The trap list

Commonly misspelled words

These are the words that end friendships. Every one below is in the free Commonly Misspelled pack, so you can read the list here and then immediately play it against people who claim they'd never get them wrong.

Why these words catch people

Double letters

accommodate, embarrass, occurrence — the ones with two sets of doubles catch almost everybody.

Silent letters

rhythm, conscience, subtle — letters you never hear are letters you forget to type.

-ance vs -ence

persistence, maintenance, existence — the ending sounds identical either way.

Words autocorrect fixes for you

definitely, separate, receive — you have typed them a thousand times and your phone has spelled every one.

The list (185 words)

absence
nounmedium
The state of not being present.
“Everyone knew what absence meant, but the spelling still split the room.”
Origin: Latin via French
accessible
adjectivemedium
Easy to reach or use.
“Make the good snacks accessible to all.”
Origin: Latin
accidentally
adverbmedium
By mistake rather than on purpose.
“Accidentally sounded familiar, but the player paused before calling out every letter.”
Origin: Latin via French
accommodate
verbhard
To provide lodging or space for.
“The hotel can accommodate twelve.”
Origin: Latin
achieve
verbmedium
To succeed in doing something.
“Tonight we achieve mediocrity together.”
Origin: Old French
acquire
verbmedium
To gain, obtain, or come to possess something.
“They knew how to acquire; spelling it was the harder part.”
Origin: Latin
address
nounmedium
The details of where someone lives.
“He yelled his address at the delivery app.”
Origin: Old French
advisable
adjectivemedium
Wise, sensible, or recommended in the circumstances.
“Everyone understood advisable, but the exact letter order was less obvious.”
Origin: French / Latin
aggressive
adjectivemedium
Ready to attack, confront, or pursue a goal forcefully.
“Everyone in the spelling round knew aggressive, but spelling it aloud was another story.”
Origin: Modern English / mixed roots
aisle
nounmedium
A passage between rows of seats or shelves.
“She walked down the aisle and left the S at the altar.”
Origin: Old French
apparently
adverbmedium
According to what seems to be true based on available information.
“Apparently, everyone else had already read the email.”
Origin: Modern English / mixed roots
argument
nounmedium
A disagreement expressed in words.
“They had a whole argument over one vowel.”
Origin: Latin
asthma
nounmedium
A condition that makes breathing difficult.
“Spelling asthma out loud may actually trigger it.”
Origin: Greek
attendance
nounmedium
The act of being present at a place, event, or activity.
“Perfect attendance did not help him remember where the second 'a' went.”
Origin: Latin via French
awkward
adjectivemedium
Causing embarrassment or difficulty.
“The hug went on an awkward amount of time.”
Origin: Old Norse
basically
adverbmedium
In the most essential or simple sense.
“Everyone recognized basically immediately, yet the spelling still caused hesitation.”
Origin: Greek via Latin
because
conjunctioneasy
For the reason that.
“Why? Because the judges said so.”
Origin: Middle English
beginning
nounmedium
The point where something starts.
“The beginning of the word is the easy part.”
Origin: Old English
believe
verbmedium
To accept something as true.
“I believe in you, statistically speaking.”
Origin: Old English
bellwether
nounhard
A person or thing that signals or predicts a broader trend.
“Bellwether is familiar enough to recognize and tricky enough to misspell.”
Origin: English
beneficial
adjectivemedium
Producing a helpful or favorable effect.
“The sentence sounded beneficial; the spelling did not feel nearly as simple.”
Origin: Latin
bizarre
adjectivemedium
Very strange, unusual, or unexpected.
“Bizarre was the one word everyone remembered after the spelling round.”
Origin: Modern English / mixed roots
bureaucracy
nounhard
A system of government by state officials.
“The bureaucracy lost his form.”
Origin: French and Greek
business
nounmedium
Commercial activity or a company.
“That is none of my business, but continue.”
Origin: Old English
calendar
nounmedium
A chart showing days of the year.
“Mark it on the calendar.”
Origin: Latin
camouflage
nounhard
Coloring or covering that hides something.
“The extra letter had no camouflage.”
Origin: French
category
nounmedium
A class or group of things sharing common features.
“Nobody needed the definition of category; they needed another look at the spelling.”
Origin: Greek via Latin
ceiling
nounmedium
The upper interior surface of a room.
“He stared at the ceiling and rethought everything.”
Origin: Middle English
cemetery
nounmedium
A burial ground for the dead.
“This round is a cemetery for people who believe in the letter A.”
Origin: Greek
changeable
adjectivemedium
Likely to change.
“The rules here are suspiciously changeable.”
Origin: Old French
chiropractic
adjectivehard
Relating to treatment focused on the musculoskeletal system, especially spinal manipulation.
“The clinic offers chiropractic care alongside other musculoskeletal services.”
Origin: Greek
collectible
adjectivemedium
Worth collecting because of rarity, interest, or value.
“Collectible looked familiar until the player had to say every letter.”
Origin: Latin via French
column
nounmedium
A vertical arrangement of items or a supporting upright structure.
“Everyone knew what column meant, but the spelling still split the room.”
Origin: Latin
committed
adjectivemedium
Dedicated to a person, goal, decision, or course of action.
“Everyone in the spelling round knew committed, but spelling it aloud was another story.”
Origin: Modern English / mixed roots
committee
nounmedium
A group appointed to make decisions.
“The couch committee has overruled you.”
Origin: Latin
concede
verbmedium
To admit something is true or to yield after resistance.
“The clue told them to concede, and two players immediately swapped letters.”
Origin: Latin
congratulations
nounmedium
Words used to express praise or good wishes for someone's success or achievement.
“The word congratulations sparked the longest debate of the spelling round.”
Origin: Modern English / mixed roots
conscience
nounmedium
An inner sense of right and wrong.
“His conscience kept him awake.”
Origin: Latin
conscientiousness
nounhard
The quality of being careful, responsible, organized, and attentive to duties.
“By the end of the spelling round, conscientiousness was still the word people were debating.”
Origin: Modern English / mixed roots
conscious
adjectivemedium
Awake and aware.
“He made a conscious decision to double-dip.”
Origin: Latin
convenience
nounmedium
The quality of being easy, useful, or suitable for someone's needs.
“The spelling round group recognized convenience, then started arguing about which letters came next.”
Origin: Modern English / mixed roots
convenient
adjectivemedium
Easy to use, reach, arrange, or fit into a situation.
“Everyone in the spelling round knew convenient, but spelling it aloud was another story.”
Origin: Modern English / mixed roots
correspondence
nounmedium
Communication exchanged in letters, messages, or email.
“The round slowed down as soon as correspondence appeared.”
Origin: Latin via French
courteous
adjectivemedium
Polite, respectful, and considerate toward others.
“Everyone understood courteous, but the exact letter order was less obvious.”
Origin: French
deceive
verbmedium
To cause someone to believe something that is not true.
“Everyone recognized the verb deceive, but the written form caused hesitation.”
Origin: French / Latin
definite
adjectivemedium
Clearly fixed, certain, or exact.
“She was definite about the answer and still almost added an extra letter.”
Origin: Latin
definitely
adverbmedium
Without doubt.
“I definitely locked the door.”
Origin: Latin
dependent
adjectivemedium
Relying on someone or something else for support or existence.
“The spelling of dependent made half the room second-guess the middle vowels.”
Origin: Latin
descendant
nounmedium
A person, animal, or plant related to an earlier ancestor.
“They used descendant correctly in conversation and then argued over the letters.”
Origin: Latin via French
desiccated
adjectivehard
Thoroughly dried out or having had moisture removed.
“Desiccated looked familiar until the player had to say every letter.”
Origin: Latin
desperate
adjectivemedium
Feeling or showing extreme urgency, need, or lack of hope.
“The spelling round table recognized desperate instantly and still could not agree on the spelling.”
Origin: Modern English / mixed roots
dilemma
nounmedium
A choice between two bad options.
“The double letters are the whole dilemma.”
Origin: Greek
disappear
verbmedium
To pass out of sight.
“Watch his confidence disappear at letter four.”
Origin: Latin and French
disappoint
verbmedium
To fail to meet someone's hopes or expectations.
“Everyone recognized the verb disappoint, but the written form caused hesitation.”
Origin: French
disingenuous
adjectivehard
Not fully honest or sincere, especially while pretending to be straightforward.
“Nobody expected disingenuous to become the most memorable word of the spelling round.”
Origin: Modern English / mixed roots
ecstasy
nounhard
An overwhelming feeling of intense happiness or excitement.
“Everyone knew ecstasy, but nobody trusted themselves on the middle letters.”
Origin: Greek
efficient
adjectivemedium
Working effectively with little wasted time, effort, or material.
“The clue described something as efficient, and the spelling debate started immediately.”
Origin: Latin
eighth
adjectivemedium
Coming after seventh in order.
“Eighth looked familiar until the player had to say every letter.”
Origin: Old English
embarrass
verbmedium
To cause someone to feel awkward.
“Please don't embarrass me.”
Origin: French and Spanish
embarrassment
nounhard
A feeling of awkwardness, shame, or self-consciousness.
“The spelling round moved on, but people were still whispering the letters in embarrassment.”
Origin: Modern English / mixed roots
entrepreneur
nounhard
A person who starts a business.
“The entrepreneur pitched again.”
Origin: French
environment
nounmedium
The surroundings and conditions in which a person, organism, or system exists.
“Nobody expected environment to become the most memorable word of the spelling round.”
Origin: Modern English / mixed roots
equipment
adjectivemedium
Tools, machines, or other items needed for a particular activity.
“The spelling round moved on, but people were still whispering the letters in equipment.”
Origin: Modern English / mixed roots
exaggerate
verbmedium
To describe something as larger, better, worse, or more extreme than it really is.
“She knew how to exaggerate it, but still second-guessed the spelling.”
Origin: Modern English / mixed roots
exceed
verbmedium
To go beyond a limit, amount, or expectation.
“The clue told them to exceed, and two players immediately swapped letters.”
Origin: Latin
exhilarate
verbmedium
To make someone feel thrilled.
“Free food can exhilarate any crowd.”
Origin: Latin
existence
nounmedium
The state or fact of being real or present.
“Everyone in the spelling round knew existence, but spelling it aloud was another story.”
Origin: Modern English / mixed roots
experience
nouneasy
Knowledge or skill gained through doing, seeing, or living through something.
“The spelling round paused for a second when experience showed up.”
Origin: Modern English / mixed roots
familiar
adjectivemedium
Well known from repeated experience or contact.
“The clue described something as familiar, and the spelling debate started immediately.”
Origin: Latin
February
proper nounmedium
The second month of the year.
“That first R in February has ended friendships.”
Origin: Latin
fiery
adjectivemedium
Resembling fire in heat, color, intensity, or temperament.
“Everyone understood fiery, but the exact letter order was less obvious.”
Origin: Old English
finally
adverbeasy
After a long time, at last.
“He finally spelled one right.”
Origin: Latin
foreign
adjectivemedium
From, located in, or connected with another country or place.
“Foreign sounded easy in the spelling round until somebody had to spell it without autocorrect.”
Origin: Modern English / mixed roots
foreseeable
adjectivemedium
Able to be predicted or reasonably expected in advance.
“Everyone understood foreseeable, but the exact letter order was less obvious.”
Origin: English
forty
nounmedium
The number after thirty-nine.
“The nap lasted forty glorious minutes.”
Origin: Old English
friend
nouneasy
A person you know and like.
“A real friend tells you it is spelled wrong.”
Origin: Old English
fulfill
verbmedium
To carry out, complete, or satisfy a requirement or promise.
“Everyone recognized the verb fulfill, but the written form caused hesitation.”
Origin: Old English
gauge
verbmedium
To measure or estimate something.
“I can gauge your panic by how slowly you started spelling.”
Origin: Old French
government
nounmedium
The system or group of people responsible for governing a country, state, or community.
“Someone used government correctly during the spelling round, then immediately second-guessed the spelling.”
Origin: Modern English / mixed roots
grammar
nounmedium
The rules for using a language.
“Her grammar is flawless and unbearable.”
Origin: Greek
grateful
adjectivemedium
Feeling thankful.
“Be grateful I did not sing the second verse.”
Origin: Latin
guarantee
nounmedium
A formal promise.
“The laptop has a guarantee.”
Origin: French
harass
verbmedium
To bother someone repeatedly.
“Please do not harass the scorekeeper.”
Origin: French
height
nounmedium
The measurement of how tall something is from bottom to top.
“Height turned the spelling round into an unexpectedly competitive spelling moment.”
Origin: Modern English / mixed roots
hemorrhoid
nounhard
A swollen vein in or around the lower rectum or anus.
“The doctor explained that a hemorrhoid is a swollen vein, then wrote the word down.”
Origin: Greek via Latin
humorous
adjectivemedium
Funny or intended to make people laugh.
“Humorous looked familiar until the player had to say every letter.”
Origin: Latin
hygiene
nounmedium
Practices that keep you clean and healthy.
“His gym bag is a hygiene crisis.”
Origin: Greek
ignorance
nounmedium
A lack of knowledge, information, or awareness.
“Everyone knew what ignorance meant, but the spelling still split the room.”
Origin: Latin via French
immediately
adverbmedium
At once, without delay.
“He regretted that guess immediately.”
Origin: Latin
incidentally
adverbmedium
By the way, or as a minor related point.
“Incidentally sounded familiar, but the player paused before calling out every letter.”
Origin: Latin
independent
adjectivemedium
Free from outside control or able to act without relying heavily on others.
“The word independent sparked the longest debate of the spelling round.”
Origin: Modern English / mixed roots
indict
verbhard
To formally charge with a crime.
“The group chat could indict all of us.”
Origin: Latin
indispensable
adjectivemedium
Absolutely necessary.
“The snack table is indispensable.”
Origin: Latin
intelligence
nounmedium
The ability to learn, understand, reason, and use knowledge.
“Intelligence is familiar enough to recognize and tricky enough to misspell.”
Origin: Latin via French
interrupt
verbmedium
To stop something briefly by breaking into it.
“The player could use interrupt naturally and still miss the spelling.”
Origin: Latin
iridescent
adjectivehard
Showing shifting rainbow-like colors as the viewing angle changes.
“The clue described something as iridescent, and the spelling debate started immediately.”
Origin: Latin
irresistible
adjectivemedium
Impossible to resist.
“The urge to shout letters is irresistible.”
Origin: Latin
jewelry
nounmedium
Decorative items worn on the body.
“She lost jewelry in three time zones.”
Origin: Old French
judgment
nounmedium
The ability to form sensible opinions or a decision reached after consideration.
“Someone used judgment correctly during the spelling round, then immediately second-guessed the spelling.”
Origin: Modern English / mixed roots
khaki
nounmedium
A dull yellowish-brown fabric or color.
“Nothing says surrender like khaki and a wrong first letter.”
Origin: Urdu
knife
nouneasy
A blade with a handle for cutting.
“Spell knife without whispering the k.”
Origin: Old Norse
leisure
nounmedium
Time when one is free from work.
“They spent the afternoon at leisure.”
Origin: Old French
liaison
nounhard
Communication between groups.
“She acts as the liaison.”
Origin: French
license
nounmedium
Official permission to do, own, or operate something.
“The group had heard license before the spelling round, but nobody trusted the spelling.”
Origin: Modern English / mixed roots
lightning
nounmedium
A sudden electrical flash in the atmosphere during a storm.
“A flash of lightning lit up the entire sky.”
Origin: Old English
mademoiselle
nounhard
A traditional French title for an unmarried woman or young woman.
“The old French phrase used mademoiselle before the woman's name.”
Origin: French
maintenance
nounmedium
The process of keeping something in good condition.
“The building needs maintenance.”
Origin: Old French
medieval
adjectivemedium
Relating to the Middle Ages.
“Everyone understood medieval, but the exact letter order was less obvious.”
Origin: Latin
memento
nounmedium
An object kept as a reminder of a person, place, or event.
“Everyone knew what memento meant, but the spelling still split the room.”
Origin: Latin
millennium
nounhard
A period of one thousand years.
“That turn took half a millennium.”
Origin: Latin
miniature
adjectivemedium
Very small of its kind.
“He painted miniature knights all weekend.”
Origin: Italian
minuscule
adjectivemedium
Extremely small.
“His chance of spelling this is minuscule.”
Origin: Latin
miscellaneous
adjectivehard
Made up of assorted unrelated things.
“The miscellaneous expenses line is doing heavy lifting.”
Origin: Latin
mischievous
adjectivemedium
Causing playful trouble.
“The mischievous kid hid the remote.”
Origin: Old French
misogynistic
adjectivehard
Showing dislike of, contempt for, or prejudice against women.
“The spelling round somehow ended with everyone talking about misogynistic.”
Origin: Modern English / mixed roots
misspell
verbmedium
To spell a word incorrectly.
“He managed to misspell misspell.”
Origin: English
mortgage
nounmedium
A loan secured by property, usually used to buy real estate.
“They compared mortgage rates before making an offer on the house.”
Origin: French
narcissistic
adjectivehard
Excessively self-focused, self-important, or lacking concern for others.
“The word narcissistic sparked the longest debate of the spelling round.”
Origin: Modern English / mixed roots
nauseous
adjectivemedium
Feeling sick to the stomach or likely to vomit.
“The clue described something as nauseous, and the spelling debate started immediately.”
Origin: Greek via Latin
necessary
adjectivemedium
Required to be done.
“A jacket is necessary tonight.”
Origin: Latin
ninth
adjectivemedium
Coming after eighth in a series.
“He was eliminated ninth for adding an E to ninth.”
Origin: Old English
noticeable
adjectivemedium
Easy to see or notice.
“The panic in his eyes was noticeable.”
Origin: Latin
occasion
nounmedium
A particular time or event.
“Spelling this right is a special occasion.”
Origin: Latin
occurrence
nounhard
An incident or event.
“It was a rare occurrence.”
Origin: Latin
omission
nounmedium
Something left out or the act of leaving something out.
“Everyone knew what omission meant, but the spelling still split the room.”
Origin: Latin
pastime
nounmedium
An activity done regularly for enjoyment.
“They used pastime correctly in conversation and then argued over the letters.”
Origin: English
permanent
adjectivemedium
Intended to last indefinitely rather than temporarily.
“Permanent looked familiar until the player had to say every letter.”
Origin: Latin
perseverance
nounmedium
Continued effort despite difficulty.
“Round three requires snacks and perseverance.”
Origin: Latin
pharmaceutical
adjectivehard
Relating to medicines, drugs, or their preparation and sale.
“Pharmaceutical looked familiar until the player had to say every letter.”
Origin: Greek via Latin
poinsettia
nounhard
A plant known for bright red or colored bracts, especially around winter holidays.
“The clue for poinsettia sounded easy until someone had to spell it aloud.”
Origin: Modern botanical name
possession
nounmedium
Something that is owned.
“Possession is nine tenths of the scoreboard.”
Origin: Latin
precede
verbmedium
To come before something else in time, position, or order.
“The instructions said one step would precede another, and then the spelling debate started.”
Origin: Latin
precedence
nounmedium
Priority in importance, order, or right.
“Precedence is familiar enough to recognize and tricky enough to misspell.”
Origin: Latin
preference
nounmedium
A greater liking for one option over another.
“They used preference correctly in conversation and then argued over the letters.”
Origin: Latin via French
preferred
adjectivemedium
Liked, chosen, or wanted more than another option.
“The group had heard preferred before the spelling round, but nobody trusted the spelling.”
Origin: Modern English / mixed roots
privilege
nounmedium
A special right or advantage.
“The front seat is a privilege, not a right.”
Origin: Latin
pronunciation
nounmedium
The way a word is spoken.
“Her pronunciation of the town started a feud.”
Origin: Latin
publicly
adverbmedium
In a way that is open, visible, or available to the general public.
“She apologized publicly after the clip went viral.”
Origin: Modern English / mixed roots
questionnaire
nounhard
A set of printed questions.
“Fill out the questionnaire.”
Origin: French
quiet
adjectiveeasy
Making little or no noise.
“It got real quiet after that guess.”
Origin: Latin
really
adverbeasy
In actual fact, very.
“Do you really want to bet on that spelling?”
Origin: Latin
receipt
nounmedium
A written record that payment was made.
“Keep the receipt in case your dignity is refundable.”
Origin: Latin
receive
verbmedium
To get something given or sent.
“You will receive zero points for that.”
Origin: Old French
recommend
verbmedium
To suggest that someone or something is a good choice.
“She knew how to recommend it, but still second-guessed the spelling.”
Origin: Modern English / mixed roots
reference
nounmedium
A source of information or a mention used to point to something.
“The round slowed down as soon as reference appeared.”
Origin: Latin via French
referred
verbmedium
Directed someone to another person, place, source, or subject.
“Everyone recognized the verb referred, but the written form caused hesitation.”
Origin: Latin
relevant
adjectiveeasy
Closely connected to the subject or situation being considered.
“When relevant appeared, the spelling round got noticeably louder.”
Origin: Modern English / mixed roots
repetition
nounmedium
The act of doing, saying, or writing something again.
“Nobody needed the definition of repetition; they needed another look at the spelling.”
Origin: Latin
restaurant
nounmedium
A business where customers buy and eat prepared meals.
“One person at the spelling round swore they knew restaurant; the spelling attempt said otherwise.”
Origin: Modern English / mixed roots
ridiculous
adjectivemedium
Extremely unreasonable, silly, or absurd.
“Ridiculous looked familiar until the player had to say every letter.”
Origin: Latin
schizophrenia
nounhard
A chronic psychiatric disorder involving disturbances in thought, perception, and behavior.
“The article discussed schizophrenia carefully and used the clinical term correctly.”
Origin: Greek
scissors
nounmedium
A two-bladed cutting tool.
“The good scissors are for fabric only.”
Origin: Old French and Latin
seize
verbmedium
To take hold of something suddenly or forcefully.
“She tried to seize the point and nearly reversed the vowels.”
Origin: Old French
separate
adjectivemedium
Forming a unit by itself.
“Keep the receipts separate.”
Origin: Latin
sergeant
nounhard
A rank of military or police officer.
“She runs game night like a sergeant.”
Origin: Old French
sieve
nounmedium
A utensil with a mesh for straining.
“Pour it through the sieve.”
Origin: Old English
sincerely
adverbmedium
In a genuine, honest, and heartfelt way.
“The player used sincerely correctly in a sentence, but still second-guessed the spelling.”
Origin: Latin
stationery
nounmedium
Writing materials such as paper, envelopes, and pens.
“The stationery order reminded everyone why the final vowel matters.”
Origin: English
subtle
adjectivemedium
Delicate or not obvious.
“There is nothing subtle about that silent B ruining your night.”
Origin: Latin
success
nounmedium
The achievement of an aim.
“We are calling second place a success.”
Origin: Latin
successful
adjectivemedium
Achieving the result or goal that was wanted.
“Everyone understood successful, but the exact letter order was less obvious.”
Origin: Latin
supersede
verbhard
To take the place of something.
“House rules supersede feelings tonight.”
Origin: Latin
surprise
nounmedium
An unexpected event.
“The surprise party surprised no one.”
Origin: Old French
tattoo
nounmedium
A permanent design made on skin with ink.
“Her newest tattoo is a tiny flower on her wrist.”
Origin: Polynesian via English
temperature
nounmedium
A measure of how hot or cold something is.
“Temperature is familiar enough to recognize and tricky enough to misspell.”
Origin: Latin
tendency
nounmedium
A usual direction, pattern, or likelihood of behavior.
“They used tendency correctly in conversation and then argued over the letters.”
Origin: Latin
threshold
nounmedium
A strip forming the bottom of a doorway.
“She paused at the threshold.”
Origin: Old English
tomorrow
nounmedium
The day after today.
“The diet starts tomorrow, again.”
Origin: Old English
tongue
nounmedium
The muscular organ in the mouth used for tasting and speech.
“His tongue tied itself just spelling the word tongue.”
Origin: Old English
transferred
verbmedium
Moved from one person, place, account, or position to another.
“They knew how to transferred; spelling it was the harder part.”
Origin: Latin
truly
adverbmedium
In an honest and genuine way.
“He truly believed there was an extra e.”
Origin: Old English
twelfth
adjectivemedium
Coming after eleventh.
“This is your twelfth snack since dinner.”
Origin: Old English
unnecessarily
adverbhard
In a way that is not needed or could have been avoided.
“He unnecessarily complicated a five-minute task.”
Origin: Modern English / mixed roots
until
prepositionmedium
Up to the time or point when something happens.
“We stayed outside until the rain started.”
Origin: Old Norse / Old English
usage
nounmedium
The way a word, object, or practice is commonly used.
“Everyone knew what usage meant, but the spelling still split the room.”
Origin: French
vacuum
nounmedium
A space entirely devoid of matter.
“He finally bought a vacuum.”
Origin: Latin
vengeance
nounmedium
Punishment inflicted in return for a wrong.
“He came back with a vengeance and lost again.”
Origin: Old French
veterinarian
nounhard
A doctor trained to diagnose and treat animals.
“Everyone knew what veterinarian meant, but the spelling still split the room.”
Origin: Latin
Wednesday
proper nounmedium
The third day of the working week.
“He spelled Wednesday like Woden himself was dictating.”
Origin: Old English
weird
adjectivemedium
Strange or unusual.
“It is spelled weird because it is weird.”
Origin: Old English
whether
nouneasy
A word used to introduce alternatives or uncertainty between possibilities.
“Someone confidently said whether in the spelling round and immediately got challenged on the spelling.”
Origin: Modern English / mixed roots
which
pronouneasy
A word used to choose between options.
“Nobody knows which witch is which.”
Origin: Old English
whole
adjectiveeasy
Entire, complete.
“He ate the whole thing during my turn.”
Origin: Old English
withhold
verbmedium
To hold back, refuse to give, or keep from someone.
“The player could use withhold naturally and still miss the spelling.”
Origin: Old English
writing
nouneasy
Words set down on a page.
“His writing looks like a ransom note.”
Origin: Old English

Practise them as a game

Reading a list doesn't stick. Start a free game, pick the Commonly Misspelled pack, and every word above gets read aloud with its definition while you type it under pressure. More lists are on the word packs page.

Ready to ruin a friendship?

Free to play in the browser. No downloads, no accounts — cast one screen and everyone joins with a 4-letter code.

Join with a code

Commonly misspelled words

Why these words catch people

Double letters

Silent letters

-ance vs -ence

Words autocorrect fixes for you

The list (185 words)

absence

accessible

accidentally

accommodate

achieve

acquire

address

advisable

aggressive

aisle

apparently

argument

asthma

attendance

awkward

basically

because

beginning

believe

bellwether

beneficial

bizarre

bureaucracy

business

calendar

camouflage

category

ceiling

cemetery

changeable

chiropractic

collectible

column

committed

committee

concede

congratulations

conscience

conscientiousness

conscious

convenience

convenient

correspondence

courteous

deceive

definite

definitely

dependent

descendant

desiccated

desperate

dilemma

disappear

disappoint

disingenuous

ecstasy

efficient

eighth

embarrass

embarrassment

entrepreneur

environment

equipment

exaggerate

exceed

exhilarate

existence

experience

familiar

February

fiery

finally

foreign