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Most Misspelled Words
The Top 20 Misspelled Words in English
The first word we need to address is "misspelled." In British English, "misspelt" is an acceptable alternative.Our "Top 20" list is ordered by the number of times the misspellings were Googled in one month. (Where there are two common misspellings, an average was used.)
Position | Correct Spelling | Common Misspelling |
---|---|---|
1 | separate ![]() | seperate ![]() |
2 | calendar ![]() | calender ![]() |
3 | unnecessary ![]() | unecessary ![]() ![]() |
4 | questionnaire ![]() | questionaire ![]() |
5 | accidentally ![]() | accidentaly ![]() |
6 | necessary ![]() | neccessary ![]() |
7 | surprise ![]() | suprise ![]() |
8 | embarrass ![]() | embarass ![]() ![]() |
9 | accommodation ![]() | accomodation ![]() ![]() |
10 | receive ![]() | recieve ![]() |
11 | weird ![]() | wierd ![]() |
12 | definitely ![]() | definately ![]() |
13 | business ![]() | buisness ![]() |
14 | independent ![]() | independant ![]() |
15 | tattoo ![]() | tatoo ![]() |
16 | beginning ![]() | begining ![]() |
17 | absence ![]() | absense ![]() ![]() |
18 | acknowledge ![]() | acknowlege ![]() ![]() |
19 | diarrhoea ![]() | diarrea ![]() ![]() |
20 | conscience ![]() | conscence ![]() ![]() |
Table of Contents
- Why Is Spelling So Hard in English?
- How To Fix Spelling Mistakes
- The Top Ten Most Misspelled Words
- Printable Test
- Learn with Hangman!
Why Is Spelling So Hard in English?
Here are the five most common causes of spelling mistakes.(1) Inconsistency with Vowels
In English, the sounds of the vowels are inconsistent, and this is a main cause of spelling mistakes. Here are some examples that highlight the inconsistency of vowel sounds:inconsistent vowels | |
---|---|
finite | definite |
bead | bread |
tree | puree |
said | braid |
lose | close |
woman | women |
(2) Lack of Clarity with Vowels
In many English words, it is unclear which vowel features in one or more of the syllables. Often, the vowel sounds like a short "uh" sound, leaving the writer guessing which vowel made that sound. (This short "uh" sound is called a schwa. It is represented by this symbol ə, i.e., an upside down "e".)In these examples, the bold vowels sound like schwas:
vowel | vowel as a schwa |
---|---|
a | salad , alphabet , thousand |
e | elephant , taken , item |
i | animal , cousin , pencil |
o | bottom , dinosaur , phantom |
u | rhombus , upon , supply |
(3) Spelling Inconsistency with Consonants
As a rule, the sounds of the consonants are more consistent, but not always. For example:inconsistent consonants | |
---|---|
lose | loose |
desperate | desert |
give | ginger |
mentor | mention |
silent consonants |
---|
knife |
gnome |
pneumatic |
(4) Typing Errors
Typing errors are another common cause of misspelling. Typically, with typing errors, the letters are transposed (e.g., "teh" instead of "the" or "becuase" instead of "because").(5) Homophones and Near Homophones
Homophones are words that sound the same but have different meanings. For example:homophones | |
---|---|
aid | aide |
altar | alter |
awe | oar |
bear | bare |
break | brake |
chord | cord |
- John has strong principals, and he refuses to perform this task.
How To Fix Spelling Mistakes
Here are two useful techniques to improve your spelling:(1) Tell Yourself a Story
Word | "Story" |
---|---|
rhythm | r + helps your two hips move |
separate | There's "a rat" in separate |
accommodation | There is enough accommodation for 2 Cs, 2 Ms, and 3 Os. |
(2) Break the Word Down
To help with spelling, break the word down into prefixes, root words, and suffixes.Prefix | Root Word | Suffix | Correct Spelling |
---|---|---|---|
mis- | spell | -ing | misspelling |
dis- | respect | -ful -ly | disrespectfully |
The Top Ten Most Misspelled Words

Help Us Improve Grammar Monster
- Do you disagree with something on this page?
- Did you spot a typo?
Learn with Hangman!
Hangman is a classic word game. In this version, the hidden word is always a commonly misspelled word (but not necessarily from our "Top 20" list). Choose your first letter to start.

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