Spelling Test Questions and Answers

Answer: C

Correct answer: Untill

Untill is the misspelling. The correct form is until, with a single l. This is genuinely counter-intuitive, because the related word till - which means exactly the same thing - has two. The two are not shortened forms of each other: till is the older word, and until was formed by adding a prefix to it, losing a letter in the process. The other three are correctly spelt and all turn on compounds keeping every letter at the join. Withhold has a double h, from with plus hold. Misspell has a double s, from mis- plus spell - a word that is ironically among the most misspelt. Threshold is the exception that proves the point: it looks like thresh plus hold but is not a compound at all, so it has only one h.

Answer: D

Correct answer: Seperation

Seperation is the misspelling. The correct form is separation, with an a in the middle, from the Latin separare - there is a rat in sepa ration. The other three are correctly spelt and each rewards attention. Congratulate has a t where speech often supplies a d; it comes from the Latin gratus, pleasing, the same root as grateful and gratitude. Convenience ends in -ence, matching its adjective convenient in -ent; adjectives in -ent always give nouns in -ence. Deteriorate has an o before the -rate that is easily lost, giving the common error deteriate; it comes from the Latin comparative deterior, worse.

Answer: D

Correct answer: Occurence

Occurence is the misspelling. The correct form is occurrence, with a double r. The doubling follows a real rule: when a word ends in a stressed syllable containing a single vowel and a single consonant, that consonant doubles before a suffix beginning with a vowel. Occur is stressed on its last syllable, so it gives occurred, occurring and occurrence. The same rule explains refer giving referred, and begin giving beginning. The other three are correctly spelt. Perseverance ends in -ance and contains no extra r. Accommodate doubles both the c and the m - room for two cots and two mattresses. Privilege has no d, coming from the Latin privus, private, and lex, law.

Answer: C

Correct answer: Persue

Persue is the misspelling. The correct form is pursue, with ur in the first syllable, from the Old French poursuir and ultimately the Latin prosequi, to follow after. The other three are all correctly spelt, and two of them are worth distinguishing carefully. Pursue means to chase or to follow a course; peruse means to read, and strictly to read with care, though it is now often used loosely to mean skim. The two differ by a single letter and are frequently mixed up in writing. Perceive is spelt with ei after c, following the rule i before e except after c - the same pattern as receive, deceive and conceive. The noun from pursue is pursuit, which changes the ending and drops the e.

Answer: C

Correct answer: Recieve

Recieve is the misspelling. The correct form is receive, which follows the rule i before e except after c - and the c is right there before it. The same rule governs deceive, perceive, conceive and ceiling. The other three are correctly spelt and each is notorious for the gap between letters and sound. Colonel is pronounced kernel: English took the spelling from the Italian colonnello and the pronunciation from the French coronel, and both survived. Aisle has a silent s inserted by scribes who wrongly connected it with isle; it actually comes from the Latin ala, a wing. Yacht is Dutch, from jacht, a hunting ship, and keeps a consonant cluster English never pronounces.

Answer: C

Correct answer: Neccessary

Neccessary is the misspelling. The correct form is necessary - one c and two ses. The usual mnemonic is a shirt with one collar and two sleeves. The other three are correctly spelt and each is a trap in its own right. Rhythm keeps the Greek rh- and contains no conventional vowel letter at all, the y doing the work. Vacuum has a double u, from the Latin neuter ending - one of very few English words with that sequence, along with continuum and residuum. Achieve follows the rule i before e except after c, and belongs with believe, relieve and grieve. Its noun is achievement, which keeps the e before -ment.

Answer: B

Correct answer: Definately

Definately is the misspelling. The correct form is definitely, which contains no a at all. The safeguard is to see the word finite inside it: de-finite-ly, from the Latin finis, an end. The other three are correctly spelt and each is a standard trap. Maintenance loses the ai of the verb maintain and ends in -ance. Persistent ends in -ent, matching its noun persistence in -ence - adjectives in -ent always pair with nouns in -ence. Recommend has a single c and a double m, from the Latin commendare. Writing reccommend is the error that mirrors it. Definitely is consistently among the most misspelt words in English, which is why it appears so often in tests of this kind.

Answer: B

Correct answer: Recomend

Recomend is the misspelling. The correct form is recommend, with a double m - from the Latin commendare, to entrust, which supplies both ms. The noun is recommendation, keeping them. The other three are correctly spelt and each is a trap in its own right. Occasion has a double c but a single s - the reverse of what the ear expects, and the opposite arrangement from necessary. Grievous has no i after the v: it is not grievious, though it is very often written and pronounced that way. The same intrusion afflicts mischievous, which is likewise not mischievious. Colleague ends in -ague, from the French, like league, plague and vague.

Answer: D

The misspelt word is describe, written here as 'Discribe'.

The prefix is de-, from the Latin describere, to write down - not dis-.

Answer: B

The misspelt word is suggest, written here as 'Saggest'.

Two g's, from the Latin sub and gerere, to carry - the prefix assimilates before g.