The 10 Most Common Spelling Mistakes in English

The 10 Most Common Spelling Mistakes in English How to Avoid the Most Common English Spelling Mistakes ChaptersA Mismatch Made in Heaven: English Pronunciation and Spelling10 Nightmare Spellings You Will Encounter in Your English LessonsFor English native speakers as well as those who learn English as a foreign language, getting the hang of English grammar and spelling is a frustrating task.Sadly for some, every learner has to study English spelling in addition to their English listening comprehension, literacy skills, speaking skills, reading and writing skills as well as practicing their knowledge of slang and idiomatic phrases to improve their overall proficiency and language skills.With an international status, few irregular verbs, no gendered nouns and adjectives that don't change depending on tenses or number, English may seem an attractive second language  to a  non-native  English learner, but it causes nothing but trouble from the word ‘go’.However, there is an upside when it comes to studying English spelling and grammar: you learn to expect the unexpected.Thankfully, yo u’re not alone in your struggle.The average native English speaker regularly has trouble spelling certain words which seem simple at first, and the interesting spelling of English vocabulary reflects its rich history.And for every problem, there’s a solution â€" starting to learn English spellings of new words as you improve your vocabulary is all part of the fun!De-finite-lyThis takes care of the vowel mix-ups in the middle, and then all you need to remember is the starting and finishing letters.Separate Like ‘definitely’, the frequent misspelling of ‘separate’ is down to the subtle difference between its pronunciation and spelling.People often mistakenly only use one ‘A’, spelling it ‘seperate’ â€" which doesn’t look wrong.You have to learn to catch yourself out when writing it, and make sure you use two ‘A’s.Some people use the phrase ‘an R separates the two A’s’ to remember the spelling.ConsensusThis word isn’t a part of an English speaker’s e veryday vocabulary, but when it does come up, it’s usually spelt incorrectly.This is probably because of the number of possible pronunciations of the letter ‘C’, which is often pronounced as an ‘S’ sound.For this reason, people become confused as to whether the first ‘S’ sound is indeed a ‘C’ or an ‘S’.To English speakers, the final ‘U’ may also cause confusion, since they are used to an ‘o-u’ combination to represent this sound.Business‘Business’ is a prime example of an English word that looks nothing like its pronunciation.Even some adults find spelling it a challenge, probably because it is such a common word that they’re used to seeing, so never think about the spelling irregularity.Good spelling is everyone's business ¦ source: Visualhunt - Olu EletuThe best way to remember this spelling is easy: just picture its meaning â€" busy-ness!After that, all you have to do it swap the ‘Y’ for an ‘I’ - and you'll be speaking business English in no time.A lotTechnically, ‘a lot’ doesn’t count as a word, but its misspelling is so common that we simply had to include it on our list.‘A lot’ can mean ‘very’, ‘much’, ‘many’, ‘numerous’, ‘several’, the list goes on.This word features in everyday vocab, but is more common in spoken English, as it one of the less formal among these expressions.For this reason, English speakers rarely see it written down, and therefore misspell it as it sounds in English speaking, as ‘alot’.This is why, for those aiming to become fluent in English, spelling is so important.Even simple spellings can be lost when speaking English, so be sure to pay attention to every aspect of your skills with quizzes and grammar exercises so you don't get caught out in written exams!This is just one of the ways you can improve your English speaking fluency, English writing and listening skills when you learn to speak English as a second language. Learn the difference between UK a nd US spelling.