Spell it if you can

10 words you are probably spelling wrong—and why

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English is far from easy—even native speakers stumble over it! With roots in multiple languages, countless borrowed words, and a wealth of silent letters, English spelling is rarely straightforward. So, don’t feel bad if you often slip up on one of these 10 common spelling mistakes—it’s not entirely your fault. Check to see if you’ve been misspelling any of these words, or just brush up on what you already know!

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Common misspellings: Beauracracy, burocracy

With double vowels, a silent "e," and an unconventional ending, "bureaucracy" has tripped up spellers for centuries. It originates from the French word bureau, which means "desk," and was later adopted into English with the suffix -cracy, from the Greek kratos, meaning power or authority.

The main issue with this word is that, unlike similar terms like democracy, it retains the French "eau" instead of the more common linking of an "o." With such complicated spelling, we can confidently say that it fits its meaning.

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Common misspelling: Mispell

Ah, the irony! Not even "misspell" is safe from its own definition. The origin of this word lies in combining the prefix "mis-," meaning "wrong," with "spell," thus resulting in a letter repetition in the middle. Many miss the double "s" simply because they’re unfamiliar with the rule or feel that one "s" is enough (let’s be frank, maybe it should!).

This common error highlights a key spelling challenge in English: we often use prefixes like "mis-" or "dis-" that create doubled letters when combined with words starting with "s-," but the rules can sometimes be confusing, leading to embarrassing typos—especially for a word about spelling!

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Common misspelling: Pharoah

With silent letters and an unusual "ph" sound, "Pharaoh" is a notorious spelling challenge that many struggle to get right. Originating from the Egyptian word pr-’o, meaning "great house," it underwent several transformations through Greek and Latin before being incorporated into English.

However, unless you're familiar with Ancient Egypt’s monarchy, you can probably be excused for getting this one wrong.

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Common misspelling: Acomodate

Double letters are one of the usual suspects in English spelling—if you're not paying attention, you can easily miss a letter or add one where it isn’t necessary. In this case, the double "c" and "m" in "accommodate" trip up spellers constantly.

The word comes from the Latin accommodare, meaning "to make fit," and it retained its doubling when it entered English. To help remember the correct spelling, think of it as if the extra Cs and Ms need "accommodating" inside the word.

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Common misspelling: Questionair

The term "questionnaire" comes from the French questionnaire and means any type of survey or form that collects responses—just like in English.

Again, the tricky double "n" in "questionnaire" is what throws many off, and to make matters worse, the "e" ending is also quite unusual. Borrowed unchanged from French, this word retained its original structure, which explains its peculiar spelling.

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Common misspellings: Miscellanious, micellaneous

This word’s many vowels and the hard-to-place "s" make it inherently difficult to spell. Derived from Latin miscere, meaning "to mix," "miscellaneous" actually follows Latin word-building conventions, resulting in a challenging combination of letters.

Due to its unconventional vowel usage, length, and Latin phonetics, "miscellaneous" often catches people off guard.

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Common misspelling: Consciencious

"Conscientious" describes someone who’s meticulous or morally aware—a fittingly difficult word for a complex concept. This word blends the Latin roots conscire (to know) and scientia (knowledge), leading to an uncommon combination of "sci" and "tious" in the same word, which often makes it tough to spell.

As with many words that follow non-English spelling norms, it’s surprisingly easy to misspell!

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Common misspelling: Aceptable

"Acceptable" is often misspelled with only one "c," becoming "aceptable" (unacceptable, isn’t it?). Meaning "agreeable" or "satisfactory," "acceptable" follows a Latin-inspired spelling convention that doubles consonants.

The correct spelling comes from the Latin acceptabilis, meaning "worthy of acceptance." It’s the tricky double "c" that most frequently trips people up.

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Common misspelling: Rendevous

A French import, "rendezvous" retains its original spelling, which—naturally—doesn’t follow English phonetics. That would be too easy, wouldn’t it?

Originally a military term for a designated meeting point, this challenging word has a sneaky "z" right in the middle, and a silent "s" at the end, challenging spellers with its unexpected letter arrangement.

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Common misspelling: Cemetary

"Cemetery" is deceptively simple, yet often misspelled with an "a" as "cemetary." The confusion stems from other English words like "elementary" and "commentary" that follow a similar sound pattern but use the "-ary" suffix instead of "-ery."

This term comes from the Greek koimeterion, meaning "sleeping place," via Latin. Despite its somber meaning, it’s one of the most commonly misspelled words.

STRANGER THAN FICTION

10 Writers With Lives Crazier Than Their Fiction

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Writers are known to often draw inspiration from life’s intricacies, but some authors have lived lives so adventurous that they could easily rival the most imaginative works of fiction.

From scandalous affairs to dangerous jobs, here are 10 world-famous writers whose rich life stories make some of their fiction pale in comparison.

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One of the first American authors to become worldwide famous and earn a large fortune from his writing, Jack London experienced in one lifetime what few could accomplish in ten. Born into a working-class family, he had to fend for himself from a young age, and by the age of 13, he was already working as an oyster poacher on San Francisco Bay. Venturing further into the wilds of life, he joined the Klondike Gold Rush alongside his sister's husband, where he drew inspiration from the rugged landscapes and its harsh realities for many of his future stories. He also became a hobo during some time, before embarking on a stellar career as a full-time writer.

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Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, renowned for his timeless classic The Little Prince, led a life as adventurous as the characters in his stories. Born into an aristocratic family in France, Saint-Exupéry developed a passion for aviation at a young age. He became a pioneering aviator, working as a commercial pilot for Aeropostale, a French airmail company, flying dangerous routes across the Sahara Desert and the Andes Mountains. His renown as a daring pilot led him to be summoned to fight in World War II, though he was far older than most pilots at the time. His disappearance during a reconnaissance mission in 1944 led to much speculation and added an aura of intrigue to his already legendary status.

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Mark Twain, the pen name of Samuel Clemens, journeyed from humble beginnings as a Mississippi riverboat pilot to becoming one of America's most beloved literary figures. Twain's irreverent humor and keen social commentary struck a chord with readers of his era, and classics like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn solidified his place as a timeless giant of American literature. His own life was filled with ups and downs, as he tried his luck on countless ventures, eventually losing most of the money he made writing on failed investments. Born shortly after the appearance of Halley’s Comet, he famously quipped that his demise would coincide with the comet's next passing. True to his prediction, Twain breathed his last just a day after the comet's closest approach to the planet.

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Mary Shelley, the gifted pen behind Frankenstein - one of the most enduring Gothic novels and perhaps one of the first science fiction works ever - had a complex life filled with tragedy and intrigue. At the age of seventeen, she fled from home with one of her father’s young political followers, the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, and her sister Claire. The three of them embarked on a journey through a war-ravaged Europe, an enlightening experience that would deeply influence her for the rest of her life. Throughout her life, she had a tumultuous relationship with Percy Bysshe Shelley, who expressed affection for her but didn’t believe in the institution of marriage.

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Hemingway's larger-than-life persona included big game hunting, wartime exploits, and four marriages. During World War I, he joined the Red Cross and served as an ambulance driver on the Italian Front until he got seriously wounded in 1918. Later, during World War II he joined the Allied troops as a journalist and was present during the Normandy landings and the liberation of Paris. Later in life, he enjoyed hunting in the African wilderness and developed a deep appreciation for the natural landscapes of Wyoming and Florida. In many ways, his distilled prose and distinct writing style was born out of his intense life experiences.

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Known for his wit and flamboyant lifestyle, Wilde's career was unfairly burdened by scandal and controversy. Venturing into various literary genres, he penned plays, published poetry, and delivered lectures on art history in the United States and Canada. Despite his rapid rise to fame, fueled by his quick intellect and magnetic personality, Wilde's celebrity only brought him sorrow. Imprisoned for "gross indecency" due to his homosexuality, he endured the scorn of the conservative English society, prompting his exile to France upon being released. However, even in these dark times, Wilde remained far from idle, producing one of his most acclaimed works, De Profundis.

Image: Ben Sutherland from Crystal Palace, London, UK, CC BY 2.0

Colonial policeman in Burma, soldier for the Republican faction during the Spanish Civil War, and later propaganda agent for the BBC's Eastern Service, Orwell’s life was full of contradictions. Deeply empathizing with England’s impoverished working class, he strived to experience their hardships firsthand. For a while, he disguised himself as a tramp under the name of P.S. Burton, meticulously documenting and chronicling the deplorable conditions in which most Londoners lived.

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Best known for The Jungle Book, Rudyard Kipling remains one of the most prolific and insightful British authors in history. Born in British India to English parents, Kipling's formative years were divided between the vibrant landscapes of India's lush jungles and the urban centers of the British Empire. This experience profoundly influenced his writing, providing the backdrop for many of his tales. His wanderlust, however, extended far beyond India, as he traversed the globe, from Japan to the untamed American wilderness.

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Agatha Christie, the indisputable Queen of Crime, has captivated generations of readers with her meticulously crafted detective novels. Possessing an impulsive and adventurous character, Christie served in both world wars in hospital dispensaries, where she acquired the thorough knowledge of poisons that would later be featured in many of her novels. Following the loss of her mother and the dissolution of her marriage, she vanished for eleven days, triggering an intense search that even made international headlines. Eventually, she remarried to a prominent British archaeologist, embarking on numerous archaeological digs and expeditions across the Middle East.

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Hunter Thompson was an unconventional writer with a fearless approach to both journalism and life in general. Exploring controversial topics that few of his contemporaries dared touch, he developed his own type of genre-defying journalism, renouncing any attempt at objectivity and embracing the thin line between fiction and reality. This peculiar approach led him to cover unusual subjects such as life among the infamous Hell’s Angels motorcycle gang, the surreal debauchery around various sporting events, and the intricate plots of national politics. In the 70s, he even ran for sheriff of Pitkin County in Colorado!