Spelling mistakes

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’  

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