Whether it’s the spellchecker on your computer as you type or autocorrect on your phone as you text, spelling is constantly being checked. Technology is always trying to correct our misspellings because correct spelling is important to help the reader understand the message. English grammar and vocabulary evolve over time, but the standard spelling of English words remains mostly that; standard. Spelling doesn’t change over time in the same way other aspects of the English language do and spelling ability varies by individual. If you ask someone, “Is that word hard to spell?”, you’ll likely get different answers.
Loan words, or words borrowed from other languages like French and German, can be very difficult to spell but are considered fair game in an English language spelling bee. English is known to use many loan words from other languages.
Below is a list of some hard loan words to spell.
French Spelling Words
- Bondieuserie
- Bourrée
- Clafouti
- Gaillardia
- Paillasson
- Pissaladière
- Réseau
- Sarrusophone
- Zenaida
German Spelling Words
- Bewusstseinslage
- Drahthaar
- Hallenkirche
- Schefflera
- Schwärmerei
- Schwyzer
- Vitrophyre
Most Misspelled Words
Some words are hard to spell because they contain silent letters or are loan words from other languages. Spelling hard words is one thing, but some very commonly spoken English words are hard to spell, even for native English speakers. Below is a list of some of the most misspelled words that most people think they can spell but are frequently spelled wrong.
Pharaoh
- Often misspelled as pharoah.
Definitely
- Usually misspelled definately.
Government/Environment
- Many people forget the n in the middle of these words.
Separate
- It’s easy to make the first a an e, leading to the common misspelling seperate.
Receive
- Switching letters around turns this word into the commonly misspelled recieve.
Accommodate
- Words with double letters often lead to the wrong letter being omitted or doubled. This word is often misspelled accomodate.
Reading the above words isn’t difficult, so it’s interesting that spelling them correctly can be such a challenge. Spelling words correctly is a skill, even if the word itself is easy to read.
Longest English Words
Words with many letters are more likely to be misspelled. Many of these words are related to medicine or other fields of science, making the spelling of these words a specialized skill. To be fair, the average English speaker and reader will likely never come across these words in daily life, but they are fun to know and even to try to pronounce.
- Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis (45 letters)
- Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia (36 letters)
- Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (34 letters)
- Pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism (30 letters)
- Floccinaucinihilipilification (29 letters)
- Antidisestablishmentarianism (28 letters)
- Honorificabilitudinitatibus (27 letters)
- Thyroparathyroidectomized (25 letters)
- Dichlorodifluoromethane (23 letters)
- Incomprehensibilities (21 letters)
Hardest Spelling Bee Words
Outside of a medical dictionary, spelling bees at the highest level typically have the hardest words to spell. Every year, the Scripps National Spelling Bee draws a huge TV audience on ESPN, making it like a sports competition. It makes sense if you think about it. Individuals competing to be the best at a mental skill as opposed to a physical one can be exciting to watch. It’s the same reason quiz shows that test different areas of knowledge are so popular.
Below are some of the most difficult winning words from the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Insouciant (1951) winning word
- This word means lighthearted unconcern.
Crustaceology (1955) winning word
- This word relates to the study of crustaceans.
Staphylococci (1987) winning word
- This word is a kind of bacteria.
Chiaroscurist (1998) winning word
- This word describes artists who do chiaroscuro art.
Prospicience (2002)winning word
- This word relates to foresight.
Autochthonous (2004) winning word
- This word means native.
Appoggiatura (2005) winning word
- This word is a type of musical note.
Ursprache (2006) winning word
- This word means mother language.
Cymotrichous (2011) winning word
- This word means wavy hair.
Scherenschnitte (2015) winning word
- This word means decorative paper cutting.
At the 2019 Scripps National Spelling Bee there was an eight-way tie. This happened because, after 20 rounds, eight elite spellers were still standing having spelled all of their words up to that point correctly. The eight winning words in 2019 were:
- erysipelas
- auslaut
- palama
- aiguillette
- odylic
- bougainvillea
- pendeloque
- cernuous
A word like palama may be easy to read, but words, particularly difficult words to spell, don’t always sound the way they should be spelled when spoken out loud.
How do you make yourself a better speller? Make a list of hard to spell words and try to use at least one new word every day. If you need help, use a language tool like a dictionary to help you find the correct spelling and how to use the new word correctly. Spelling words can be difficult, but learning the correct spelling of new words one by one can make the words hard to spell easier to remember.
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