Remember spelling tests? Do we even need to know how to spell anymore? Autocorrect and other grammar/spelling checkers have eliminated the need. Or have they? Sometimes autocorrect goes haywire and gives you a word far from your intended one. And most grammar checkers cannot tell if you have used the right word as long as you have used a real word.
But still, spelling seems less important than it used to be. And some people are just better spellers than others, and it has nothing to do with one’s intelligence. The talent of good spelling seems to be somewhat hereditary. And some learning disabilities that get in the way of spelling. Those who read a lot probably may have better spelling because they see words on the written page and remember how they look.
In any case, certain words give most people trouble. Here is a spelling quiz for you. Some of the words are spelled correctly, and others are not. If you think a word is not spelled correctly, put in the correct spelling:
(Answers below)
- harrass _______________________
- judgement_____________________
- acheive ________________________
- occurrence_______________________
- inoculate________________________
- relavant________________________
- mispelled________________________
- accommodate_____________________
- canceled_______________________
- millenium______________________
- accidently _______________________
- preseverance ___________________
- Carribbean ______________________
- existance ________________________
- definitely_______________________
- embarrass_______________________
- minuscule_______________________
- flourescent ______________________
- seperate________________________
- copyright (the one in the book) _______________________
- expresso ______________________
- liaison________________________
- mischevious ____________________
- hors d’oerves ___________________
- license_________________________
Scroll down for the answers
Scroll down for the answers
One more time
- harrass ____harass______
- judgement_or judgment (preferred in American English)_______
- acheive __achieve________
- occurrence_correct_______
- inoculate___correct______
- relavant ____relevant____
- mispelled _____misspelled_
- accommodate correct__
- canceled____correct (cancelled is also correct, but one L is preferred)_
- millenium__millennium_______
- accidently __accidentally__
- preseverance ___perseverance_
- Carribbean ___Caribbean___
- existance _____existence___
- definitely__correct________
- embarrass___correct______
- minuscule_____minuscule
- flourescent __fluorescent____
- seperate _____separate___
- copyright (the one in the book) ___correct___
- expresso _espresso_(expresso is also correct, but the correct pronunciation appears to be espresso)____
- liaison_____ correct____
- mischevious _______mischievous___
- hors d’oerves _hors d’oeuvres____
- license_______correct______
Feeling proud that I got them all except where the US spelling tripped me up
Noah Webster introduced a problem when he removed double letters
In British English we are taught that if a vowel follows a single consonant, it modifies the preceding vowel. E.g. Rat, ratted and rated. A Briton instinctively pronounces ‘traveler’ (The US spelling) as ‘travEEler’
I don’t know if there is any rule you teach your children for this, or do they just have to remember it?
Thanks for the comment. There were a couple of questionable spellings in there that I did correct! When I taught I didn’t teach many spelling rules — I think they get those in elementary school.
[Don’t know where this came from, but it seems apropos]
Ode to the Spell Checker
Eye halve a spelling chequer
It came with my pea sea
It plainly marques four my revue
Miss steaks eye kin knot sea.
Eye strike a key and type a word
And weight four it two say
Weather eye am wrong oar write
It shows me strait a weigh.
As soon as a mist ache is maid
It nose bee fore two long
And eye can put the error rite
Its rare lea ever wrong.
Eye have run this poem threw it
I am shore your pleased two no
Its letter perfect awl the weigh
My chequer tolled me sew.
Thanks so much!!!!
Q: Do we even need to know how to spell anymore?
A: You had better if I am editing your academic paper!!!
Autocorrect and other grammar/spelling checkers have eliminated the need.
They will help, to some degree, only if you use them.
Believe me, Tony, I am one hundred percent on your side. I used to edit.
Thanks! This was fun.
Thanks, Robin!
I apologize for the errors in this post . Thanks fo everyone who corrected me. The post has been updated. I used something else I wrote a while ago as a guide, which apparently was not entirely correct!
Great…wish you would write a spelling book..
Great idea! Maybe I will put a spelling chapter in the business writing book I am going this year.
Hi, Arlene Miller.
In my previous message, I inadvertently added an additional character to my email address.
My comment was that in public and high school in Canada, we were taught that “judgement” is spelled as judgment.
I look forward to your reply.
Thanks and regards,
David Fieldman
It turns out that judgment without the e is preferred in American, while the e is preferred in British English. I had a spelling section in my first book and spelled it judgment. I thought it looked wrong so I corrected it to include the e. So either is OK, but no e is preferred in American English.
Judgment is also correct.
You are correct, and it is actually preferred in American English. Learn something new every day!
Dear Arlene,
You probably noticed this one afterwards: ‘Some of the words are spelled correct, ..’
But ‘millenium’? Since it is derived from ‘annus’, the double ‘n’ stays: ‘millennium’.
‘minuscule’is the correct spelling; ‘miniscule’ is an erroneus variant.
‘expresso’ appears beside ‘espresso’.
Extra: ‘license’ is correct as a verb; the noun being ‘licence’ (but that of course is BrE…)
I must admit that I still base myself on the OED, since my knowledge of current American English is at an absolute minimum…
I go by American spellings, but you are correct! I had researched minuscule at one time, and added it because of the confusion, but let me check all these out again. Thanks for the comments!~
Both minuscule and miniscule are in the MW Dictionary with a preference given to the one with “u” rather than “i.”
As a mnemonic device I’ve always first thought of “minus,” and then added the four additional letters to that root.
I stand corrected, but will research this again. Wow, I am a terrible speller!!!! 🙂
I thought American English was judgment.
You are correct!