Commonly Misspelled Words (and Tricks to Remember Them)

English spelling is a minefield. Even fluent writers trip over words like definitely, separate, and accommodate - words that seem to defy both reason and phonics. English inherited its spelling quirks from centuries of linguistic borrowing: Latin roots, French endings, and silent letters from nowhere. The result? A language that looks like it was assembled by committee.

But spelling doesn’t have to be guesswork. The trick isn’t brute-force memorization; it’s learning the patterns, understanding why certain words behave the way they do, and using clever memory hooks. Here’s a deep dive into the most commonly misspelled English words - and how to make them finally stick.

Why We Misspell Words

Before the list, a quick truth: most people don’t forget spellings because they’re lazy. The brain remembers patterns, not exceptions. When English throws “weird” rules (“i before e except after c… except when not”), your memory struggles to categorize them. Add homophones (their/there/they’re) and silent letters (debt, island), and you’ve got chaos.

Memory also fades fast without reinforcement. That's why brief, consistent review - spaced repetition - works far better than cramming. A few minutes of practice daily strengthens neural links, making tricky spellings automatic over time.

1. Double Trouble: Words That Love Extra Letters

These words often double consonants or vowels in confusing places. They look “too long,” but trimming them makes them wrong.

Word	Common Error	Trick to Remember
accommodate	accomodate	Two cs, two ms - think “it accommodates doubles.”
embarrass	embarass	Double the r, double the s. It’s so embarrassing you blush twice.
occurrence	occurance	Double the c and r, but the e at the end makes it look right.
committee	commitee	So official, it needs three doubles: mm, tt, ee.
successfully	sucessfully	“Success” itself has two cs and two ss - success demands excess.

Pro tip: English often doubles a consonant when adding a suffix (running, beginning), but not always (opened, visited). If it feels doubled, check it.

2. Rule Breakers: Words That Ignore “i Before e”

“I before e except after c” works - until it doesn’t.

Word	Common Error	Trick
weird	wierd	It is weird - that’s the rule-breaker mnemonic.
seize	sieze	You seize the exception.
foreign	foriegn	Think of foreign reigns - both defy the rule.
neither / leisure	nie…	When in doubt, think their neighbor’s weird leisure. That one sentence breaks every rule.

3. Silent Sneaks: Words With Invisible Letters

Letters that serve no purpose but to confuse.

Word	Common Error	Trick
subtle	sutle	The b is as subtle as the word’s meaning.
debt	det	Debt carries a silent b from its Latin root debitum.
island	iland	Picture an island with a silent s like “sea.”
receipt	reciept	You receive a receipt - both have “ei.”
psychology	psycology	The p is invisible to the ear, not the eye.

4. Sound Traps: Words That Sound Right Either Way

Homophones and near-homophones - words that trick your ear.

Word	Common Mix-Up	Trick
affect / effect	Both used interchangeably	Affect is an action (verb). Effect is the end result (noun). A → Action, E → End.
lose / loose	lose = misplace, loose = not tight	You lose one o when you lose something.
their / they’re / there	all of them	Their = possession. They’re = they are. There = location. (Try saying “they are” in your sentence - if it fits, use they’re.)
then / than	time vs. comparison	Then = time, Than = comparison. If you’re comparing, choose than.
compliment / complement	praise vs. completion	I in compliment = I praise you. E in complement = they fit together.

5. Everyday Offenders

The words everyone misspells because we see them so often, we stop noticing.

Word	Common Error	Trick
definitely	definately, defiantly	There’s no “a” in definitely - be definitely sure, not defiantly wrong.
separate	seperate	There’s a rat in separate.
necessary	neccessary	One c, two ss - it’s necessary to remember.
recommend	reccommend	Only one c, two ms. “I recommend keeping calm.”
February	Febuary	Pronounce it “Feb-ROO-ary.” The r is real.
maintenance	maintainance	Comes from maintain + -ance. Keep the tain.
occurred	occured	Double r after the stress. Think “it occurred correctly.”

6. Academic & Workplace Traps

Words that often appear in essays, reports, and emails - and embarrass the writer.

Word	Common Error	Trick
independent	independant	Ends with -ent, not -ant. Independence ends with -ence.
separate	seperate	Worth repeating - don’t forget the rat.
definitely	definately	Repeat offender - use finite as your cue: de-finite-ly.
guarantee	garantee	Remember “GUAR + ANTEE” - you’re guaranteed to spell it right.
privilege	privelege	The i after v matters. Think “private” + “-lege.”
business	buisness	It’s the busy-ness of life.
rhythm	rythm	No vowels between r and thm - weirdly musical.

7. American vs. British Confusions

Both are correct - depending on where you are.

American	British	Note
color	colour	Add u for British elegance.
organize	organise	UK prefers s to z (but both accepted).
traveled	travelled	Brits double the l.
center	centre	Brits reverse it - theatre, metre, etc.

Tip: Always match the variant your audience expects - and be consistent.

8. Memory Tricks That Actually Work

1. Make it Visual

   Turn the word into a picture. For "separate," imagine a tiny cartoon rat between the as.

2. Say It Wrong to Remember It Right

   Over-pronounce silent letters: Wed-nes-day, Feb-ROO-ary, de-bt.

3. Use Mini-Stories

   For necessary: "One collar (c), two socks (s)." For accommodation: "Two cots, two mattresses."

4. Spaced Repetition

   The brain forgets unless reminded at intervals. Instead of cramming on Sunday night, review for a minute each day. That's the science behind how memory sticks - and exactly how tools like Spelling.School train your long-term spelling memory. To understand why spaced repetition is so effective, see our comprehensive guide to the science of spelling and spaced repetition. And if you're looking for spelling apps that use this technique, check out our guide to the best spelling apps for kids.

5. Write by Hand

   Writing engages motor memory - your hand "feels" correct spellings faster than your brain does.

6. Learn in Small Sets

   Don't study 100 words at once. Learn 10, quiz yourself tomorrow, and again next week. For a practical routine that incorporates this approach, see our 10-minute daily spelling practice routine that makes consistent practice manageable for busy families.

9. Turning Frustration Into Fun

Spelling isn’t a test of intelligence - it’s pattern recognition. Once you understand why English words look strange, they stop being random and start being puzzles. Every tricky word hides a story: Latin echoes, phonetic remnants, silent partners. The goal isn’t to memorize every exception, but to train your memory to notice them.

And when you do, those old enemies - definitely, necessary, embarrass - lose their power.

If you are an adult learner and feel like you "should" already know this, remember that you are not alone. Our article on why adults struggle with spelling explains why this happens and how to fix it without starting from scratch.

Conclusion

Mastering English spelling isn't about memorizing thousands of exceptions - it's about recognizing patterns, understanding the logic behind the chaos, and using smart memory techniques. The words that trip you up today can become second nature tomorrow with the right approach. Whether you're struggling with double letters, silent consonants, or homophones, there's a pattern to learn and a trick to remember. The key is consistent practice: a few minutes daily beats hours of cramming. For more strategies on making spelling practice work in real family schedules, see our guide for busy parents. Start with the words that haunt you most, apply the memory tricks that resonate, and watch your confidence grow. Before long, you'll find yourself spelling correctly without thinking - because your brain has learned to see the patterns, not just memorize the letters.

Ready to Lock These Words In?

A few minutes of smart practice can transform spelling from guesswork to second nature. Try revisiting a handful of these words each day and see how fast they stick. If you'd like a simpler way to make that habit automatic, tools like Spelling.School use spaced repetition to do it for you - five minutes a day, no overwhelm, just results.

Because spelling shouldn't be a battle. It should be a rhythm - one your brain remembers effortlessly.