Spelling Test Questions and Answers

Answer: B

It is rhetorical.

The h follows the r, from the Greek rhetor, a public speaker - the same rh- that opens rhythm and rhinoceros.

Answer: B

It is pyorrhoea.

From the Greek pyon, pus, and rhoia, a flow - the same -rrhoea as in diarrhoea. British usage keeps the oe; Americans write pyorrhea.

Answer: A

It is jurisdiction.

From the Latin juris dictio, the declaring of the law. Both halves keep their i.

Answer: C

It is accelerate.

Two c's and one l. The prefix ad- assimilates to ac- before celer, the Latin for swift - the same root as celerity.

Answer: C

It is jubilee.

One l, double e. The word comes through Latin from the Hebrew yobel, the ram's horn sounded to proclaim the fiftieth year.

Answer: D

It is adolescence.

The -escence ending marks a process of becoming, from the Latin adolescere, to grow up - the same ending as convalescence and effervescence.

Answer: A

It is quiescence.

From the Latin quiescere, to be at rest. The -escence ending marks a state or process, as in convalescence.

Answer: D

It is puissance.

Two s's, from the Old French for power - the same root as puissant. In show jumping it names the high-jump competition.

Answer: B

It is Pyrrhonist.

A follower of Pyrrho, the Greek founder of scepticism - the double r and the h both belong to his name, as they do to Pyrrhic.

Answer: D

Correct answer: Pronunciation

The correct spelling is pronunciation - there is no o after the n, even though the verb is pronounce. The vowel changes when the noun is formed, and that change is the whole point of the word: one pronounces, but discusses pronunciation. A group of nouns behaves the same way and is worth learning as a set: explain gives explanation, repeat gives repetition, exclaim gives exclamation, maintain gives maintenance, curious gives curiosity, and despair gives desperation. In each the stressed vowel of the verb is reduced or altered in the noun. The reason is historical: the noun forms came into English from Latin stems, while the verbs came through French, and the two sets of vowels developed differently.