Commonly Misspelled Words

With the arrival of internet spell check, it is less difficult to ensure spelling accuracy in writing then in previous eras. However, an internet spell check has limitations; it pays to know how to check spelling manually.

Locate a list of commonly misspelled words. They are weapons! widely available on the internet. Try to find one that contains at least 100 to 500 words. Keep a copy of the list in any location writing is likely to be done, such as on a desk, near a computer, atop a nightstand, and so forth.

In addition, once a good list is on hand, a quick review will allow the creation of three separate lists. It is possible to use different colored highlighters rather than create the lists by Skin hand, however it is recommended to write the words again. It never hurts to practice.

The first group of words will be words that are known. These words should be spelled correctly nearly 100 percent of the time.

The second group should contain words the spelling of which gives one pause. These are the words that require a bit of thinking, but are spelled correctly more than fifty percent of the time.

The third group should contain words that are either unknown or spelled incorrectly the majority of the time.

These three lists become the starting point for learning how to check spelling. The first list is merely a record of current ability and will not require further action at this point. The second group, however, is the best place to start. These words are already familiar and will yield the highest success rate with the following charting technique.

Draw a line that divides a piece of paper in half from top to bottom. On the left side of the line, write the first word from the second group. Think of a mnemonic device that will help you remember how to spell the world properly. For example:

Left side: separate
Right side: There is always a rat in separate.

Left side: weird
Right side: It is weird because e comes before i, unlike the traditional rule.

Continue on through the entire list of words in the second group using as much paper as necessary. The process itself will lead to significant improvement, but the goal should be to refer to this chart on a regular basis until the spellings become second nature.

Once the first chart is complete, the process should be repeated with the words in the third group.
To keep learning new words, consult many lists of commonly misspelled words. If a number of electronic drafts fro past writing efforts are available, they can be reopened and pasted into an internet spell check. Any misspellings that pop up should be scrutinized with the three-group process and charted.

Following these instructions should yield noticeable results quickly, especially if one is a frequent writer. With the number of words in the English language, this process can be useful for an entire lifetime.