{"id":222,"date":"2018-11-05T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-11-04T20:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/log.cudoo.com\/2018\/03\/11\/how-to-avoid-the-10-most-misspelled-words-in-the-english-language\/"},"modified":"2022-10-12T16:36:15","modified_gmt":"2022-10-12T12:36:15","slug":"how-to-avoid-the-ten-most-misspelled-words-in-the-english-language","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cudoo.com\/blog\/how-to-avoid-the-ten-most-misspelled-words-in-the-english-language\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Avoid the Ten Most Misspelled Words in the English Language"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Some of you will be wondering isn&#8217;t <em>&#8220;misspelled&#8221;<\/em> misspelt, which makes this a bit of an interesting post. Actually, both are correct!<!--more--><\/p>\n<p>British English uses <em>&#8220;misspelt&#8221;<\/em> (the original) whereas American English uses <em>&#8220;misspelled&#8221;<\/em> (changed over time).\u00a0That&#8217;s why we have put together the <em>&#8216;Ten Most Misspelled Words in the English Language&#8217; <\/em>for the sneakiest spelling traps!<\/p>\n<p>A language is made of twists and turns, and more often than not, it manages to fool us with grammatical and spelling rules. Tough when we are trying to learn English! These linguistic regulations have their own club, and however confusing they may be, they cannot be changed, we can only accept, learn and remember if we want to join the club.<\/p>\n<p>Check out\u00a0below the top ten most common spelling mistakes people make when speaking or <a href=\"https:\/\/cudoo.com\/products\/professional-development\/advanced-writing-skills\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">writing in English<\/a>. Some of these will be obvious to you, others may be surprising, but the bottom line is we need to know these mischievous words.<\/p>\n<h2>1:\u00a0The famous they&#8217;re \/ there \/ their<\/h2>\n<p>These three words have different spellings, different meanings, and are used in different contexts but they all sound the same! Arrgh&#8230;.this is Mission Impossible! <strong>Hint:<\/strong> Remember the context in which each word is used:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>They\u2019re<\/em> is short for <em>they are<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>There<\/em> is to describe a location, like <em>here<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Their <\/em>describes possession for a group of people, similar to <em>his<\/em>, <em>her, our<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This type of mistake is also made with the words <em>you\u2019re <\/em>and <em>your<\/em>. Remember, <em>you\u2019re<\/em> is short for <em>you are<\/em> and <em>your <\/em>is belonging to you.<\/p>\n<h2>2: <em>i<\/em> before <em>e<\/em>, except after <em>c<\/em> rule<\/h2>\n<p>Except, except, except&#8230; This rule only applies for words with the sound \u2018ee\u2019, such as <em>achieve<\/em>, <em>believe<\/em>, <em>piece<\/em>, <em>thief<\/em>, <em>chief<\/em>, <em>priest<\/em> and <em>yield<\/em>. However, if the sound comes after the letter <em>c<\/em>, <em>e<\/em> is usually placed before <em>i<\/em>. This is applied on the following words: <em>ceiling, deceive, perceive, receive, receipt<\/em>. However, the <a href=\"https:\/\/cudoo.com\/learn-english-online\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">English language<\/a> has a mind of its own, and this rule includes many \u201c<em>weird<\/em>\u201d exceptions: <em>caffeine<\/em>, <em>codeine<\/em>, <em>foreign<\/em>, <em>forfeit<\/em>, <em>leisure<\/em>, <em>neither<\/em>, <em>seize<\/em>, \u2026 And to make the rules even more confusing, certain words have <em>ie<\/em> after <em>c\u2026 <\/em>to name a few,<em> ancient<\/em>, <em>conscience<\/em>, <em>efficient<\/em>, <em>sufficient<\/em>\u2026 <strong>Hint:<\/strong> Use the rule as a general guide in most cases and learn the exceptions!<\/p>\n<h2>3:\u00a0The <em>e<\/em> before suffix rule<\/h2>\n<p>One of the simplest rules, as it has very few exceptions. Phew! The rule goes as follows:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Remove the final <em>e<\/em> before a suffix that begins with a vowel (a, e, i, o, u): <em>ride <\/em>-&gt; <em>riding<\/em>; <em>hope<\/em> -&gt; <em>hoping<\/em>; <em>guide<\/em> -&gt; <em>guidance<\/em>;<\/li>\n<li>Keep the final <em>e <\/em>before a suffix starting with a consonant: <em>care<\/em> -&gt; <em>careful<\/em>; <em>use<\/em> -&gt; <em>useless<\/em>; <em>peace<\/em> -&gt; <em>peaceful<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Keep the final <em>e<\/em> before a suffix, when the root word ends in \u2018ee\u2019 or \u2018ye\u2019: <em>agree<\/em> -&gt; <em>agreeing<\/em>; <em>guarantee<\/em> -&gt; <em>guaranteeing<\/em>; <em>eye<\/em> -&gt; <em>eyeing<\/em><\/li>\n<li>If the root word ends in \u2018ge\u2019 or \u2018ce\u2019, and the suffix is either \u2018able\u2019 or \u2018ous, the letter <em>e<\/em> is kept: <em>notice<\/em> -&gt; <em>noticeable<\/em>; <em>outrage<\/em> -&gt; <em>outrageous<\/em>;<\/li>\n<li>Keep the <em>e<\/em> if the suffix is \u2018-ment\u2019 <em>advertise<\/em> -&gt; <em>advertisement<\/em>; <em>involve<\/em> -&gt; <em>involvement<\/em>; <em>replace <\/em>-&gt; <em>replacement<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><a href=\"https:\/\/cudoo.com\/products\/premium\/tefl-certification-online-course\/?utm_source=tyl&amp;utm_medium=banner&amp;utm_campaign=tefl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-6324 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/cudoo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Copy-of-TEFL-Certificate-1-1024x536.png\" alt=\"TEFL Certificate\" width=\"720\" height=\"377\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cudoo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Copy-of-TEFL-Certificate-1-1024x536.png 1024w, https:\/\/cudoo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Copy-of-TEFL-Certificate-1-343x180.png 343w, https:\/\/cudoo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Copy-of-TEFL-Certificate-1-768x402.png 768w, https:\/\/cudoo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Copy-of-TEFL-Certificate-1-100x52.png 100w, https:\/\/cudoo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Copy-of-TEFL-Certificate-1-720x377.png 720w, https:\/\/cudoo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Copy-of-TEFL-Certificate-1-580x304.png 580w, https:\/\/cudoo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Copy-of-TEFL-Certificate-1-320x167.png 320w, https:\/\/cudoo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Copy-of-TEFL-Certificate-1.png 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a>4:\u00a0<em>Effect \/ Affect<\/em>\u00a0rule<\/h2>\n<p>Easy rule to learn!<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Effect<\/em> is a <strong>noun <\/strong>meaning \u2018a result\u2019: \u2018<em>The rain had no effect on the show\u2019.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Affect<\/em> is a <strong>verb<\/strong> meaning \u2018to influence on\u2019: \u2018<em>The rain didn\u2019t affect the show\u2019.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>5:\u00a0The suffixes<em> &#8211; ant \/ -ent<\/em>\u00a0rule<\/h2>\n<p>They are frequently mistaken because they both sound the same. This is a tricky one as there is no rule! Just remember:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>If the suffix can be &#8211;<em>ment<\/em>, then the end of the word is spelt<em> \u2013ent<\/em>:<em> management<\/em>, <em>agreement<\/em>, <em>placement<\/em>, etc<\/li>\n<li>For the rest, you must rely on your memory! The most common mistake with this rule is with the word <em>independ<u>e<\/u>nt.<\/em> It has <em>e<\/em>, not <em>a<\/em>!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>6:\u00a0<strong>Defin<span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">i<\/span>tely<\/strong> the right spelling<\/h2>\n<p>On the same lines as the previous rule, the letter <em>a <\/em>often sneaks in the word <em>definitely<\/em>. Remember it\u2019s <em>defin<span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">i<\/span><\/strong><\/span>t<\/em>e<em>ly, <\/em>not<span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\"> definately<\/span>.<\/p>\n<h2>7:\u00a0<strong>Sep<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">a<\/span>rating <\/strong>out the great spellers<\/h2>\n<p>Another all time favorite word for people to get wrong!\u00a0It\u2019s <em>sep<strong><u>a<\/u><\/strong>rate<\/em>, and not <span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">seperate<\/span>! A great way to remember is: S<strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">e<\/span><\/strong>p<strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">a<\/span><\/strong>r<strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">a<\/span><\/strong>t<strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">e<\/span> <\/strong>is just \u201c2 eas -y\u201d i.e. 2 x <strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">e<\/span> <\/strong>and 2 x <strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">a<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>8: Double Trouble &#8211; the double consonant rule<\/h2>\n<p>In words such as <em>accommodate,<\/em> <em>embarrassment<\/em> and <em>misspell<\/em>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>a<strong><u>cc<\/u><\/strong>o<strong><u>mm<\/u><\/strong>odate<\/em>: remember, <strong>2 C\u2019s<\/strong> and <strong>2 M\u2019s<\/strong>. The world is big enough to accommodate two C\u2019s and two M\u2019s!<\/li>\n<li><em>emba<strong>rr<\/strong>a<strong>ss<\/strong>ment<\/em>: remember, <strong>2 R\u2019s<\/strong> and <strong>2 M\u2019s<\/strong>. Avoid the embarrassment, and don\u2019t forget to put two R\u2019s and two M\u2019s!<\/li>\n<li>mi<strong>ss<\/strong>pe<strong>ll<\/strong>: how embarrassing to misspell the word describing the problem? Remember to cut the word in half: it\u2019s mis + spell. Easy!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>9:\u00a0January, Fe<strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">bru<\/span><\/strong>ary..<\/h2>\n<p>Yes, this word is a trap. Some people know that the word contains the letters <em>R<\/em> and a <em>U<\/em> somewhere, but are unsure of their positions; and others don\u2019t know at all.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>So, to make it clear for everybody, straight after \u2018Feb\u2019, stick an <em>R<\/em> and a <em>U, <\/em>and finish off the word as planned.<\/li>\n<li>It\u2019s F-e-b-<strong><u>r<\/u><\/strong>&#8211;<strong><u>u<\/u><\/strong>-a-r-y. Not <span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">Febuary<\/span>, not <span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">Febrary<\/span> and definitely\u00a0not <span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">Febryuary<\/span>!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>10:\u00a0Not <span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">a lot<\/span> left &#8211; last rule coming up<\/h2>\n<p>There are <strong>a lot<\/strong> of people that make this mistake, and write it as one word.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>It\u2019s not <span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">alot<\/span>, it\u2019s <strong><em>a lot<\/em><\/strong>. They are two <strong>sep<span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">a<\/span>rate words<\/strong>, so remember to put a space.<\/li>\n<li>If you think about it, the same rule applies to <em>a little<\/em>, <em>a bunch<\/em> and <em>a chicken wing<\/em>!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Now you know how to avoid the 10 most common spelling mistakes that are made often while speaking or writing in the English language.<\/p>\n<p>So there you have it! Ten <strong>BIG<\/strong> mistakes that many people make every day, including native English speakers, so we are not alone! Unfortunately, they also make a <strong>BIG<\/strong> impression. So keep a watchful eye, think twice and always check the dictionary; it\u2019s a small detail that makes a big difference!<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Can you think of any other words in English that people often get it wrong? Let us know in the comments below:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Some of you will be wondering isn&#8217;t &#8220;misspelled&#8221; misspelt, which makes this a bit of an interesting post. Actually, both are correct!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":37,"featured_media":1765,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,7],"tags":[],"yst_prominent_words":[817,1354,1353,56,798,813,811,810,77,818,814,808,809,812,1356,1355,816,366,815,60],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cudoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/222"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cudoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cudoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cudoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/37"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cudoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=222"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/cudoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/222\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6336,"href":"https:\/\/cudoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/222\/revisions\/6336"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cudoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1765"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cudoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=222"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cudoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=222"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cudoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=222"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cudoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=222"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}