Common Misspellings

by AnnaLisa Michalski

originally published in the ezine-turned-blog Word-wise, 3/30/08

Where do you fall on the spectrum of spelling talent? For some reason, few people would answer that question neutrally. Spelling is one of those skills with which some folks have a natural affinity while others naturally struggle.

If you happen to fall into the second category, take heart. Even the best spellers typically have a list of words they find themselves constantly double-checking. Here are a few that are not only commonly misspelled but which are frequently misspelled the same way across many sources. That means we are exposed to the same misspelled version of the word often, leaving more of an impression on our memories and increasing the likelihood we'll misspell them again. Be on the lookout for these tricky words!

Simply memorizing the correct spellings of these and other spelling culprits may not work. Instead, try these self-check methods:

• Keep your own short list of common misspellings handy. Before beginning your general proofreading, do a check for these words first.
• Modify your word processing software's spell checker or automatic formatter to fix your version of the word with the correct one. If you'd rather not change these settings, try running a simple find-and-replace for each once you're done composing.
• Come up with a saying, process, or other mnemonic that will trigger your use of the correct spelling. For example, you may reason that the opposite of "out" is "in" (not "im"), therefore the opposite of "OUTput" must be "INput."

© 2008 by AnnaLisa Michalski