Last updated: May 10, 2017 at 15:57 pm
English spelling is neither simple nor straightforward. We write “come” but “hum”. Sometimes, we can get confused as to whether we need a single or a double consonant, because no fixed rule seems to govern them. Then there’s the problem of silent letters and words borrowed from foreign language. Yes, English spelling demands that you mind your Ps and Qs.
Here’s a list of the most commonly misspelled words in the English Language. It is recommended that you master these words by heart in order to avoid the potential stumbling blocks to your ink-on-paper flow.
its
it’s
off
of
know
holiday
planned
mine
mind
week
weak
crystal
until
all right
whose
lightning
lighting
were
where
their
there
they’re
can’t
doesn’t
too
root
route
siege
seize
cafeteria
sincerely
new
knew
swimming
coming
beginning
hoping
hopping
dining
dinning
minutes
across
truly
women
I’ll
aisle
let’s
don’t
aren’t
collegiate
everybody
fourth
forty
ninety
ninth
nineteen
interest
which
sandwich
then
than
goodbye
I’m
doctor
though
thought
theirs
coming
surprise
lose
loose
government
he’s
month
parliament
built
applied
hungry
here
hear
beach
while
wheel
friend
skiing
exhibition
develop
postpone
convenience
who’s
freight
mischievous
icy
Britain
passed
past
whether
choose
chosen
lead
led
prairie
practise
practice
rhubarb
gymnasium
wholly
drowned
likelihood
livelihood
coarse
course
judgment
foreign
forfeit
behavior
tomato
hygiene
sufficient
automobile
remember
child’s
children’s
man’s
men’s
woman’s
women’s
lady’s
ladies’
city’s
cities’
people’s
country’s
countries’
valley’s
valleys’
desert
dessert
Indian
captain
moccasin
tobacco
arithmetic
hearth
accept
decent
descent
changeable
breath
breathe
benefited
believe
writing
written
February
recommend
quiet
quit
quite
parallel
install
grammar
literature
disappear
disappoint
dissatisfy
fierce
neither
piece
peace
schedule
stomach
similar
familiar
waste
waist
shiny
proceed
bicycle
biscuit
chief
college
ledge
legible
colonel
corps
canvas
calendar
criticize
conscience
accommodate
commission
cough
angel
angle
chance
already
watch
all ready
already
altogether
bazaar
been
wharf
beautiful
plentiful
cement
fidget
warehouse
conceit
leisure
seems
busy
carriage
chamois
chauffeur
maritime
comparative
permissible
consistent
definite
despair
destroy
rhythm
vegetable
vaccinate
vacuum
therefore
forward
torture
pursuit
serge
surge
necessary
length
height
eighth
island
mortgage
scheme
strategy
tragedy
site
does
lieutenant
license
exercise
indelible
initial
bologna
banana
misspell
facsimile
luscious
curable
excitable
serviceable
accept
except
motor
mortar
mortal
morsel
hundred
speak
speech
gauge
gauze
guarantee
counterfeit
council
counsel
dying
dyeing
mileage
hoeing
pierce
business
hoard
horde
sausage
lesson
lessen
any
prophesy
prophecy
profit
cemetery
ceiling
verandah
wrestle
timing
wrapped
majestic
lath
lathe
cease
genuine
stationery
stationary
drought
draught
ought
affairs
cereal
serial
noiseless
wrought
rotten
advertisement
chaos
disastrous
boundary
foundry
Nanaimo
Chatham
Sault Ste. Marie
Weyburn
Belleville
Port Colborne
Cobourg
Levis
Orillia
Amherst
Guelph
Kitchen
Timmins
Thorold
Kelowna
Vancouver
New Westminster
Edmonton
Saskatchewan
Saskatoon
Winnipeg
Montreal
St.Hyacinthe
Moncton
Fredericton
Regina
Carlottetown
Sydney
St. John’s
Labrador
carpenter
liniment
racket
referee
raspberry
collar
electrician
magnificent
legend
myth
summary
passenger
recreation
center
center
area
tariff
by-law
valuable
perform
planning
preferred
preference
accidentally
wooden
woolen
threw
maintenance
enamel
program
through
daily
gaily
sanitary
yacht
laboratory
scorched
laundry
committed
admittance
superintendent
thermometer
annual
switchboard
catalogue
crescent
antique
acquire
automatically
sewer
temperature
welfare
assistants
assistance
principal
principle
emergency
approximately
nutritious
fixture
hydrant
garage
minimum
grateful
greatly
ache
representative
eligible
irresistible
irritable
agency
existence
particular
opponent
equation
athlete
appropriate
technical
central
film
pamphlet
advice
advise
slaughter
professor
affect
effect
tonnage
remit
remitted
finally
adjacent
facilities
sheriff
sinew
feature
swollen
pronounce
noun
pronunciation
structure
director
desirable
independent
scream
says
pretty
permanent
architect
extension
excellent
associate
analyze
privilege
repetition
concrete
generally
quality
competitive
competent
appreciate
committee
fuel
dipped
trial
trail
paid
Tuesday
Wednesday
experience
publicity
hydro-electric
library
qualified
quantities
stopped
villain
watt
prove
especially
stricken
striking
stripped
striped
veteran
veterinary
vehicle
genius
cheque
human
humane
broken
feud
eliminate
embarrass
official
stretch
prejudice
making
odour
losing
loosening
fiery
lever
fever
usually
sentence
league
lacrosse
soccer
rugby
baseball
hockey
pennant
baited
batted
beating
betting
pitcher
mitt
cleats
sweater
field
goal
gaol
tripped
major
average
ankle
knee
forehead
strike
struck
foul
slipped
relief
tongue
fatigue
faults
err
knick-knack
foliage
foolish
rough
really
hustle
later
anxious
tackle
canoeing
cheated
grievous
troupe
suite
linen
lining
heater
whirl
whipping
quarrel
barrel
marital
marshal
know
surely
faucet
murmur
treacherous
tiled
rinse
robin
tassel
orchid
fastener
collie
plumb
salve
clever
cleaver
gnaw
pneumonia
