Thursday, February 24, 2011

Spelling Demons

How can you tell a spelling demon? 

They're the words that look wrong even when they're right. I know you can spell all right because it's the opposite of all wrong. Maybe you were lucky enough to learn that a lot is two words, rarefyhas that pesky e, and sacrilegious has a whole lot of letters.

There are still tons of words lying (laying?) in wait for you.

 Here are 10 common spelling demons that have no doubt been deviling you for years:
  1. traveler. The British spell it with two l's, but Americans don't double-up, except in accented syllables (such as controlled, referral, propeller).
  2. coolly. Here, you're just adding the suffix to the root. (I know it still looks funny. But it's right. Trust me.)
  3. embarrass. Two r's and two s's. But then again, we have harass.
  4. unparalleled. Memorize this sucker. There's no other way around it.
  5. nickel. Is there any justice in the world?
  6. glamour. We can deal with this … but what about glamorous?
  7. resuscitate. That's why people learn CPR; they're too busy being heroes (not heros) to spell what they just did.
  8. genealogy. Like its first cousins mineralogy and analogy, one of a few words that doesn't end with -ology.
  9. pavilion. That's what we get for taking words from the French. Cotillion andvermilion also pose difficulty.
  10. dysfunction. Because so many people have it, better learn how to spell it (maybe a cure is easier?).
(Giggles)

I've been mastering this for some time. And I'll make sure to myself that I will never be deviled by those words above :)

Have a great day everyone!

1 comment:

John B. Marine said...

Some of these are frequently misspelled words for me personally. Nice post! :)

johnbmarine.blogspot.com

Spelling Demons

How can you tell a spelling demon? 

They're the words that look wrong even when they're right. I know you can spell all right because it's the opposite of all wrong. Maybe you were lucky enough to learn that a lot is two words, rarefyhas that pesky e, and sacrilegious has a whole lot of letters.

There are still tons of words lying (laying?) in wait for you.

 Here are 10 common spelling demons that have no doubt been deviling you for years:
  1. traveler. The British spell it with two l's, but Americans don't double-up, except in accented syllables (such as controlled, referral, propeller).
  2. coolly. Here, you're just adding the suffix to the root. (I know it still looks funny. But it's right. Trust me.)
  3. embarrass. Two r's and two s's. But then again, we have harass.
  4. unparalleled. Memorize this sucker. There's no other way around it.
  5. nickel. Is there any justice in the world?
  6. glamour. We can deal with this … but what about glamorous?
  7. resuscitate. That's why people learn CPR; they're too busy being heroes (not heros) to spell what they just did.
  8. genealogy. Like its first cousins mineralogy and analogy, one of a few words that doesn't end with -ology.
  9. pavilion. That's what we get for taking words from the French. Cotillion andvermilion also pose difficulty.
  10. dysfunction. Because so many people have it, better learn how to spell it (maybe a cure is easier?).
(Giggles)

I've been mastering this for some time. And I'll make sure to myself that I will never be deviled by those words above :)

Have a great day everyone!

1 comment:

John B. Marine said...

Some of these are frequently misspelled words for me personally. Nice post! :)

johnbmarine.blogspot.com