10 Words You Need to Stop Misspelling

Created by The Oatmeal

50 thoughts on “10 Words You Need to Stop Misspelling

  1. E. Hirsch

    Excellent list. Just one more: ‘alright’ is not a word either! It’s ‘all right’ or it’s all wrong. Thank you & Happy New Year! ๐Ÿ˜‰

  2. Mel C

    I’m so happy they mentioned the difference between “effect” and “affect.” English is my SECOND language, and even I can tell the difference… why can’t anybody else? Those two words (and people who don’t know how to use them) are my main pet peeve. Although, “their,” “there,” and “they’re” also make me grind my teeth when used improperly.

  3. Michael Henry Starks

    Awesome list. One more: The past tense of the verb “to lead” is led. “Lead” is the metal. I led the rescue party to the manatee that had sunk to the bottom after ingesting too many lead sinkers.

  4. Justin

    Ironically, the “affect” / “effect” example works both ways. Since the albeit less commonly-used verb tense of the word “effect” means “to create,” a child can also be “effected” by his parents.

  5. Sara

    Great list! I would add to, too, and two. To is an adverb (go to the store), too is an adjective (too many people use these words incorrectly), and two is a noun (the number two).

  6. L. Dianne Jewell

    Great website! Your pictures & funny storyline make the words memorable, they’ll stick w/ you. This would be a perfect learning tool for school (well, w/out the “a-hole” comment! LOL). Thks!

  7. Kyle

    @Sara

    You have the uses of the words “to”, “too”, and “two” correct, but you seem to be struggling with the parts of speech of all three.

    “To” is usually a preposition (as it is in your example). “Too” is an adverb because it modifies an adjective or adverb, not a noun. “Two” is usually an adjective because it modifies a noun, but it can behave as a noun also.

  8. Michael Vick

    You can’t have a list without ‘JUDGMENT’. I don’t think there is a more commonly misspelled word out there (percentage-wise). Heck, so many people believe it’s spelled ‘judgement’ that I’ve seen it misspelled on t-shirts and published material.

  9. Morgan Grandon

    Thanks for the “their”, “they’re”, and “there” part of the list. That gets so bad that I saw a sign for Jim Trenary that spelled it wrong.

  10. Paul L

    I love this list! I cringe each time I see someone using one of them inappropriately. I must disagree with E Hirsch; alright is a word. We learned it in elementary school 35 years ago and were taught to use it. Alright is in the dictionary and is considered “proper”.

  11. Jez Jax

    Will mention one of my pet peeves and one I find misspelled OFTEN!! If you put an “e” in separate (seperate) then you are an eeejit.

  12. grandma B

    my pet peeve is using lay for lie and not understanding the difference between the intransitive lie-lay-lain and the transitive lay-laid-laid. I lay down yesterday after I laid my blanket on the bed. ZZZZzzzz….

  13. Jen

    Some of my pet peeves are which vs witch, recieve instead of receive, know vs no, here vs hear and others that have been mentioned already!

  14. Pete Pev

    I could of asked you two mention the “could of” issue but, I think it would of bean wierd.

  15. Jonjo Powers

    I have insisted on using the word “alot” alot. I’m very fond of the notion that I can have alot of something. However, after getting the spell check underscore alot when I write “alot,” I have acquiesced. I surrender. Even if I write “alot” alot, it’s still going to be “a lot.”

  16. Shelly

    You forgot “lightning” and “lightening” in the list!! Like the hopefully not actual Michael Vick (because I would like to kick HIM in the hemmies), these two are confused so much that I’ve seen lightening where it should be lightning, and vice versa, in even published things.

    Lightning is the pretty stuff in the sky when you have a LIGHTNING storm. “Holy crap, he was just hit by a bolt of lightning!”
    Lightening refers to your lamps and light bulbs. “The lightening in this room sucks.”

  17. katie

    Shelly,

    Sorry, but I think you’re mistaken on that last one. “Lightening” would refer to things like lightening your hair color or the paint for the walls.

    “Lighting” refers to your lamps and light bulbs. I used to work in that industry.

    But, you’re absolutely correct on “lightning” and “lightening” getting confused.

  18. The Janitor

    I cried a little inside. I’m confused by apostrophes’ and I tired to click on the “click here” to learn about apos’trophes’ next to the manatee and it didn’t’ work. ‘ Know I’ll never no how to ewes ap’os’tro’phes’. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Wierd.

  19. Frank Rui Jiang

    HAHAHAHA, I loled so hard on this, great article!

    However, I often see these mistakes happen on blogs despite all of them are native english speakers! It’s really strange to me.

  20. Leigh Kostiainen

    This is a fantastic post … very nervous writing this comment for fear of spelling mistakes now LOL (is LOL a word hahaha of course not!)

    I had a great laugh at this list, well done.

    Leigh ๐Ÿ™‚

  21. Marilu Veale

    I remember figuring out something of how my brain stores word spelling when I was asked how definite was spelled and I replied “Just take finite and add a de to the front of it.” And I never knew that was in my mind until I said it!

  22. Deanna

    how about “sit”, “sat”, “set”
    people sit wherever they sat… a person sets an object down somewhere… difficult to “set” one's own self somewhere…

  23. Kaurmehar16

    Great facts. Thanks a lot ( alot….lolssssssss) for this so valuable information. And must say, the drawings and Fonts are just Fantastic. Great job !!

  24. CSS Design

    Like the hopefully not actual Michael Vick , these two are confused so much that I've seen lightening where it should be lightning, and vice versa, in even published things.

  25. Fed Mod

    I've noticed educators and many editors have a lot of trouble distinguishing the words effective and affective, often assuming the latter is a misspelling!

  26. Freight broker

    I cringe each time I see someone using one of them inappropriately. I must disagree with E Hirsch; alright is a word. We learned it in elementary school 35 years ago and were taught to use it.

  27. Laura

    “Lose” lost an o.

    Dessert has 2 S because you always want a second helping of dessert.

    Necessary is like a shirt: one C-ollar and 2 S-leeves.

  28. JIM

    My pets: “One of my best friends” (best is a superlative; not a comparative.. should be ‘one of my better friends”) Same with “really unique” – kind of like “sort of pregnant”.

    Also ‘alterated’, “orientated” and “preventative”. I know the U.K. can get away with them but I prefer altered, oriented and preventive.

    And finally, principle and principal. The first is a rule or doctrine and the second is either a person or the non-interest part of a loan. “The principal actor in the play used to be an elementary school principal who held to the principle that one should never pay interest on a loan; only principal.

    Ok, done – thanks for listening..

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