Spelling can be challenging with certain words like "receipt," "yacht," "necessary," and even "restaurant" posing difficulty. Let's explore different types of words that are hard to spell.
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Table of contents
🤫 Words with silent letters
ᄔ Words with repeated letters
👂 Homophones and near-homophones
㍳ Words with groups of vowels
🇫🇷 French-borrowed words
🧐 Irregular spellings
🐍 Long and uncommon words
Words with silent letters
These words include letters that are not pronounced but affect the word's spelling.
- Wednesday: Despite being pronounced "Wenz-day," the spelling retains the silent "d."
- Colonel: The pronunciation "kernel" can trip up spellers due to the unusual spelling.
- Receipt: The "p" is silent in this word, leading to misspellings.
- Subtle: This word, meaning delicate or understated, has a silent "b" that can be easily overlooked. Other words with silent "b"s include "doubt," "debt," "comb," "limb," "thumb," "numb," "plumber," "bomb," and "climb."
- Knife: The silent "k" at the beginning does not affect the pronunciation. The silent "k" is featured in other words like "know," "knock," "knee," knock," knit," "knight," and "knowledge."
- Mortgage: The silent "t" in this word is often overlooked. Other words with silent "t"s include "often," "listen," "soften," "castle," "whistle," "glisten," "fasten," and "bustle."
- Hour: The "h" is silent in this word, making it tricky to spell. Other common words that start with a silent "h" include "honest," "heir," "honor," and "herb" (US English).
- Psychology: The silent "p" at the beginning can trip up spellers. Other words that start with silent "p"s include "pseudo," "pneumonia," "psychopath," and "psychiatrist."
- Gnome: Gnome is often challenging to spell due to the silent "g." Other words with silent "g"s include "gnat" and "gnaw."
Words with repeated letters
These words are confusing to spell because of their repeated letters.
- Tomorrow: The double "r" can be easily overlooked, and many may mistakenly think there is a double "m" in the word.
- Necessary: The double "s" can make this word tricky to spell. People also often accidentally misspell the word with a double "c."
- Accommodation: The double "m" and double "c" can cause confusion. Many spell it with just one "m" or one "c."
- Occasion: The double "c" can be challenging to remember. Many writers accidentally spell the word with a double "s."
- Embarrass: The double "r" and double "s" can trip up spellers.
- Millennial: The double "l" and double "n" can make the word confusing to spell.
- Occurrence: With two "c"s and two "r"s, the word can easily be misspelled.
- Committee: The double "m," "t," and "e" can be easily be misspelled.
- Exaggerate: The double "g" can make this word tricky to spell.
- Possession: The four "s"s can cause confusion among spellers.
- Miscellaneous: The double "l" can make this word tricky to spell.
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Homophones and near-homophones
Words that sound similar but are spelled differently pose challenges for spelling.
- Their/There/They're: These homophones are commonly confused, each having a distinct meaning and spelling.
- Your/You're: Another pair of homophones, "your" indicates possession, while "you're" is a contraction for "you are."
- Its/It's: Similar to the previous example, "its" denotes possession, while "it's" is a contraction of "it is" or "it has."
- To/Too/Two: "To" is a preposition, "too" means "also" or "excessively," and "two" is the number 2.
- Here/Hear: "Here" refers to a location, while "hear" means to perceive sound.
- Allowed/Aloud: "Allowed" means permitted, whereas "aloud" means out loud or audibly.
- Weather/Whether: "Weather" refers to atmospheric conditions, while "whether" is used to introduce alternatives or possibilities.
- Bare/Bear: "Bare" means uncovered or naked, while "bear" refers to the large mammal or to tolerate.
- Piece/Peace: "Piece" denotes a part or portion, while "peace" refers to a state of tranquility or harmony.
- Principle/Principal: "Principle" refers to a fundamental truth or belief, while "principal" can mean a chief person or the main amount in a financial transaction.
- Stationary/Stationery: "Stationary" means not moving, while "stationery" refers to writing materials.
- Threw/Through: "Threw" is the past tense of "throw," while "through" means from one end to another or finished.
- Desert/Dessert: "Desert" is a dry, sandy area, while "dessert" is a sweet course served at the end of a meal.
Words with groups of vowels
- Beautiful: The order of the consecutive vowels "e-a-u" can be challenging to remember.
- Restaurant: The consecutive vowels "a-u" make this word tricky to spell, especially because the spelling is not intutive when you hear the pronunciation of the word.
- Queue: The consecutive vowels "u-e-u-e" can cause confusion.
- Nauseous: The consecutive vowels "a-u" and "e-o-u" can be difficult to remember and spell.
- Conscious: The consecutive vowels "i-o-u" can trip up spellers.
- Conscientious: The consecutive vowels "i-e" and "i-o-u" make this word challenging to spell. On top of that "conscientious" is often confused with the word "conscious."
- Liaison: The consecutive vowels "i-a-i" can cause confusion among spellers.
- Reign: The consecutive vowels "e-i" can be tricky to spell correctly.
French-borrowed words
English borrows extensively from French, leading to words with unconventional spellings compared to their pronunciation. Examples include:
- Entrepreneur: This word, meaning a person who starts a business, features silent letters and a complex arrangement of vowels.
- Rendezvous: A meeting or gathering, this word contains silent letters and a tricky pronunciation.
- Déjà vu: Often used to describe the feeling of having experienced something before, the accents and French origin make this phrase challenging to spell.
- Debris: Refering to scattered pieces of waste, debris has a silent "s" at the end which can be confusing. French words have a tendency to have consonants at the end that are silent.
- Fiancé/Fiancée: These words refer to a man or woman engaged to be married, respectively. The accents and French gender differentiation can make these words challenging to spell.
- Souvenir: Meaning a memento or keepsake, this word contains silent letters and a pronunciation that may not align with its spelling.
- Cliché: A term used to describe an overused phrase or idea, the accent and unusual spelling can pose difficulties for both native and non-native speakers.
- Résumé: This word refers to a summary of one's work experience and qualifications, featuring accents and a unique pronunciation. The word is often spelled without the accents in the US.
- Décor: Meaning the style or arrangement of furnishings and decorations, this word features a silent letter and accent.
- Naïve: Used to describe someone lacking experience or sophistication, the accent and placement of the umlaut can make this word challenging to spell.
- Encore: Often used to request an additional performance or repetition, the spelling of the word is not intuitive and challenging to spell.
- Café: Meaning a small restaurant where coffee and light meals are served, the accent on the "e" and the unique pronunciation of the word can pose challenges in spelling it correctly.
- Façade: Used to describe a false appearance, the silent "c" in the middle are common sources of misspelling.
- Faux: Meaning artificial or take, "faux" features a silent "x" and the "au" sound may not be intuitive.
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Irregular spellings
Certain words do not follow conventional spelling rules, making them challenging to spell correctly:
- Weird: The "ei" placement is irregular compared to other words with similar sounds and spelling.
- Yacht: This word, denoting a recreational boat, features a "ch" combination that differs from typical pronunciation rules.
- Bologna: The silent "g" and irregular vowel pronunciation make this word challenging to spell.
- Rhythm: With its many consonants and lack of vowels, the spelling of "rhythm" can confuse spellers.
- February: The "r" comes before the "u," which is counterintuitive.
- Library: The irregular placement of the "r" and "a" in relation to their pronunciation can make this word difficult to spell.
Long and uncommon words
Some words are challenging simply due to their length or uncommon usage:
- Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis: One of the longest words in English, it refers to a lung disease caused by inhaling very fine ash and sand dust.
- Antidisestablishmentarianism: This word describes opposition to the disestablishment of a state church, featuring numerous syllables and letters.
Why are English words so hard to spell?
English is a language with a rich and diverse history, influenced by various cultures, languages, and historical events. As a result, its vocabulary comprises words with origins from Germanic, Latin, French, and other languages, each bringing its own spelling conventions and pronunciation rules. Additionally, the evolution of English has led to inconsistencies in spelling, with words often retaining their historical spellings despite changes in pronunciation over time. Because English borrows extensively from other languages, we are left with words with non-phonetic spellings and silent letters. These factors contribute to the complexity of English spelling, making it challenging for both native speakers and learners to master.
Mastering the spelling of these and other challenging words requires practice, patience, and a keen eye for detail. While spell checkers can assist, understanding the patterns and origins of difficult words can enhance one's spelling proficiency.
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