What Are The Top 20 Hardest Words To Spell

What are the Top 20 Hardest Words to Spell?
Here’s a spelling list to remember before you join your school spelling bee.
1. Nauseous
“Nauseous” is a hard word to spell because of the number of vowels in the word and the pronunciation.
It has a “sh” sound but does not have the letters s and h. Some also think it should be “nauscous”
because it sounds like “conscious.”
2. Dilate
“Dilate” might be easy to spell for some, but its pronunciation makes it more challenging. Some people
say “di-a-late,” which makes them misspell it as “dialate.”
3. Indict
The word “indict” might cause your loss in the spelling bee. Because it’s pronounced as “indite,” you
might forget that it includes the letter c. But “indite” is its original spelling, which continues to be a word
until now.
4. Liquefy
The last three letters of “liquefy” make it challenging to spell. You might believe it should be “liquify” like
“pacify,” “rectify,” and “clarify.” However, “liquefy” ends with “-efy” and not “-ify.”
5. Wednesday
“Wed-nes-day” is an incorrect pronunciation of this day of the week. English natives know that the d is
silent. That’s why they also forget this letter when they write or type the word.
6. Sherbet
The spelling police might catch you if you write “sherbert” instead of “sherbet.” Don’t forget that there’s
only one r in “sherbet.” And it’s a different dessert from the Turkish treat, “sorbet.”
7. Bologna
Bologna is a fancy sausage that comes from the city of Bologna in Italy. This tasty food is one of the most
misspelled words in the National Spelling Bee because of the Americanized, more phonetic spelling
“baloney.” Its Italian pronunciation should be “ba-lon-yuh.”
8. Ingenious
There is a spelling confusion of the word “ingenious” because it’s similar to the word “genius.” A
“genius” is simply a super-intelligent person, but it does not have a letter o like “ingenious.” “Ingenious”
means “clever, original, and inventive.”
9. Playwright
“Playwright” might seem like one of the few 4th-grade spelling words you’ve encountered. However, the
silent letter rule makes English language learners confused about the spelling.
It’s “playwright” and not “playwrite” or “playright” because play producers in the 16–s were considered
as people who “wrought” (not “wrote”) plays.
10. Fuchsia
“Fuchsia” is another problematic word in the English language because of the unnecessary letters. It
does not have the usual “sc” and “sh” combinations. Instead, it uses a unique “chs” consonant blend,
which you can’t find in other words.
11. Gobbledegook
Only intelligent people know that this word has a deep meaning for those who hear infants speak. It’s
also a term you use when watching a film in a language you don’t know.
12. Pochemuchka
“Pochemuchka” is a Russian term for a person who asks several questions. If you weren’t such a
pochemuchka, you wouldn’t know the simple spelling rules to remember. It’s an uncommon word, but it
only uses the typical “ch” blend.
13. Chiaroscurist
This unfamiliar word describes an artist that does chiaroscuro. Chiaroscuro is an art form that shows
light and dark and their impact on composition.
14. Logorrhea
Don’t let the word “logorrhea” become a spelling bee hurdle in your next competition. This term is used
when an individual is incoherent yet talkative.
15. Sacrilegious
A “sacrilegious” act is a term you often hear if you’re religious. It’s a disrespectful act toward something
that has a spiritual significance. Nope, its root word is not “religious” because the correct spelling is
“sacrilegious” and not “sacreligious.”
16. Minuscule
It’s “minuscule,” not “miniscule.” This word has no linguistic connection to “miniature” or “mini.” Don’t
let anyone question your spelling abilities only because of this unusual spelling.
17. Pronunciation
Like “mini” and “minuscule,” “pronunciation” is not related to the word “pronoun.” These spelling
dilemmas are the major lows of spelling competitions, so beware of that!
18. Intelligence
They say that misspelling the word “intelligence” tells a lot about your spelling skills. Don’t let the
double letters confuse you!
19. Weird
“Ie” and “ei” are two pairs of letters to blame for your vicious spelling cycle. Remember that e comes
before i in the word “weird.” In cases where the middle letter is c, such as “receive” or “deceive,” the
proper vowel blend is “ei.”
20. Pharaoh
You might have heard several pronunciations of the word “pharaoh” that you don’t know its correct
spelling anymore. Don’t spell it how it sounds because “pharaoh” has silent letters. Its primary
pronunciation is “feh-row.” “Feh-ro-wah” is not its alternate pronunciation
Hard Words to Spell for 6th Graders
If you want to challenge yourself with very hard words to spell at the sixth-grade level, then
this collection might be just what you’re looking for:
 Noticeable (Correct) / Noticable (Incorrect)

 Vacuum (Correct) / Vacume (Incorrect)
 Recommend (Correct) / Recomend (Incorrect)
 Occasion (Correct) / Ocassion (Incorrect)
 Beginning (Correct) / Begginning (Incorrect)
 Government (Correct) / Goverment (Incorrect)
 Committee (Correct) / Comitee (Incorrect)
 Mississippi (Correct) / Missisipi (Incorrect)
 Ancient (Correct) / Ainshent (Incorrect)
 Culture (Correct) / Culcher (Incorrect)
In a time when spellcheck comes with every computer writing program, we may lose sight of
terms in this list of hard words to spell:
 Chaos (Correct) / Kaos (Incorrect)
 Accommodation (Correct) / Accomodation (Incorrect)
 Strengthen (Correct) / Strengten (Incorrect)
 Misspelled (Correct) / Mispelled (Incorrect)
 Deceive (Correct) / Deseave (Incorrect)
 Receipt (Correct) / Receit (Incorrect)
 Arithmetic (Correct) / Arithmatic (Incorrect)
 Embarrass (Correct) / Embaras (Incorrect)
 Constitution (Correct) / Constatution (Incorrect)
 Encyclopedia (Correct) / Encyclopaedia (Incorrect)
Here are hard to spell words spell for middle-school teenagers, particularly those in the 8th
grade. Can you spell them without using spell-check?
 Pneumonia (Correct) / Neumonia (Incorrect)

 Acknowledgment (Correct) / Acknoledgement (Incorrect)
 Accidentally (Correct) / Accidentilly (Incorrect)
 Descendant (Correct) / Desendent (Incorrect)
 Exaggerate (Correct) / Exagerate (Incorrect)
 Courageous (Correct) / Corageous (Incorrect)
 Competent (Correct) / Compitent (Incorrect)
 Patriarch (Correct) / Patrearch (Incorrect)
 Pediatrician (Correct) / Pidiatrision (Incorrect)
 Picturesque (Correct) / Picturesche (Incorrect)
In your first year of high school, you will likely encounter some of the hardest words to spell
ever. Check out this list for 9th grade:
 Cavalcade (Correct) / Cavacade (Incorrect)

 Conscientious (Correct) / Consciescience (Incorrect)
 Fluorescent (Correct) / Florescent (Incorrect)
 Martyr (Correct) / Marter (Incorrect)
 Olfactory (Correct) / Ofactory (Incorrect)
 Facsimile (Correct) / Faximile (Incorrect)
 Gruesome (Correct) / Grewsome (Incorrect)
 Incessant (Correct) / Incessent (Incorrect)
 Reservoir (Correct) / Resavoire (Incorrect)
 Spasmodic (Correct) / Spasmodick (Incorrect)

As you advance through educational levels, you will be introduced to more reading
assignments and will grow your vocabulary. These are the hardest English words to spell at
the 12th-grade level:
 Acquiesce (Correct) / Aquese (Incorrect)

 Ambiguous (Correct) / Ambiguus (Incorrect)
 Stringent (Correct) / Stringint (Incorrect)
 Evanescent (Correct) / Evansent (Incorrect)
 Querulous (Correct) / Quarelous (Incorrect)
 Spontaneity (Correct) / Spontenaity (Incorrect)
 Tenacious (Correct) / Tenashus (Incorrect)
 Divergent (Correct) / Divergeant (Incorrect)
 Resilient (Correct) / Resiliant (Incorrect)
 Renovation (Correct) / Renovashun (Incorrect)
Hard Words to Spell for College Students
Technology has made learning the hardest words to spell a rare activity. This list of 10 terms
is considered to be college-level. See if you’re able to spell them without help:
 Pharaoh (Correct) / Farow (Incorrect)

 Intelligence (Correct) / Inteligense (Incorrect)
 Didactic (Correct) / Didachtik (Incorrect)
 Pronunciation (Correct) / Pronounsiation (Incorrect)
 Gobbledegook (Correct) / Gobblydigook (Incorrect)
 Euphemism (Correct) / Yufamism (Incorrect)
 Abrogate (Correct) / Abrohgate (Incorrect)
 Demagogue (Correct) / Demagog (Incorrect)
 Facetious (Correct) / Faseshus (Incorrect)
 Hyperbole (Correct) / Hyperboly (Incorrect)
Common Words that Are Hard to Spell
This list includes common hard words to spell for adults. It’s surprising how so many people
struggle but all you have to do is check the web for examples of this happening:
 Thorough (Correct) / Thorogh (Incorrect)

 Rhythm (Correct) / Rythm (Incorrect)
 Peculiar (Correct) / Pechuliar (Incorrect)
 Buffet (Correct) / Bufay (Incorrect)
 Liaison (Correct) / Liason (Incorrect)
 Anecdote (Correct) / Anechdote (Incorrect)
 Anonymous (Correct) / Anonimous (Incorrect)
 Collaborate (Correct) / Colaborate (Incorrect)
 Substantiate (Correct) / Substanchiate (Incorrect)
 Reconciliation (Correct) / Reckonsiliation (Incorrect)
Long Hard Words to Spell
Sometimes multisyllabic words that are hard to spell are difficult because we don’t think
about silent letters that may appear anywhere. Check these out below:
 Grammatically (Correct) / Gramatically (Incorrect)

 Magnanimous (Correct) / Magnanimus (Incorrect)
 Metamorphosis (Correct) / Metamofisus (Incorrect)
 Satisfactorily (Correct) / Satisfactory (Incorrect)
 Surveillance (Correct) / Surveylance (Incorrect)
 Unanimous (Correct) / Unianomous (Incorrect)
 Reconciliation (Correct) / Reconsiliation (Incorrect)
 Procrastinate (Correct) / Procrastanate (Incorrect)
 Ostentatious (Correct) / Ostantatious (Incorrect)
 Camaraderie (Correct) / Comraderie (Incorrect)
Super Hard Words to Spell
These are really hard words to spell, even for the best English spellers in the world. As you
can see most are words familiar to medical professionals and scientists, so unless you’re
familiar with the field you are likely to have trouble with them:
 Syllepsis (Correct) / Sylepsis (Incorrect)

 Antediluvian (Correct) / Antidiluvian (Incorrect)
 Crustaceology (Correct) / Crustaciology (Incorrect)
 Epidemiologist (Correct) / Epidimialogist (Incorrect)
 Ophthalmologist (Correct) / Optamologist (Incorrect)
 Nephrology (Correct) / Nefrology (Incorrect)
 Entomology (Correct) / Entimology (Incorrect)
 Chiaroscurist (Correct) / Chiaraschurist (Incorrect)
 Logorrhea (Correct) / Logoria (Incorrect)
 Sacrilegious (Correct) / Sacriligious (Incorrect)
Easy Words that Are Hard to Spell
Finally, this last set includes hard words to spell that is considered easy. Take your time
spelling these out because you may find yourself feeling a bit embarrassed if you make a
simple mistake:
 Acquire (Correct) / Akwire (Incorrect)

 Argument (Correct) / Arguement (Incorrect)
 Maintenance (Correct) / Maintanence (Incorrect)
 Gauge (Correct) / Ghage (Incorrect)
 Memento (Correct) / Mamento (Incorrect)
 Occurrence (Correct) / Ocurrance (Incorrect)
 Questionnaire (Correct) / Questionaire (Incorrect)
 Sergeant (Correct) / Sargeant (Incorrect)
 Weather (Correct) / Wheather (Incorrect)
 Awkward (Correct) / Awkwerd (Incorrect)
What did you think of our list? Did you manage t

What Are The Top 20 Hardest Words To Spell

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

What Are The Top 20 Hardest Words To Spell

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

What Are The Top 20 Hardest Words To Spell

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

What are the Top 20 Hardest Words to Spell?

Hard Words to Spell for 6th Graders

 Noticeable (Correct) / Noticable (Incorrect)

Hard Words to Spell for 7th Graders

Hard Words to Spell for 8th Graders

 Pneumonia (Correct) / Neumonia (Incorrect)

Hard Words to Spell for 9th Graders

 Cavalcade (Correct) / Cavacade (Incorrect)

Hard Words to Spell for 12th Graders

 Acquiesce (Correct) / Aquese (Incorrect)

Hard Words to Spell for College Students

 Pharaoh (Correct) / Farow (Incorrect)

Common Words that Are Hard to Spell

 Thorough (Correct) / Thorogh (Incorrect)

 Grammatically (Correct) / Gramatically (Incorrect)

Super Hard Words to Spell

 Syllepsis (Correct) / Sylepsis (Incorrect)

Easy Words that Are Hard to Spell

 Acquire (Correct) / Akwire (Incorrect)

What did you think of our list? Did you manage t

You might also like