50 Commonly Misspelled Words (and How to Avoid Them)

Even the best writers stumble over spelling. English is full of silent letters, awkward vowel pairings, and words that look nothing like they sound. Throw in the occasional difference between British English spelling vs. American English spelling, and it’s no wonder common misspellings creep into even the best writing.

This guide rounds up 50 of the most commonly misspelled words in English, presented in British English with their common spelling mistakes – and the American variants where they differ. Each entry comes with a quick memory trick to help you remember it for good.

Bookmark it, print it out, or keep it open in a tab for when those “Is that right?” moments strike.

50 Commonly Misspelled Words: At a Glance

50 Commonly Misspelled Words in English: Explained

1. Accommodate

This word is infamous for its two sets of double letters. Many people drop one “c” or one “m” without realising. Picture a big hotel that can “accommodate” both doubles — two c’s and two m’s — like extra beds in a room.

• Meaning: Provide lodging, space, or enough room for something or someone.
• Common misspellings: accomodate, acommodate
• Correct spelling: accommodate

2. Acknowledgement

Between silent letters and UK/US differences, this one is a minefield. In British English, we keep the “e” after the “g”; Americans drop it. The silent “g” stays in both.

• Meaning: Recognition or acceptance of something.
• Common misspellings: acknowlegment, acknowlagement
• Correct spelling (UK): acknowledgement
• American spelling: acknowledgment

3. Acquire

The “qu” + “ire” combination trips people up. Think ac + quire — like “require” without the “re.”

• Meaning: To gain, get, or obtain something.
• Common misspellings: aquire, aquier
• Correct spelling: acquire

4. Argument

You start with “argue,” so it’s tempting to keep the final “e” when adding “-ment,” but you drop it.

• Meaning: A disagreement or a set of reasons supporting a point.
• Common misspellings: arguement
• Correct spelling: argument

5. Believe

Classic “i before e” case — it follows the rule, but people still swap them. Think: “I believe I before e.”

• Meaning: To accept as true or have confidence in something.
• Common misspellings: beleive, belive
• Correct spelling: believe

6. Calendar

People often type “calender” or “calandar.” Break it down into cal-en-dar.

• Meaning: A chart showing days, weeks, and months of the year.
• Common misspellings: calender, calandar
• Correct spelling: calendar

7. Cemetery

Sounds like it should end in “-ary,” but it’s “-ery.” There are three “e”s in cemetery — one for each syllable.

• Meaning: A place where the dead are buried.
• Common misspellings: cemetary, cematery
• Correct spelling: cemetery

8. Changeable

Most words drop the “e” before “-able,” but here it stays to keep the “g” soft.

• Meaning: Able to change or be changed.
• Common misspellings: changable, changeble
• Correct spelling: changeable

9. Colleague

Many forget the “u” in the “-league” part. Think “coll” (collective) + “league” (sports league).

• Meaning: A co-worker or professional associate.
• Common misspellings: collegue, coleague, collaegue
• Correct spelling: colleague

10. Column

The “n” is silent but always there — remember “columnist.”

• Meaning: An upright pillar or a vertical section in writing.
• Common misspellings: colum, colomn
• Correct spelling: column

11. Commitment

Double “m”s in the middle are the common trip-up. Comes from “commit” + “-ment.”

• Meaning: A promise, pledge, or dedication to a cause.
• Common misspellings: comitment, committment
• Correct spelling: commitment

12. Conscience

Think “con” + “science” — your conscience is like the science of knowing right from wrong.

• Meaning: An inner sense of morality.
• Common misspellings: concience, consience
• Correct spelling: conscience

13. Conscious

Means “awake and aware,” ending in “-scious” (sounds like “shus”).

• Meaning: Aware of and responding to one’s surroundings.
• Common misspellings: concious, consious
• Correct spelling: conscious

14. Consensus

No double letters — ends with “-sus,” not “-us.”

• Meaning: General agreement within a group.
• Common misspellings: concensus, consencus
• Correct spelling: consensus

15. Definitely

Possibly the most abused word online — “definately” and “definatly” are everywhere. The fix? See “finite” in the middle and add “ly.”

• Meaning: Without doubt; for certain.
• Common misspellings: definately, definatly, definitley
• Correct spelling: definitely

16. Discipline

This one looks more complicated than it is. People trip over the “sc” and often miss the silent “i” before “pline.” Break it down into dis + ci + pline. Picture discipline as being made of small, structured steps — like the word itself.

• Meaning: Training or self-control; a branch of knowledge.
• Common misspellings: disipline, descipline, displine
• Correct spelling: discipline

17. Embarrass

Double “r” and double “s” make this a double-trouble word. People often drop one of them without noticing. Say it slowly as “em-bar-rass” to hear both pairs.

• Meaning: To cause someone to feel awkward, ashamed, or self-conscious.
• Common misspellings: embarass, embaras
• Correct spelling: embarrass

18. Exceed

Two “e”s in the middle are the key here, not “excede.” Comes from Latin excedere, meaning “to go beyond.”

• Meaning: To go beyond a set limit.
• Common misspellings: excede, exseed
• Correct spelling: exceed

19. Existence

People often replace the “e” with an “a” in the middle or insert extra letters. Just remember it comes from “exist” + “-ence.”

• Meaning: The state of being real or present.
• Common misspellings: existance, existents
• Correct spelling: existence

20. Familia

Sounds like it should have extra vowels, but there’s only one “i” after the “m.” Read it slowly as fa-mil-yar.

• Meaning: Well-known or easily recognised.
• Common misspellings: familar, familier
• Correct spelling: familiar

21. Fluorescent

The “u” after “fl” and “sc” before “ent” cause the trouble. Comes from “fluor” + “escent” (meaning glowing).

• Meaning: Glowing or emitting light.
• Common misspellings: flourescent, florescent
• Correct spelling: fluorescent

22. Foreseeable

From “foresee” — keep both e’s before “-able.” Say it as fore-see-able.

• Meaning: Able to be predicted.
• Common misspellings: forseeable, forseable
• Correct spelling: foreseeable

23. Government

The silent “n” in the middle is often forgotten. Say it as gov-er-n-ment to remember.

• Meaning: The group or system that governs a community or country.
• Common misspellings: goverment, govenment
• Correct spelling: government

24. Guarante

The unusual “u-a-r” at the start and “tee” at the end confuse people. Think “guar” + “antee.”

• Meaning: A formal assurance or promise.
• Common misspellings: garantee, guarentee, gaurantee
• Correct spelling: guarantee

25. Harass

Many double the “r” instead of the “s.” Remember: one “r,” two “s”s.

• Meaning: To annoy or bother repeatedly.
• Common misspellings: harrass, haras
• Correct spelling: harass

26. Height

The “-eight” ending looks like the number eight but isn’t pronounced the same. Think “high” + “t.”

• Meaning: Measurement from base to top.
• Common misspellings: heigth, heigt
• Correct spelling: height

27. Independent

“Depend” sits right in the middle — keeping that in mind helps prevent mistakes.

• Meaning: Free from outside control; self-sufficient.
• Common misspellings: independant, indpendant
• Correct spelling: independent

28. Knowledge

Silent “k” at the start and “-ledge” at the end. Remember “know” is right there at the start — like knowledge you already have.

• Meaning: Information, understanding, or skill gained through experience or education.
• Common misspellings: knowlege, knoledge, knowldge
• Correct spelling: knowledge

29. Licence

Here’s a UK/US split: in British English, “licence” is the noun; “license” is the verb. Americans use “license” for both.

• Meaning: Official permission to do something.
• Common misspellings: lisence
• Correct spelling (UK): licence
• American spelling: license

30. Maintenance

The “ten” in the middle often gets lost. It comes from “maintain,” but drops the second “a.”

• Meaning: The process of keeping something in good working order.
• Common misspellings: maintainance, maintanance
• Correct spelling: maintenance

31. Manoeuvre

The UK form keeps the French-inspired “oeu.” Americans simplify to “maneuver.”

• Meaning: A planned movement or skillful action.
• Common misspellings: manuver, manuever, maneuvre
• Correct spelling (UK): manoeuvre
• American spelling: maneuver

32. Millennium

Double Ls and double Ns are easy to miss. Break it into mil + len + nium.

• Meaning: A period of a thousand years.
• Common misspellings: milenium, millenium
• Correct spelling: millennium

33. Necessary

One collar (c), two socks (s) — the classic mnemonic.

• Meaning: Required or essential.
• Common misspellings: neccessary, necesary
• Correct spelling: necessary

34. Noticeable

Keep the “e” in “notice” to preserve the soft “c” sound before “-able.”

• Meaning: Easy to see or observe.
• Common misspellings: noticable
• Correct spelling: noticeable

35. Occasionally

Double letters appear twice — “cc” and “ll.” Missing one is common.

• Meaning: Happening from time to time.
• Common misspellings: ocassionally, occassionally, ocasionaly
• Correct spelling: occasionally

36. Occurrence

From “occur,” but double the “c” and “r” before adding “-ence.”

• Meaning: An event or incident.
• Common misspellings: occurence, ocurrence
• Correct spelling: occurrence

37. Parallel

The symmetry of the word matches its meaning — the double Ls in the middle and at the end are parallel.

• Meaning: Lines or things side by side that never meet.
• Common misspellings: paralel, parralel, parrallel
• Correct spelling: parallel

38. Pastime

It’s not “pass time,” even though that’s the origin. Only one “s” in the middle.

• Meaning: An activity done for enjoyment.
• Common misspellings: passtime, pass time
• Correct spelling: pastime

39. Perseverance

The “ver” in the middle and “ance” at the end cause mistakes. Break into per + se + ver + ance.

• Meaning: Continued effort despite difficulties.
• Common misspellings: perserverance, perseverence, persiverance
• Correct spelling: perseverance

40. Personnel

Not to be confused with “personal.” The double N helps distinguish it.

• Meaning: Staff or employees.
• Common misspellings: personal, personel
• Correct spelling: personnel

41. Playwright

It’s “wright” (builder), not “write.” A playwright builds plays.

• Meaning: A person who writes plays.
• Common misspellings: playwrite, playrite
• Correct spelling: playwright

42. Possession

Two pairs of double S — one after “po” and one before “ion.”

• Meaning: Something you own.
• Common misspellings: posession, possesion
• Correct spelling: possession

43. Privilege

The middle isn’t pronounced like it looks, so people add or swap letters. Break into pri + vi + lege.

• Meaning: A special right or advantage.
• Common misspellings: privelege, priviledge, privelage
• Correct spelling: privilege

44. Publicly

Most “-ic” words add “-ally” for the adverb, but “public” is an exception — just add “-ly.”

• Meaning: In a manner visible to everyone.
• Common misspellings: publically
• Correct spelling: publicly

45. Receipt

Silent “p” and the “i before e except after c” rule both apply.

• Meaning: Proof of purchase.
• Common misspellings: reciept, recipet
• Correct spelling: receipt

46. Receive

Follows the “i before e except after c” rule perfectly — but still gets flipped.

• Meaning: To be given or presented with something.
• Common misspellings: recieve, recive
• Correct spelling: receive

47. Recommend

One “c” but double “m”s — many overcorrect with an extra “c.”

• Meaning: To suggest something as good or suitable.
• Common misspellings: reccommend, recomend, reccomend
• Correct spelling: recommend

48. Referred

From “refer” — double the final consonant before adding “-ed.”

• Meaning: Directed someone to a source or place.
• Common misspellings: refered, reffered
• Correct spelling: referred

49. Relevant

Middle vowels cause slips — ends in “-vant,” not “-vent” or “-lant.”

• Meaning: Closely connected to the topic at hand.
• Common misspellings: relevent, relavent, revalent
• Correct spelling: relevant

50. Restaurant

The “au” in the middle is where people go wrong. Break into res + tau + rant.

• Meaning: A place where meals are prepared and served to customers.
• Common misspellings: resturant, resteraunt, restaraunt
• Correct spelling: restaurant

Final Word

Spelling mistakes happen to everyone! But now you’ve got 50 of the most commonly misspelled words in English mastered. Keep an eye out for the patterns you’ve spotted here: double letters, silent letters, tricky vowel combinations, and word endings that don’t sound like they look.

Bookmark this list of English spelling tips for quick reference, and you’ll catch more typos, spelling errors, and common misspellings before they hit “send” or “publish.”

📚 Next up: Check out our guide to 50 Confusing Words You’re Probably Mixing Up and keep improving your grammar, vocabulary, and writing skills.