Letter imperfect: What words do we mispel, uh, misspell the most?
Letter imperfect: What words do we mispel, uh, misspell the most?
Show Caption
Hide Caption
Chippewa Local speller Zach Yeager prepares for national bee
Zach Yeager, a student at Chippewa Junior/Senior High School in Doylestown, is busy preparing for the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Oddly, "misspell," a not-particularly easy word to spell, is not on a recently released list of words Americans most often misspell.
But as the Scripps National Spelling Bee gets underway, a study by WordUnscrambler.pro, an online tool for Scrabble players and others who play word games, finds that Americans have a hard time spelling a host of other words.
Using Google Trends search data from the start of the year through May 19 for "How do you spell ..." and "How to spell ...," analysts found that we definitely can't spell "definitely." We can't separate our impulse to misspell "separate" from search engine inquiries. And we somehow find it necessary to Google the spelling of "necessary."
Those are the top three hard-to-spell words, respectively, according to WordUnscrambler's analysis.
You won't believe what else is on the list. Or maybe you will.
What does a Google analysis reveal about spelling miscues?
At least two words with the challenging i-e combination made the list of most-misspelled words: "believe," which came in at No. 4, and "neighbor," at No. 7.
There were 33,500 searches for "definitely," 30,000 for "separate" and 29,000 for "necessary." "Through" seems to be a troublesome word, with 28,000 searches.
But maybe we can also take some solace in a polarized nation in some other words on the list: We may be complimenting one another a lot, because "gorgeous" is No. 6 on the list. And we obviously care about our "neighbors," even if that e-i-or-i-e thing gives us fits.
Google took root with a misspelling
Google's own origin story includes a misspelling: Creators Sergei Brin and Larry Page originally called their search engine Backrub. But Page had a better idea (it might have been hard to think of a worse one): googol, or a "1" followed by 100 zeroes, or, if you're into exponents, 10 to the 100th power. Page misspelled it, and Google, the search engine, was born.
The search engine's ubiquity, though, has made "google" a verb as well as a proper noun. And that popularity comes in large part because of its utility in helping us find some of our "favorite" (No. 9 on the list of most misspelled words) things.
The things we search for most may be some of the things we misspell most often: "business" is No. 8 on the list and "restaurant" is No. 10 for misspelled searches.
What do people in your state misspell the most?
Alabama, Kansas, New York and Wisconsin all want to be "different," while Arkansans just want a good "quesadilla." Colorado, home to six U.S. military bases, seems to search "sergeant" a lot, and Delaware, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nebraska, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wyoming are all looking for someone or something that's "beautiful."
Californians and Washingtonians (of the state variety) are looking for "appreciation," and people in Montana and New Mexico want to "appreciate" whatever it is that they appreciate.
Contrary to their prickly reputations, New Jerseyans like to say "Congratulations," as do the folks in Illinois. Floridians like to "compliment" people. And in Arizona, Kentucky, South Carolina and Virginia, they're just looking for, well, "people."
Maine is concerned with "pneumonia," and who can blame them? In Alaska, they can't stop thinking about "tomorrow," and in Connecticut, they're apparently on a strict "schedule."
North Carolinians are keeping a "secret," while they're merely "protective" in New Hampshire (and in Texas, where the spelling of "protect" is searched most often). They're evidently practicing their "crochet" skills in Ohio, but practicing "patience" in Oklahoma.
No one should be running with "scissors" in Pennsylvania. But folks everywhere, including in Tennessee, should eat their "broccoli" to stay strong.
Some states contributed to the top words on the list, including "definitely" (Idaho and Utah), "necessary" (Georgia), "through" (Iowa and Louisiana) and "business" (Oregon). In Indiana, they're wondering what's being "taught," while Nevadans are concerned with "school." Maryland is searching for "character," and Minnesota wants to be "successful."
In Michigan, they're starting from "scratch" but feeling the heat in Missouri, where the "temperature" gets warm. Rhode Islanders are curious about what's been "cancelled" and in North Dakota, it's all about the "daughter" (because "son" is pretty easy to spell).
It's hard not to envy the people of Hawaii, though, who are thinking about the next "luau."
And what's up with you, Vermont? You just want to know how to spell "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious."
Don't we all?
Do you want to share a slice of Americana with USA TODAY? Contact Phaedra Trethan by email at ptrethan@usatoday.com, on X (formerly Twitter) @wordsbyphaedra, on BlueSky @byphaedra, or on Threads @by_phaedra
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
43 minutes ago
By The Numbers: The origins of Pride Month
A look at the numbers behind the significance of the month of June for LGBTQ+ Americans.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
101-year-old Dunwoody veteran travels to France for 81st D-Day anniversary
The Brief Hilbert Margol, 101, traveled from Dunwoody, Georgia, to Normandy, France, to mark the 81st anniversary of D-Day, honoring the fallen soldiers of World War II. A World War II veteran who helped liberate Dachau concentration camp, Margol reflected on the sacrifices made and was awarded France's Legion of Honour last year. Despite his accomplishments, Margol humbly states, "I never considered myself or any of the other veterans heroes because in my judgment, the heroes are the guys who didn't make it back." ATLANTA - At 101 years old, Dunwoody resident and World War II veteran Hilbert Margol made the journey to Normandy, France, this week to mark the 81st anniversary of D-Day, joining a small group of surviving veterans honoring those who fought and died in the pivotal battle. Although Margol did not serve on D-Day itself, he was part of the Allied forces that ultimately secured victory in World War II. He first visited Normandy last year for the 80th anniversary and immediately knew he wanted to return. "It was such a fantastic trip. I said, I have to go back again," Margol said. Before leaving for France, Margol shared a farewell kiss with his wife of more than 70 years — a moment captured just as it was during his trip the year before. During last year's visit, Margol toured the Normandy American Cemetery, reflecting on the sacrifice made by thousands of soldiers, even though he didn't personally know any of the men buried there. PREVIOUS STORY: Dunwoody vet travels to France for D-Day anniversary, receives France's highest honor "I know that those that were gave all of the freedom that this country enjoys, and it was quite emotional at the time," he said. More than 2,500 American soldiers lost their lives on D-Day alone, with more than 400,000 Americans dying during the war. Over 16 million Americans were called to serve. "All the veterans that I served with, you know, were born and grew up during the Great Depression. So we were used to tough times. So going into combat was not that difficult," Margol recalled. Margol's military service included a profound and somber moment — alongside his twin brother, he was among the first American soldiers to enter the Dachau concentration camp on April 29, 1945. "We knew almost nothing about such camps, so whatever we saw, witnessed a lot of dead bodies and so forth. We didn't understand why they were there, why they were dead," Margol said. Last year, Margol was one of 11 U.S. veterans awarded the Legion of Honour, France's highest order of merit. "When President Macron of France pinned the medal on my jacket, he leaned over and kissed me on both cheeks, which I expected because that's European custom," Margol said. His trips to Normandy were made possible through the support of the Best Defense Foundation and Delta Air Lines. Despite the accolades, Margol remains humble about his service. "I never considered myself or any of the other veterans heroes because in my judgment, the heroes are the guys who didn't make it back," he said. For Margol, the journey across the Atlantic wasn't about reliving history — it was about paying tribute to those who never returned.
Hamilton Spectator
4 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Northern leopard frog listed as endangered in NWT
Northern leopard frogs are now listed as endangered in the Northwest Territories after the NWT Species at Risk Committee re-assessed the status of two amphibious Northerners. An updated assessment was released May 30. Also re-assessed as still threatened was the Western Toad. 'Unlike some species of frogs, northern leopard frogs cannot survive if they freeze and cannot hibernate in the NWT,' explains the assessment. 'Northern leopard frogs are therefore limited to only the very southern NWT where suitable overwintering sites exist. 'Threats to this species include disease, habitat loss from drought and wildfire, and human disturbances such as hydro development and road mortality.' Across Canada, the frog is listed as special concern. Globally, the species is considered least concern. However, the leopard frogs in the NWT are a distinct population, according to a 2024 study ans they are geographically isolated from other leopard frogs across the continent. '(The) Northern leopard frog is a slender, medium-sized green-brown frog with oval-shaped spots on the back that are bordered with light halos similar to a leopard,' adds the report. 'Two cream-coloured ridges extend the length of the back. 'Northern leopard frogs are uncommon in the NWT, and have only been found near the Slave, Taltson and Tazin rivers in the southern NWT.' To counter the decline in population, the assessment recommends further gathering of traditional knowledge of breeding sites, population trends and their habitat. The report notes there are large gaps in knowledge of where the frogs are. Once known breeding sites and critical habitat are identified, they can be protected from development. Frog and nature lovers are also encouraged to report sightings of the Northern amphibians to wildlifeOBS@ or on to help fill knowledge gaps. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
