# Hard-to-spell words

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-to-spell-words/458703>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [August 3, 2008, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-to-spell-words/458703 "2008-08-03T14:56:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![Parthol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dec6dc/32.png) [@Parthol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Parthol)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2008, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-to-spell-words/458703/61 "2008-08-05T15:57:23Z")

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I remember being tripped up by “parallel” back in grade school. Why the heck doesn’t it _end_ in the double-l like it should? It’s just a dumb way to spel it.

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**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2008, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-to-spell-words/458703/62 "2008-08-05T17:10:14Z")

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[QUOTE=Scarlett67]  
I don’t even know what word this is supposed to be; definition, please?  
[/QUOTE]

The dog breed or mountains.

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**Author:** ![42fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/b487fb/32.png) [@42fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/42fish)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2008, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-to-spell-words/458703/63 "2008-08-05T17:13:18Z")

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Liaison

That i-a-i combo just doesn’t look right

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**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2008, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-to-spell-words/458703/64 "2008-08-05T20:18:30Z")

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Subpoena  
Non-sequitur  
Balustrade

Some of the words already mentioned are ones I occasionally have found myself thinking about before I spell it – and I _still_ get some of them wrong. 🙂

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**Author:** ![Rich\_Mann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ce73a5/32.png) [@Rich\_Mann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rich_Mann)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2008, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-to-spell-words/458703/65 "2008-08-05T22:43:28Z")

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[QUOTE=twickster]  
Y’all are doing a fabulous job with these – how about a few more geographical ones? We’ve got Tuscon, Philippines, Pyrenees – I’d throw in Cincinnati and Albuqueque – any others?

And are there any names you find particularly tricky?  
[/QUOTE]

That’s ‘Albuque_ **r** _que’.

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**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2008, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-to-spell-words/458703/66 "2008-08-05T23:10:06Z")

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[QUOTE=Rich Mann]  
That’s ‘Albuque_ **r** _que’.  
[/QUOTE]

:smack:

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