The following is a chart of words commonly misspelled in academic English. Study this chart, then access 3-1 Commonly Misspelled Words in the Student Resources for some additional practice. Please note that this list is not exhaustive.
- A lot
- Assess
- Consensus
- Proceed
- Accommodate
- Calendar
- Definitely
- Pronunciation
- Address
- Commission
- Misspell
- Psychology
- Arctic
- Conscience
- Occurrence
- Receipt
- Argument
- Conscious
- Precede
- Receive
The following word groups can be easily confused, as the spellings are similar. Make sure you know the difference between each word.
Mispelled Words
Principle vs. Principal
- He stuck to his principles and turned the wallet in to the Lost and Found.
- My daughter told me she went to the principal’s office.
Rhythm vs. Rhyme
- That song has a great rhythm.
- I only like poetry that contains rhymes.
Personal vs. Personnel
- My personal opinion is that you should wait until next week.
- The department store has a lot of personnel.
Accept vs. Except
- She stepped onto the stage and accepted the award.
- I’m free every day this week, except Saturday.
Affect vs. Effect
- Drowsiness can be an effect of cold medication.
- Really dry weather can negatively affect crops.
Their vs. There vs. They’re
- When they woke up, their front yard was blanketed in snow.
- I just went there yesterday.
- They’re probably going to be a few minutes late.
Your vs. You’re
- Did your son join the soccer team this year?
- You’re not permitted to bring fresh fruits onto the plane.
Exercise
Open the Student Resources to begin the activity. Follow the instructions in the document.