Here are some common, simple, and easily avoidable English spelling mistakes. Print this out and tape it to your monitor so that you never make these mistakes again!
Correct spelling | Incorrect spelling | Notes |
a little | alittle | |
a lot | alot | Allot is a different word, meaning "distribute" |
acceptable | acceptible | |
accommodate | accomodate | |
across | accross | |
argument | arguement | See Dropping the final e |
business | buisness | |
calendar | calender | |
Caribbean | Caribean, Carribean, Carribbean | |
cemetery | cemetary | |
collectible | collectable | |
deference | deferance | |
definite definitely |
definate definately |
|
duly | duely | See Dropping the final e |
embarrass | embarass | Not to be confused with "embarras du choix" |
et cetera etc. |
etcetera, etcetra ect. |
|
existence | existance | |
finally | finaly | |
forty | fourty | |
gauge | guage | |
government | goverment | |
grateful | greatful | |
guarantee | garantee | |
guard | gaurd | |
height | heighth | |
hers | her’s, hers’ | |
indispensable | indispensible | |
in spite of | inspite of | Despite vs In spite of |
its, it’s | its’ | Its vs It’s |
jewelry | jewelery | Also see American vs British spelling |
knowledge | knowlege | |
liaison | liason | |
Correct spelling | Incorrect spelling | Notes |
Mediterranean | Mediteranean | |
minuscule | miniscule | |
mischievous | mischievious | |
misspell | mispell | mis + spell |
necessary | neccessary | |
ours | our’s, ours’ | |
persevere perseverance |
perservere perserverance |
|
persistent persistence |
persistant persistance |
|
potatoes | potatos | See Plurals of words that end in o |
secretary | secretery | |
separate separately |
seperate seperately |
|
supposedly | supposably | This was made famous by Matt LeBlanc, as "Joey" on Friends. |
tattoo | tatoo | |
tendency | tendancy | |
theirs | their’s, theirs’ | |
throughout | throught | |
tomatoes | tomatos | See Plurals of words that end in o |
truly | truely | See Dropping the final e |
unfortunately | unfortunatly | |
until | untill | |
yeah | ya, yah | Yea is a different word, used to vote in favor of something. |
yours | your’s, yours’ |