you just have to memorize: U-A-Y is just another tongue twister.
Reason 3: Double consonants are even more challenging.
With words in these group, the difficult thing to spell are the double consonants.
While there are a lot of examples and exceptions to the rules, pronouncing the words correctly will help you spell the words correctly too. The sounds produced by double consonants are elongated. With one exception, all words below have more than one double consonant. So, remember to double up!
11. Accessible (easily reached)
Common misspellings: acessible, accesible and even accesseble
How to remember it: double the C and double the S!
12. Address (the location of a place)
The most common misspelling is, of course, “adress” or “addres.”
To make it easy to remember, recall that to send something somewhere, you need to add the address to your mail!
13. Accommodation (lodgings)
Common misspellings: accomodation, acomodation
It is the M and not the C that gets lost from this wonderful word more often. Don’t forget that both are double consonants!
14. Committee (a group of people formed from a larger group to get something done)
Such a treat to spell, “committee” has double Ms, double Ts and double Es, too!
Common misspellings: comitee, commitee
How to remember it: Committees are groups of people, so make sure to give M, T and E some company!
15. Occasional (occurring only sometimes)
As you can see, double Cs are one of the most common double consonant combinations in the English language. The way this word is most commonly misspelled is “ocasional.”
Think of this word as something occurring on occasion—both words need double Cs!
Reason 4: A word may change its meaning depending on how you spell it.
These words sound absolutely the same, but are spelled differently depending on their meaning.
Misspelling these words is very common among native English speakers, who automatically spell the words one way, while wanting to say something else (sometimes even without realizing it).
The rule to spelling these kinds of words right is memorizing the correct spelling for all of them, then choosing the one you want to use! The difficulty is only in knowing which one is which.
16. & 17. Lose / Loose
Lose means to not win. Loose means something about to detach or not fitting tightly. You lose a game, but your T-shirt is loose, not the other way around.
18. & 19. Weather / Whether
Weather is the natural phenomenon of rain, sunshine, snow and other daily changes in the atmosphere. Whether is a conjunction meaning “if.” Whether the weather is good or bad depends on your mood!
20 & 21. Than / Then
Than is a conjunction and a preposition used to compare and/or contrast two or more things. Then is an adverb meaning “after that.”
For example: If one cake is cheaper than the other, then we are getting the cheap one.
22. & 23. & 24. There / Their / They’re
There is an adverb indicating location. Their is the possessive form of “they.” They’re is a contraction of “they are.” Do not confuse the three!
There is a fun (if a bit naughty) comic by The Oatmeal explaining some of the words above.
Reason 5: Some words are just difficult.
You may have trouble spelling the examples above, but the words below are just hard, period. They may combine difficult consonants with lots of vowels, or be pronounced one way and spelled the other… Some are just difficult to type right. Whatever the case might be, study them and memorize them. You will eventually get there.
25. Privilege (an advantage, an opportunity)
Common misspelling: privelege
How to remember it: I-I followed by E-E.
26. Psychology (the science of the human psyche)
Common misspellings: psichology, sychology
The P is silent, and our friend CH is also here. This is a hard word to spell, so you just have to remember it.
27. Rhythm (a pattern of sound or movement)
Common misspellings: rhytm, rythm
How to remember it: There are two Hs in this word, and only one Y.
28. Separate (standalone)
Common misspelling: seperate
How to remember it: There are two As and two Es, and the As separate the Es.
29. Sincerely (honestly)
Common misspelling: sencerely
How to remember it: E is not the only vowel present in the word. I comes before E in this word, even though the mnemonic does not apply.
30. Definitely (without doubt)
Common misspelling: definately
How to remember it: Think about something finite when spelling this word, since “definitely” puts an end to all arguments!
To sum it up…
These are just some of the examples of many, many English words that are difficult to spell.
Every English learner is unique, so some people will have difficulty with some words but not with the others. You may have your own great examples of tough English words! You may also have to come up with your own ideas and rules on how to remember their correct spellings.
Don’t worry if you spell something wrong. Making spelling mistakes is something that happens to everyone all over the world, even to people who speak English as natives! Take the time to study the correct English spellings of words you use most often, and don’t be afraid to consult a dictionary when in doubt.
Happy spelling!
Download:
This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you
can take anywhere.
Click here to get a copy. (Download)
In English, there are many hard words to spell, but some are more difficult than most. We’ve collected 14 of the most commonly misspelled words you need to learn.
Even native English speakers can struggle with the variations of the English language. That’s why ProWritingAid is such a useful tool for catching the spelling and grammatical errors that can create a poor impression. ProWritingAid can spot differences between American and British spelling rules, find commonly confused words, and help you learn more about the English language.
These 14 words are fiendishly tricky. Using them correctly is a great way to level-up your writing abilities.
Word 1: Accommodate
How Do I Pronounce It?
-
British English: uh·ko·muh·dayt
-
American English: uh·kaa·muh·dayt
What Does It Mean?
- 1: To fit in with the needs or preferences of someone.
- 2: Provide sufficient space for a specific amount of people (typically buildings).
What Type of Word Is It?
- Verb
Example in a Sentence
- The wide doorways accommodate those with limited mobility.
- The holiday home accommodates four people.
How Can I Remember the Spelling?
Accommodate is hard to spell because it can be tricky to remember which letters you need to double. It’s common to see it misspelled as «acommodate,» «accomodate,» and «acomodate».
An easy way to remember that both the «c» and «m» need to be doubled is to think about the meaning of the word. «Accommodate» means making room, so you need to make space for those double letters!
Other Variations of This Word:
- Accommodating: She was very accommodating.
- Accommodated: Students may be accommodated in the halls of residence.
- Accommodation: The accommodation was disappointing.
Word 2: Acquiesce
How Do I Pronounce It?
- British and American English: a·kwee·es
What Does It Mean?
- To accept something without protest but reluctantly.
What Type of Word Is It?
- Verb
Example in a Sentence
- She had to acquiesce to the demands of the business.
How Can I Remember the Spelling?
Acquiesce is a truly challenging word, for native English speakers as well as those learning it as an additional language. The first letter «c» isn’t pronounced, which makes it hard to remember. Then there’s the letter «i» making an «ee» sound. Finally the end «ce» isn’t pronounced at all.
So how can you remember it?
- Queens are born to rule! Remember the «qu» is dominant in this spelling.
- Spot the sound separation between the letters «ie». They are not making the same vowel sound.
- Think of the «sc» spelling in words like «scent» to remember the silent letter «c».
Other Variations of This Word:
- Acquiesced: She finally acquiesced to the request.
- Acquiescing: She would not be acquiescing, no matter what they offered.
- Acquiescent: He was acquiescent.
Word 3: Bureaucracy
How Do I Pronounce It?
- British English: byuor·ro·kruh·see
- US English: byoo·raa·kruh·see
What Does It Mean?
- 1: A system of government in which most important decisions are taken by state officials.
- 2: Excessively complicated administrative procedure (often called «red tape»).
What Type Of Word Is It?
- Noun
Example in a Sentence
- The bureaucracy is divided into departments.
- All this bureaucracy stops us from making decisions.
How Can I Remember the Spelling?
This is a hard word to spell and would have many native English writers reaching for their dictionary.
Splitting the word into two parts can help. The first section «bureau» means an office or department. Look at the «eau» sounds. This is unusual, but it’s also found in the word «beauty.»
At the end of the word, the «cy» is making a «see» sound. That’s commonly used in English; think of words like «emergency,» «frequency,» and «democracy» that all end in the same way.
Other Variations of This Word:
- Bureau: I work for the Citizens Advice Bureau.
- Bureaucratic: This system is too bureaucratic.
- Bureaucrat: We’re fed up with bureaucrats making decisions.
Word 4: Conscientious
How Do I Pronounce It?
- British English: kon·shee·en·shuhs
- American English: kaan·shee·en·shuhs
What Does It Mean?
- 1: Someone who works thoroughly and well.
- 2: Relating to someone’s conscience (moral sense of right and wrong).
What Type Of Word Is It?
- Adjective
Example in a Sentence
- He was a conscientious worker.
- Conscientious objectors refuse to perform military service.
How Can I Remember the Spelling?
This word is difficult to spell because of the combination of vowels used both in the middle and end of the word.
Look at the «scien» part and think about the spelling of the word «science,» but remember they are pronounced differently. The «tious» spelling is one of two ways to spell the «shuhs» sound (the alternative is «cious» as used in «delicious»).
Other Variations of This Word:
- Conscience: The decision weighed on her conscience.
- Conscientiously: The painter was known for working conscientiously.
Word 5: Definitely
How Do I Pronounce It?
- British and American English: deh·fuh·nuht·lee
What Does It Mean?
- Without doubt.
What Type of Word Is It?
- Adverb
Example in a Sentence
- We are definitely going out tonight.
How Can I Remember the Spelling?
This word looks simple enough, but it’s deceptive because the vowels don’t match the pronunciation of the word. You’ll often spot people adding «a» instead of «i» in error.
It’s helpful to look at a word hidden within this one: «finite». The word «finite» means a specific, measurable amount.
Other Variations of This Word:
- Definite: We had definite plans for the weekend.
- Define: The gate defines the park boundary.
- Definitive: We have come to a definitive decision.
Word 6: Embarrass
How Do I Pronounce It?
- British English: ihm·ba·ruhs
- American English: uhm·beh·ruhs
What Does It Mean?
- Make someone feel self-conscious or ashamed.
What Type of Word Is It?
- Verb
Example in a Sentence
- He wanted to embarrass her.
How Can I Remember the Spelling?
Another deceptively simple word, «embarrass» is often misspelled because the vowels sound closer to an «ee» than an «ay.» Add to that the confusion of which letters need to be doubled.
Look at the end of the word and spot the hidden «ass.» The emotion of embarrassment makes you feel like an ass! It definitely helps you remember the spelling too.
Other Variations of This Word:
- Embarrassment: The embarrassment was too much to bear.
- Embarrassing: It was an embarrassing situation.
- Embarrassed: He felt so embarrassed by his mistake.
Word 7: Entrepreneur
How Do I Pronounce It?
- British English: on·truh·pruh·nuh
- US English: aan·truh·pruh·noor
What Does It Mean?
- A person who sets up a business.
What Type of Word Is It?
- Noun
Example in a Sentence
- She was a keen entrepreneur.
How Can I Remember the Spelling?
We often think of the word «entrepreneur» as being a French word, but looking back further into its etymology can help us remember the spelling.
The word «entrepreneur» means «to swim out» and «to capture.» What a great way to describe someone starting out in a new business.
Other Variations of This Word:
- Entrepreneurial: She showed entrepreneurial instincts.
- Entrepreneurship: The booming economy encourages entrepreneurship.
Word 8: Ingenious
How Do I Pronounce It?
- British and American English: ihn·jee·nee·uhs
What Does It Mean?
- 1: A clever or inventive person.
- 2: A clever machine or idea well suited to its purpose.
What Type of Word Is It?
- Adjective
Example in a Sentence
- What an ingenious man he is!
- The machine was ingenious, yet simple.
How Can I Remember the Spelling?
Most people go wrong with the spelling of «ingenious» when they wrongly assume it’s the word «genius» with an «in» at the start. Don’t get tricked out! Remember there’s an «o» there, like in the words, «curious» and «anxious.»
Other Variations of This Word:
- Ingenuity: It will take ingenuity to get the design right.
Word 9: Manoeuvre
How Do I Pronounce It?
- British and American English: muh·noo·vuh
What Does It Mean?
- 1: A movement or series of moves requiring skill and care.
- 2: Large-scale military exercises.
- 3: To move skilfully or carefully.
- 4: To carefully manipulate a person or situation to achieve a desired goal.
What Type of Word Is It?
- Noun
- Verb
Example in a Sentence
- The manoeuvre was challenging.
- The artillery were on manoeuvre.
- She could manoeuvre the box around the corner.
- It was easy to manoeuvre him in the meeting.
How Can I Remember the Spelling?
The French origins of this word make it hard to spell accurately. The middle of the word contains a tricky «oeu» you’ll need to learn. Don’t forget the final «vre» needs you to flip the common «er» ending more often used in American English.
Other Variations of This Word:
- Manoeuvrable: The ship was manoeuvrable despite its size.
Word 10: Mischievous
How Do I Pronounce It?
- British and American English: mis·chuh·vuhs
What Does It Mean?
- Causing or enjoying causing trouble in a playful way.
What Type of Word Is It?
- Adjective
Example in a Sentence
- She was a mischievous child.
How Can I Remember the Spelling?
We can’t blame you for getting this spelling wrong. Originally (up until around 1700 CE) it was also spelled «mischievious» and pronounced slightly differently. You’ll still hear people wrongly saying «mis-CHEE-vee-ous.»
Try remembering the word «chief» to spell the center of this word.
Other Variations of This Word:
- Mischief: He was the source of all mischief.
Word 11: Nauseous
How Do I Pronounce It?
- British English: naw·zee·uhs
- US English: naa·shuhs
What Does It Mean?
- Feeling (or causing one to feel) sick and/ or needing to vomit.
What Type of Word Is It?
- Adjective
Example in a Sentence
- The smell made her feel nauseous.
How Can I Remember the Spelling?
If you speak with a British accent, you’ll find this word much easier to spell as it’s closer to the pronunciation. When you’re writing it, try over-pronouncing the word «naw-SEE-ous» to help you remember the «se» in the middle of the word.
Other Variations of This Word:
- Nausea: A wave of nausea swept over him.
- Nauseated: She felt nauseated just looking at him.
Word 12: Occurrence
How Do I Pronounce It?
- British and American English: uh·kuh·ruhns
What Does It Mean?
- An incident or event.
What Type of Word Is It?
- Noun
Example in a Sentence
- Climate change makes extreme weather a common occurrence.
How Can I Remember the Spelling?
Most people struggle to remember whether they need a «ence» or «ance» ending for this word. Remember it’s a softer sound so you need an «e» rather than an «a.»
You might also trip up over which letters need to be doubled. You’ll need to double both the «c» and the «r» to get it correct.
Other Variations of This Word:
- Occurring: The meeting will be occurring weekly.
Word 13: Questionnaire
How Do I Pronounce It?
- British and American English: kwes·chuh·nehr
What Does It Mean?
- A written set of questions with a choice of answers used for gathering data.
What Type of Word Is It?
- Noun
Example in a Sentence
- They used the questionnaire to collect a range of views.
How Can I Remember the Spelling?
The word question is commonly used, so is generally spelled correctly, but it’s easy to forget the additional «n» before the «aire» ending.
Other Variations of This Word:
- Questionnaires: We wrote several questionnaires.
Word 14: Unnecessary
How Do I Pronounce It?
- British and American English: uhn·neh·suh·seh·ree
What Does It Mean?
- Not needed or excessive.
What Type of Word Is It?
- Adjective
Example in a Sentence
- It was an unnecessary expense.
How Can I Remember the Spelling?
Many people get confused about which letters need to be doubled when you spell «unnecessary,» but there’s an easy mnemonic to help. Say, «one collar and two sleeves» to remember one «c» and two «s.»
Other Variations of This Word:
- Unnecessaries: His income was too limited for many unnecessaries.
Resources for Improving Your Spelling
English is a difficult language to spell because it’s been influenced by so many other languages. You might feel there are more «exceptions to the rule» than words that follow a particular spelling pattern.
These resources are all great ways to improve your English writing skills:
- Vocabulary.com: Learn words using a wide range of question types and systematic practise.
- English Forward: Explore videos and activities for people learning English as an additional language.
- The Spelling Blog: Johanna Stirling’s fascinating blog explores how English works, how to learn it, and how to love it!
Whatever your spelling ability, remember accurate spelling creates a positive impression of your overall competence. It’s worth every effort to make certain it’s correct. And if you’re not sure, ProWritingAid’s comprehensive checker will do the heavy-lifting for you to ensure you always get it right.
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