Common Misspelled Words Lists
Being aware of the most commonly misspelled words can help you when you have to write one because it can help you find it in a dictionary or spellcheck it.
Or an even better way to recall a spelling is to use a memory trick.
Below are lists of common misspelled words by native speakers, by country, by Google, on CVs/resumes/job applications. Some of these words have a lesson so click on the link.
Commonly Misspelled by Native Speakers
This list is compiled using data from the Oxford Dictionary, Oxford University Press, and Viviane Cook. You can learn them in my Most Commonly Misspelled Words book.
1. necessary
2. embarrassed
3. accommodating
4. separate
5. definitely
6. argument
7. relevant
8. responsibility
9. achieve
10. occasion
11. liaise
12. experience
13. particularly
14. environment
15. government
16. colleagues
17. successful.
18. The ‘commit’ word family
19. The ‘refer’ word family
20. The ‘prefer’ word family
CV/Resume/Job Application Spelling Errors
“The single word most commonly misspelled is “responsibility”, a worrying error considering how many people use it to flag up their attractions to potential employers.” (telegraph.co.uk)
In order, the words that most often contain mistakes are:
1) responsibility
2) liaise (liaise, liaison)
3) university
4) experience (see all those e’s — experience — ex/pe/ri/ence )
5) speciality (special + ity)
6) communication (communicate + ion)
7) achievement (achieve + ment)
8) management (manage + ment)
9) environment (see ‘iron’ iron out the environment)
10) successful (success + ful - double c + double s)
Andrew Hunter, chief executive of Adzuna, said: “As the first impression your new employer has of you, it is impossible to overstate the importance of the humble CV.
“Spelling mistakes are a huge red flag for potential employers and candidates need to take care to show their best side to hiring managers if they hope to make the interview stage.”
The top five most commonly misspelt words in the UK are:
harass (Don’t be a real ass and harass.)
vicious (vicious)
separate (see the a rat in separate)
misspelt (mis + spelt)
accommodation (The accommodation has two cats and two mice.)
(Joanne’s spelling strategies/memory tricks to remember these are in brackets)
Over a third of UK adults (36%) thought ‘Mispelt’ is correct (correct spelling ‘Misspelt),
3 in 5 (61%) thinking ‘Harrass’ was the correct spelling (correct spelling ‘’Harass’).
Top five most commonly misspelt words in the UK revealed according to global technology company Texthelp on British Dyslexia Association website
The 10 most misspelled words in the U.S.
1) coolly (cool + ly)
2) minuscule ( minus + ule. min/us/cule - common misspelling: Miniscule)
3) sergeant (common misspelling: Sargent)
4) liaison (liaison, liaise)
5) protester (protest + er. Like teacher - common misspelling: Protestor)
6) supersede (supersede - common misspelling: Supercede)
7) drunkenness (drunken + ness)
8) millennium (double l and double n)
9) dumbbell (dumb + bell)
10) bellwether (Be careful, it’s not spelled with weather. Strange word - do you really use this in America? Let me know. )
From a survey by WordTips. (Joanne’s spelling strategies/memory tricks to remember these are in brackets)
The researchers also found that British, Canadians and Australians get a lot of these words wrong, too.
UK: 1. coolly 2. minuscule 3. sergeant 4. drunkenness 5. protester 6. supersede 7. dumbbell 8. millennium 9. lightning 10. inoculate
Australia: 1. coolly 2. minuscule 3. sergeant 4. protester 5. separate 6. supersede 7. accommodate 8. millennium 9. dumbbell 10. drunkenness
Canada: 1. coolly 2. minuscule 3. liaison 4. sergeant 5. supersede 6. protester 7. millennium 8. drunkenness 9. bellwether 10. dumbbell
Go to https://word.tips/most-misspelled-words-map/ for the other continents and countries
Misspelled words from Google searches
(The tricky letter[s] in brackets.)
arctic (arc + tic)
niece (i before e except after a long c rule)
receive (i before e except after a long c rule)
separate (see a rat in the middle)
rhythm (Use a saying to help: rhythm has your two hips moving.)
believe (i before e except after a long c rule)
Connecticut (connect in Connecticut)
occurred (Check out the 1:1:1 doubling up rule for longer words)
congratulations (congrats)
until (un + til)
broccoli (broCColi with cauli and carrots)
spaghetti (heat the spaghetti)
siege (i before e except after a long c rule)
The most misspelled words in every US state
1) ignorance (Washington State)
2) height (Oregon)
3) exceed (California)
4) promise (Nevada)
5) accidentally (Idaho)
6) experience (Montana)
7) address (Wyoming)
8) outrageous (Utah)
9) playwright (Arizona)
10) extreme (Colorado)
11) parliament (New Mexico)
12) occasion (North Dakota)
13) foreign (South Dakota)
14) reference (Nebraska)
15) maintenance (Kansas)
16) writing (Oklahoma)
17) similar (Texas)
18) becoming (Minnesota)
19) neighbor (Iowa)
20) height (Missouri)
21) column (Arkansas)
22) kernel (Louisiana)
23) foreign (Wisconsin)
24) neighbor (Iowa)
25) neighbor (Illinois)
26) acknowledge (Indiana)
27) acquaintance (Michigan)
28) maintenance (Kentucky)
29) parliament (Tennessee)
30) medieval (Ohio)
31) ignorance (Mississippi)
32) original (Alabama)
33) secretary (Georgia)
34) jewelry (Florida)
35) promise (North Carolina)
36) promise (South Carolina)
37) controversy (Virginia)
38) upholstery (West Virginia)
39) willful (Pennsylvania)
40) conscious (District of Columbia)
41) twelfth (Maryland)
42) foreign (Delaware)
43) advisable (New Jersey)
44) jewelry (Connecticut)
45) guidance (Rhode Island)
46) becoming (Massachusetts)
47) upholstery (New York)
48) definitely (Vermont)
49) amateur (New Hampshire)
50) almost (Maine)
From a survey by WordTips.