Can I Have It in a Sentence, Please? A Look at 80 Words That Are Infamously Difficult to Spell

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Let’s face it: we all have words that trip us up when it comes to spelling. It’s a common struggle! Often, misspellings occur due to a lack of concentration. Sure, we can differentiate between “their,” “they’re,” and “there,” but in the heat of the moment, we might just type the first thing that pops into our heads. No worries; it happens to the best of us! Beyond simple mistakes, challenging words typically fall into two categories: those that break standard spelling conventions and obscure terms we rarely encounter. For example, during one year’s National Spelling Bee, the winning word was “esquamulose”—a word most of us have likely never even seen before!

Let’s not forget about the tricky names that can be a mouthful, not to mention how difficult they are to spell. Some words originate from other languages, representing concepts that are hard to capture with a single English term. Once you learn one of these unique travel-related words, you’ll want to use it at every opportunity.

We took the time to compile a list of commonly misspelled words, some of which appear frequently in everyday use. You might be surprised to find that you mix them up too! Thankfully, we have spell-check on our side.

Challenging Spelling Bee Words

I’ll share a personal anecdote: I flunked my fourth-grade spelling bee because I couldn’t spell “automobile” correctly. That moment still lingers in my memory! Spelling bee words are notoriously difficult. Did you know the National Spelling Bee has been around since 1925? Below are seven words that contestants have had to spell to win over the years. One of those words is “eczema,” which many of us struggle to spell correctly despite using it regularly. Another challenging word is “vivisepulture,” meaning “the act of burying someone alive.” The young winner who spelled it correctly was only 12 years old—yikes!

Here are some notoriously tough words:

  • Knack
  • Esquamulose
  • Eczema
  • Chihuahua
  • Vivisepulture
  • Shalloon
  • Logorrhea

Commonly Misused Everyday Words

Some words are so familiar that we use them all the time, but when it’s time to write them out, we can easily misstep. Tricky words often don’t follow standard spelling rules or are pronounced differently than they appear. Take “weird,” for instance; it doesn’t follow the “I before e” rule, leading many to make mistakes. Similarly, “a lot” is frequently misspelled as “alot,” which isn’t correct. You wouldn’t write “alittle,” so remember to keep “a lot” separated.

Another perplexing word is “playwright.” You’d think it should be spelled “playwrite” since they write plays! Here’s a list of some of the most commonly misspelled words:

  • Accommodate
  • Acquire
  • A lot
  • Calendar
  • Cemetery
  • Changeable
  • Conscience
  • Conscientious
  • Conscious
  • Consensus
  • Daiquiri
  • Definitely
  • Discipline
  • Fiery
  • Gauge
  • Grateful
  • Guarantee
  • Height
  • Inoculate
  • Its/it’s
  • Judgment
  • Kernel
  • Liaison
  • License
  • Maintenance
  • Maneuver
  • Medieval
  • Memento
  • Millennium
  • Mischievous
  • Misspell
  • Noticeable
  • Occasionally
  • Occurrence
  • Pastime
  • Playwright
  • Possession
  • Privilege
  • Publicly
  • Recommend
  • Relevant
  • Rhyme/Rhythm
  • Separate
  • Sergeant
  • Their/they’re/there
  • Threshold
  • Twelfth
  • Vacuum
  • Weird

Words with Silent Letters

Spelling bees often feature words with silent letters, which can be a real challenge. Who decided that “p” should be in “pneumonia”? Here are some words that are particularly tricky due to their silent letters:

  • Abscess
  • Asthma
  • Champagne
  • Cologne
  • Conscience
  • Faux
  • Handkerchief
  • Honest
  • Knack
  • Knead
  • Mnemonic
  • Muscle
  • Phlegm
  • Psychology
  • Pterodactyl
  • Receipt
  • Reign
  • Rendezvous
  • Resuscitate
  • Salmon
  • Silhouette
  • Solemn
  • Subtle
  • Wrangle
  • Wrath

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In summary, spelling can be a challenge for many, whether it’s common words or those that come from foreign languages. It’s easy to get tripped up, but with some practice and the help of spell-check, we can all improve our spelling skills.