Spelling Test Questions and Answers

Answer: D

It is opprobrium.

Two p's, from the Latin ob and probrum, a disgraceful act. It means public disgrace or the reproach that brings it.

Answer: C

Meaning: Stethoscope means a medical instrument for listening to the action of someone's heart or breathing, typically having a small disc-shaped resonator that is placed against the chest, and two tubes connected to earpieces.

Answer: C

It is aggravation.

Two g's, from the Latin ad plus gravis, heavy - to aggravate is literally to make heavier.

Answer: D

Correct answer: Correspondence

The correct spelling is correspondence - a double r and the ending -ence. The double r comes from the Latin prefix com- assimilating before r, the same process that gives correct, corrupt, corroborate and correlate. The ending follows from the adjective: words ending in -ent form nouns in -ence, and those ending in -ant form nouns in -ance. Since it is correspondent, the noun must be correspondence. The same test settles different and difference, independent and independence, against important and importance. There is a real distinction between correspondence, meaning letters or agreement, and correspondents, meaning the people who write them - two words pronounced identically and constantly confused in office writing.

Answer: C

It is pasteurization.

Named after Louis Pasteur, so the eur of his name is kept whole before the -ization.

Answer: B

It is amalgamation.

One m in the first syllable and one in the second. The word comes from the amalgam, an alloy of mercury with another metal.

Answer: B

It is assassination.

Two pairs of s's. The word comes through Arabic from hashishin, the sect said to have killed under the influence of hashish.

Answer: B

It is cavalry.

From the Latin caballus, a horse. It is not to be confused with Calvary, the hill of the Crucifixion - the same letters in a different order.

Answer: C

It is questionnaire.

Two n's, from the French. The word looks English but keeps its French doubling and its -aire ending.

Answer: C

It is reconnaissance.

Two n's and two s's, from the French reconnaitre, to recognise. It is one of the most misspelt words in English.