The Most Commonly Misspelled Words and How to Avoid Them

Let's be real: English spelling can be chaotic. Even native speakers sometimes type "definately" or “definitly” instead of "definitely" or confuse "their" with "they're." And if you're learning English as a second (or third!) language, these spelling mistakes are part and parcel of the journey.

Good news, though. By spotting the patterns behind misspelled words, you can easily avoid them. And Promova, as a learning platform for today’s minds, can help you do just that.

This guide lists the most commonly misspelled words in the English language, what makes them so tricky, and will teach you some practical strategies to avoid any future fumbles. Lock in and take your language learning to the next level.

Common Causes of Misspelled Words

Before we can solve the world’s problems (aka misspelled words), we need to understand why we’re making these mistakes in the first place. Spoiler alert: it’s not because you’re bad at English. Here’s why they can be so tricky.

1. Phonetic errors

It’s completely natural to want to spell words the way they sound. However, in English, there are plenty of words where the pronunciation often doesn’t match their written form, leading to easily misspelled words. For example, many people spell “February” as “Febuary” or “Wednesday” as “Wensday”, just because that’s how they sound. Who can blame them?

2. Homophones and homonyms

Whoever invented the English language loved creating words that sound the same but have entirely different meanings and spellings. Gee, thanks. As a result, we get a lot of commonly misspelled English words and mix-ups. On your language learning journey, you’ve probably come across classic examples of this, such as: 

• Their/There/They’re
• To/Too/Two
• Your/You're

3. Typing errors and autocorrect

Praise be. Autocorrect giveth and autocorrect taketh away. As handy as it can be to have an in-built spell-checker on your phone, sometimes autocorrect fixes correctly spelled words, too. Or, our fingers (presumably covered in some sort of tasty snack) slip and accidentally type the wrong thing. For example, "form" instead of "from”. Small typos, major confusion, and a lot of misspelled words.

4. Influence of other languages

If English isn’t your first language, you might unconsciously apply the spelling rules of your native tongue. For example, a Spanish speaker might write “escalator” as “escalador.” No biggie, though. You’re seriously amazing for being a multilingual learner, and there’s no shame in your game. The more you practice, the more confident you’ll be.

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Top 100 Most Commonly Misspelled Words

Now we know the ‘why’ behind the most commonly misspelled words, the fun can begin. We’ve grouped these pesky things into categories, so you can see why they’re such easily misspelled words. Ready to meet your spelling nemeses? Game on.

Words with Double Letters

When they said two was better than one, they weren’t referring to words with double letters in them. And nothing trips up an English language writer faster than a word with double letters. Here are the most frequently misspelled words with double letters to show you what we mean:

• Accommodate
• Occurrence
• Embarrass
• Committee
• Address
• Successful
• Possession
• Professor
• Referred
• Recommend

Tip: Still not sure whether to double a letter? Check how it changes the meaning or pronunciation of the word. Sometimes, the extra letter makes a huge difference and helps you avoid those funny English mistakes.

Words with Silent Letters

Silent but deadly doesn’t mean what you think it does. Some of the most misspelled words are miswritten because of silent letters. And these shady little ghosts are everywhere, haunting the English language. Common examples include: 

• February
• Receipt
• Psychology
• Knowledge
• Aisle
• Pneumonia
• Subtle
• Island
• Answer
• Castle

Tip: Say the word slowly when you’re learning, and exaggerate the pronunciation of any hidden letters. It’ll be easier to remember what’s actually in there, and you’ll avoid these often misspelled words and other English mistakes.

Words with Confusing Vowel Combinations

Ask anyone who’s learning English, and they’ll tell you that vowels can feel like a game of Scrabble gone wrong. Yeah, the old A-E-I-O-U has a lot to answer for. Is it “ei” or “ie”? “Ou” or “ow”? Honestly, half the time we have no idea. You’ll find these culprits on the list of commonly misspelled words:

• Receive
• Believe
• Separate
• Definitely
• Leisure
• Foreign
• Neighbor
• Achieve
• Familiar
• Bureau

Tip: Lean on mnemonics (please excuse the sneaky silent letter) like “I before E except after C”. But be careful, as they’re never 100% reliable. 

Commonly Confused Word Pairs

Taking the heat off spelling for a moment, sometimes it’s the entire word itself that trips us up. And when you’re checking out the 50 commonly misspelled words list, you'll find these that sound the same but have wholly different spellings. These devious duos confuse even the most advanced English speakers.

• Affect (verb – to influence) / Effect (noun – a result)
• Accept (verb – to receive willingly) / Except (preposition – excluding)
• Then (adverb – at that time or next) / Than (conjunction – used for comparisons)
• Compliment (noun – a kind remark) / Complement (noun – something that completes)
• Principal (noun – head of a school or main) / Principle (noun – a basic rule or belief)
• Loose (adjective – not tight) / Lose (verb – to misplace or be defeated)
• Stationary (adjective – not moving) / Stationery (noun – writing materials)
• Advice (noun – a suggestion or recommendation) / Advise (verb – to give advice)
• Breath (noun – the air taken in or out) / Breathe (verb – to inhale or exhale air)
• Further (adverb – more abstract distance or degree) / Farther (adverb – physical distance)

Tip: Look up examples of each word on the commonly misspelled words list and find out how to use it in the proper context. You'll get a better grasp of their meanings and spellings, and you’ll also be able to make up your own mnemonic to help you remember which is which.

Spelling Rules and Tips to Improve Accuracy in Misspelled Words

English is a bit of a bad boy, and it doesn't always play by the rules. But that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to tame it. These nifty guidelines can help you avoid confusing the most common misspelled words and get a better grasp on the English language:

• I before E except after C (e.g., believe, receive)
• Get rid of the final E before adding -ing or -ed (e.g., make → making)
• Change Y to I when adding suffixes (e.g., happy → happier)
• Double the final consonant after a short vowel in a stressed syllable (e.g., begin → beginning)
• Break words into syllables (e.g., sep-a-rate, par-al-lel)
• Use flashcards or language apps (hello, Promova!)
• Write each word out by hand. Muscle memory is no joke.
• Say it out loud the “wrong” way: Wed-nes-day, Feb-ru-ary
• Look it up. Even the best writers check their spelling.

While autocorrect is being perfected every day, it’s best not to rely on it completely to spell-check your work. Learning how each word is spelled correctly in the way you need them to work in the context of your writing is the best way to reach proficiency.

Resources to Enhance Spelling Skills

Spelling isn't just about memorizing letters. It's about exposure, practice, and context. And in the modern age of Impossible Burgers and live-action Disney films that nobody asked for, we're blessed with tools to help us. You may use these to avoid the 100 most misspelled words and become the GOAT of the English language:

• Promova: This language learning platform gives you interactive spelling practice, vocabulary training, and personalized learning paths. You can access guided language learning courses on both the app and the web in simple, bite-sized lessons that make it a cinch. 
• Merriam-Webster’s Learner’s Dictionary: Go back to basics with this classic dictionary. Great for definitions, double-checking, and example sentences.
• Grammarly: Get schooled on language in real-time as you write, or check your grammar and spelling once your doc is complete. Grammarly is like having an online English tutor right at your fingertips.

Getting a handle on the top misspelled words is a great learning opportunity. And every mistake brings you one step closer to doing it right. Next time you catch yourself stuffing something up, take a deep breath. Then fix it, learn from it, and keep going. We'll be right by your side.

Crush common spelling mistakes and boost your English skills with Promova today.