Thread: 10 Words You Need to Stop Misspelling

Absolutely love it. And even as a grammar nazi, i still have trouble with effect and affect.
Makes me mental when people say "good" when they should be saying "well".

Sort of an anti-grammar nazi (;3), but I do wish I had this many a year ago when I made the mistakes therein.

I hate, "I seen this" Instead of "I saw this". One person here does it constantly.

Originally Posted by tommo

I hate, "I seen this" Instead of "I saw this". One person here does it constantly.

I hate that too! Unfortunately, my Grandmother does it a lot, so I just kind of have to keep my mouth shut and grit my teeth.

Originally Posted by Oneironaut

This one's for all you Grammar Nazis out there!

10 Words You Need to Stop Misspelling - The Oatmeal

Only ten? you flatter me. I cannot spell my way out of a paper bag.

Dawh, I was hoping to see some words that I actually misspell...most of these are hackneyed.

To everyone, what are specific words you tend to misspell? I have problems with "judgment" I always want to add that "e". Also, "necessary" is fine for me, but when I get to "unnecessarily" it usually takes me a few seconds to get it right.

Judgement is correct. Americans just changed it to judgment.

I've never really had trouble spelling words. Until recently with the spell check in Firefox which always tells me to spell things with a z and various other Americanized variations.

Although " ' " s (does that make sense? lol) apostrophes sometimes get me. And I always typo "just" as "jsut" for some reason.

Originally Posted by tommo

Judgement is correct. Americans just changed it to judgment.

Interesting...I feel like "judgement" was how I learned it, specifically, I remember writing it with the "e" in grade school...but my spell check insists on it being "judgment", thus I comply. Thanks for clearing that up.

When I look at it now "judgment" looks like slang. I prefer the spelling with the e.

Originally Posted by Aquanina

I was hoping to see a single word that I actually misspell. That way I could have learned something.

To anyone else who feels similarly...what are specific words you tend to misspell? I have problems with "judgment" I always want to add that "e". Also, "necessary" is fine for me, but when I get to "unnecessarily" it usually takes me a few seconds to get it right.

Part of my problem is reading text both in American English, British English, and over a hundred years old. So, I read and try to spell phonetically--I pay more attention to concepts than mechanics. The spelling rift was actually created for the most part by Webster who thought we should even make a break on the language level with Britain--or so I read.

Ah, finally a thread where you fit in, Phil!

Spelling phonetically is where America is heading, guaranteed. The problem is that people pronounce words differently either because of idiosyncrasies or accents.
Also it is ironic that it's called PHonetic spelling lol

Originally Posted by tommo

Ah, finally a thread where you fit in, Phil!

Spelling phonetically is where America is heading, guaranteed. The problem is that people pronounce words differently either because of idiosyncrasies or accents.
Also it is ironic that it's called PHonetic spelling lol

In college, we had to do a first paper. I knew it woud come back front to back in red ink. It did, but something was on the last page. My teacher wanted me to write for the college writing contest. Mechanics is something I am not good at, because I think in concepts, a hord of conflicting rules is something I cannot do. I did not do too badly at the contest. I could write a piece in less than a half hour, however, it would take me over two weeks to correct the mechanics.

Practice vs practise, council vs counsel, principle vs principal, exercise vs exorcise, desert vs dessert, hear vs hair vs here, isle vs aisle, peace vs piece, check vs cheque, queue vs cue and my all time favourite lightning vs lightening! For a really long time I could not spell business and sincerely to save my life.

'Acknowledgment' usually gets me. I keep wanting to add an extra 'e' after knowledge.

Also a lot of the "i before e" words tend to get me, when they throw curves.

I've noticed a surprising number of people on this forum who write "wondering" when they mean "wandering". Not a spelling error I would have ever expected to become common.

Also, people putting apostrophes in plural forms of words gives me the heebie jeebies.

Acknowledgement is another one which can be spelled with an e.

Originally Posted by Perlinfalcon

I've noticed a surprising number of people on this forum who write "wondering" when they mean "wandering". Not a spelling error I would have ever expected to become common.

This is one word which should be changed. Wandering is pronounced "wOndering" and Wondering is pronounced more like "wundering" but "a" (wandering) fits as well.

I realised this last year some time and was baffled as to why it would be like that lol.

Surprised that list didn't mention the usage of "to" and "too".

Originally Posted by tommo

This is one word which should be changed. Wandering is pronounced "wOndering" and Wondering is pronounced more like "wundering" but "a" (wandering) fits as well.

I realised this last year some time and was baffled as to why it would be like that lol.

Wait. Where do people pronounce wandering like wOndering? I and everyone I know and everyone I have ever heard pronounces it like "wahndering". If there is somewhere it is pronounced like "wOndering" then I guess I could understand the misspelling better. I've just never ever heard it said that way.

Edit: Oh wait, you're in Australia. Guess that might explain it. Maybe everyone misspelling it is from Australia or perhaps England.

I have trouble spelling f832ltgåÑå╣æ¿.

Originally Posted by sloth

I have trouble spelling f832ltgåÑå╣æ¿.

Could you, ah, like, write that phonetically?

Originally Posted by Perlinfalcon

I've noticed a surprising number of people on this forum who write "wondering" when they mean "wandering". Not a spelling error I would have ever expected to become common.

wandering / wondering is more of a malapropism than a spelling error. Personally, I haven't noticed though.

acknowledgment gets me same as judgment...when did they decide to change these words

Originally Posted by PerPle

Practice vs practise, council vs counsel, principle vs principal, exercise vs exorcise, desert vs dessert, hear vs hair vs here, isle vs aisle, peace vs piece, check vs cheque, queue vs cue and my all time favourite lightning vs lightening! For a really long time I could not spell business and sincerely to save my life.

Allow me to add...criticize and criticism.

Originally Posted by Philosopher8659

Could you, ah, like, write that phonetically?

Sure.

UUAAAHH HHGGGHHH DHSFUUFEWU FEWFJWG IJvñæñ¿~│Ç├måÑö├ACK! AACK!!! *COUGH!* GHwAAAAHH!!!!!

Originally Posted by sloth

Sure.

UUAAAHH HHGGGHHH DHSFUUFEWU FEWFJWG IJvñæñ¿~│Ç├måÑö├ACK! AACK!!! *COUGH!* GHwAAAAHH!!!!!

You know... That one word. It rhymes with orange.

Originally Posted by sloth

You know... That one word. It rhymes with orange.

OHHHHH!! do you mean that concoction I make with an orange juice base?