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Commonly misspelled words

1,231 everyday misspellings of 670 words, each with the correct spelling, the reason people get it wrong and a memory trick that makes the right version stick.

Words
670
Misspellings
1,231
Checked against
4 word lists

Check a spelling

Type a word to see whether it's spelled correctly or is a common misspelling.

See all 24 featured misspellings

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See all 1,231 misspellings
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

The first 100 of 1,231, alphabetically:

Next 100 misspellingsAll 13 pages

How to use the misspellings library

Every entry pairs a correct spelling with one of its common misspellings. Open a pair to see the two versions side by side, letter by letter, with the troublesome letters highlighted. Below that you'll find a short memory tip, an explanation of what trips people up, the word's meaning from WordNet and example sentences showing it in use.

Six patterns behind most spelling mistakes

  • Double letters you can't hear. Accommodate, embarrass and millennium all double two different letters, but you would never know from saying them aloud.
  • The schwa. Unstressed vowels collapse into the same soft "uh", so separate becomes "seperate" and definitely becomes "definately". Linking the word to a relative helps: finite is inside definitely.
  • I before E. The rhyme works for believe and receive, then fails for weird, seize and leisure. Learn the exceptions as a small group.
  • Endings that sound alike. -able and -ible, -ance and -ence, -ant and -ent are pronounced identically. A related word often settles it: independence and independent both use E.
  • Silent letters. The N in column, the H in rhythm and the P in pneumonia are invisible to the ear. Say them deliberately when you practice.
  • Suffix rules. Drop the final E before a vowel suffix (make → making) unless it keeps a C or G soft (noticeable, changeable). Keep it before a consonant suffix (complete → completely), with a few exceptions such as argument and truly.

Spelling and word games

Spelling matters on the board too: a misspelled word is invalid in Scrabble or Words With Friends. When you're unsure, check it with the word checker or look it up in the dictionary. For grammar rather than spelling, see our affect vs effect and their, there and they're lessons.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most commonly misspelled word in English?
Lists vary, but a handful turn up on nearly every survey: definitely, separate, accommodate, receive and a lot. What they share is a sound that does not match its spelling: an unstressed vowel, a double letter you cannot hear, or an "ie/ei" pair.
How do you check whether a word is spelled correctly?
Type it into the checker at the top of this page. If it is a known misspelling we show the correct form and a memory tip; if it is a real word we link to its definition; if we cannot find it we suggest the closest correct spellings.
Do you list British or American spellings?
Our pages use American spelling as the headword and mention the British form where it differs, as with license and licence or neighbor and neighbour. A spelling that is correct on either side of the Atlantic is never marked as wrong.
Why is a misspelling marked incorrect if a dictionary lists it?
It is not. Before a misspelling goes into the library we check it against the TWL, Collins and ENABLE word lists and our combined English list. If any of them accepts it, we leave that pair out. Calender, for example, is a real word for a pressing machine.