# Consistently misspelled, non-complex words. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 18, 2012, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consistently-misspelled-non-complex-words/638083 "2012-10-18T00:20:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consistently-misspelled-non-complex-words/638083/101 "2012-10-18T19:12:47Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > Go away man. No. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consistently-misspelled-non-complex-words/638083/102 "2012-10-18T19:14:38Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > No. Well then do you have anything relevant to add to the thread? Or are you going to continue threadshitting? ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consistently-misspelled-non-complex-words/638083/103 "2012-10-18T19:19:00Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > Me too! (And it’s “alcohol”) 😉 I thought that was obvious from my post. ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consistently-misspelled-non-complex-words/638083/104 "2012-10-18T19:23:15Z")
I _prescribe_ a remedial spelling class for those who write _proscribe_ when they mean “prescribe”, especially since the two italicized words have essentially opposite meanings. Repeat offenders can be proscribed. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consistently-misspelled-non-complex-words/638083/105 "2012-10-18T20:28:47Z")
I can’t spell “calender” to save my life. (Got it in one try this time though). ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consistently-misspelled-non-complex-words/638083/106 "2012-10-18T20:45:01Z")
An optical device that produces monochromatic light is a _monochrom **a** t **o** r_. But I see it spelled _monochrom **e** t **e** r_ way too often. Also, the sighting device used by surveyors is a _theodolite_, not a _theodolight_. (And it’s _surveyor_, not _surveyer_.) One I had misspelled myself for a long time and still have trouble with is _proprietary_. I keep wanting to spell it _propriatory_. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consistently-misspelled-non-complex-words/638083/107 "2012-10-18T21:16:15Z")
> [@Bob Ducca](#): > > I can’t spell “calender” to save my life. (Got it in one try this time though). 😛 ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consistently-misspelled-non-complex-words/638083/108 "2012-10-18T21:25:50Z")
> [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](#): > > 😛 Goddammit. I spelled it wrong didn’t I? Didn’t I? Fuck. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consistently-misspelled-non-complex-words/638083/109 "2012-10-18T21:28:09Z")
I thought there’d be less confusion over “nauseated” and “nauseous” after Sheldon Cooper schooled Leonard on it, but I’m still hearing people say they’re nauseous when they mean they’re nauseated. (Sometimes they’re correct, but they don’t realize it.) “Diffuse” and “defuse”, as in “the situation was diffused”. Saw “letterhead stationary” advertised on a sign at a print shop. I confuse “mantle” and “mantel”, and I always have to look twice at “phony”. Seems like it should be “phoney”. Even now I’m not sure. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consistently-misspelled-non-complex-words/638083/110 "2012-10-18T23:46:11Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > \*Alchohol \*- I find myself mistyping and correcting that one every single time! > > Along with\* lead/led\*, I often see \*mislead \*used when the correct word shoulda been _misled_. > [@needscoffee](#): > > I thought that was obvious from my post. Really? Why? When you gave “mislead” as an example, you also gave the correct spelling. So when you used “alchohol” as another example, but failed to give the correct spelling, wouldn’t the default assumption made by a person reading your post be that you weren’t aware of your error?? ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consistently-misspelled-non-complex-words/638083/111 "2012-10-18T23:48:28Z")
> [@RobDog](#): > > Dumbass, surely? Unless you are referring to the freshwater fish.😃 Comedy. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consistently-misspelled-non-complex-words/638083/112 "2012-10-18T23:50:17Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > An optical device that produces monochromatic light is a _monochrom **a** t **o** r_. But I see it spelled _monochrom **e** t **e** r_ way too often. Also, the sighting device used by surveyors is a _theodolite_, not a _theodolight_. Those are great examples of consistently misspelled, non-complex words. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consistently-misspelled-non-complex-words/638083/113 "2012-10-19T00:23:13Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Well I made the discreet/discrete indiscretion yesterday. I really don’t see why people care about these things so much. Because there are A LOT of words in English, and if you’re spelling some of them wrong, you are muddying your meanings and communication is made more difficult. > [@phouka](#): > > That’s not bad. > > What was bad was the essay I got about God and Satin. > > You see, God and Satin used to be best friends, but then Satin got jealous. Satin wanted God to share His power with Satin, but God wouldn’t, because God thought Satin was immature. So Satin and God had a fight, and then Satin left and went to Hell where Satin could be the boss.\ Now I’m seeing Satin as a big ole drag queen. 🙂 > [@needscoffee](#): > > Somebody should alert Firefox. Firefox marks “advisor” as misspelled and wants me to change it to adviser every place I type it online. In fact, Firefox is underlining it in red in this very text box. What makes it especially annoying is that “advisor” is part of my job title and every time I use it in an email it’s underlined in red. It doesn’t happen in IE. Can you right click on the word and force Firefox to learn it? I do that with all the Canadian spellings of words because I get tired of “favourite” being underlined all the time. > [@Bob Ducca](#): > > Goddammit. I spelled it wrong didn’t I? Didn’t I? Fuck. Yer funny. 😃 ETA: Forgot the one I wanted to add - “teh” for “the.” Frankly, I think we should make “teh” an alternative spelling, because I usually type it that way first. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consistently-misspelled-non-complex-words/638083/114 "2012-10-19T00:29:59Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > “Seperate” isn’t a word. Yes, we know - that was covered back in post #18… ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consistently-misspelled-non-complex-words/638083/115 "2012-10-19T00:32:29Z")
> [@SCAdian](#): > > Yes, we know - that was covered back in post #18… I know, I missed the edit window. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consistently-misspelled-non-complex-words/638083/116 "2012-10-19T00:42:57Z")
I’m dieing to see how this thread turns out. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consistently-misspelled-non-complex-words/638083/117 "2012-10-19T00:48:28Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > Can you right click on the word and force Firefox to learn it? I do that with all the Canadian spellings of words because I get tired of “favourite” being underlined all the time. Hey, it worked! I never knew that was an option. Thanks! eta: I just added “favourite”, too, on your behalf! ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consistently-misspelled-non-complex-words/638083/118 "2012-10-19T00:51:15Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > Really? Why? When you gave “mislead” as an example, you also gave the correct spelling. So when you used “alchohol” as another example, but failed to give the correct spelling, wouldn’t the default assumption made by a person reading your post be that you weren’t aware of your error?? 1. Because I’m never wrong. 2) We all know the correct spelling, so if I only write one version, it must be the one in question. Duh! ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consistently-misspelled-non-complex-words/638083/119 "2012-10-19T01:06:15Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > 1. Because I’m never wrong. 2) We all know the correct spelling, so if I only write one version, it must be the one in question. Duh! My bad! ☹ ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consistently-misspelled-non-complex-words/638083/120 "2012-10-19T02:17:39Z")
I keep trying to spell Feburary. There’s no “bru” sound, is there? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consistently-misspelled-non-complex-words/638083.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consistently-misspelled-non-complex-words/638083.md?page=7)