# Word Spellings You Hate **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 20, 2009, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-spellings-you-hate/493775 "2009-04-20T20:50:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-spellings-you-hate/493775/41 "2009-04-21T19:17:28Z")
> [@EdwardLost](#): > > Slightly off topic, but you know that cutesy thing of using “z” for the plural? (boys -\> boyz) \*\*I’m OK with that except when they do it for words that end in an unvoiced “s”. \*\* So, we’re good, then? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![EdwardLost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbe5ce/32.png) [@EdwardLost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EdwardLost)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-spellings-you-hate/493775/42 "2009-04-21T20:33:55Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > So, we’re good, then? 😉 Wheels -\> Wheelz is golden:D ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-spellings-you-hate/493775/43 "2009-04-21T20:50:49Z")
> [@Hal\_Briston](#): > > Mine biggest one is “explanation”. If I’m explaining something to you, shouldn’t I be giving you an “explaination”? I’m not “explaning” it, you know… > > How 'bout you? It occurs to me that this one makes sense. In the change from verb to noun form, the scansion of the word changes; the second syllable is no longer accented. As a consequence the vowel changes from a long a (as in THEY) to a schwa. This makes the “ai” problematic, as that combination is generally pronounced as AY or EYE, and rarely (if ever) as a schwa. The single “a” makes it clearer what the pronunciation of the word should be. ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-spellings-you-hate/493775/44 "2009-04-21T21:22:17Z")
rhythm - buy a real vowel already! ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-spellings-you-hate/493775/45 "2009-04-21T21:48:07Z")
> [@amarone](#): > > Tonne is not an alternative spelling of “ton” - it is a word in its own right with a (slightly) different meaning. A “ton” is an Imperial measure of weight, and is 2,240 lbs (outside of North America, which has its own “ton” or “short ton” of 2,000 lbs). A “tonne” is a metric ton, i.e. 1,000 kilograms, or 2,205 pounds. Thanks. Ignorance fought. ---
**Author:** ![Varrius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e9a140/32.png) [@Varrius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Varrius)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-spellings-you-hate/493775/46 "2009-04-21T23:38:59Z")
> [@williamweigand](#): > > That word that’s pronounced “or derve” and means something like “appetizer” - I’m not even going to try spelling it. This literally made me laugh out loud. 🙂 My wife always pronounces it “whores de ovries”, which is kinda cute. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-spellings-you-hate/493775/47 "2009-04-21T23:49:21Z")
Denouement, b/c I always spell it wrong, and because I’d been pronouncing it wrong my entire life until an episode of Jepoardy a month or so ago. Definitely, b/c for some reason every time someone else spells it wrong I notice and hit some sort of reading speedbump. ---
**Author:** ![Fetchund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b2d939/32.png) [@Fetchund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fetchund)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-spellings-you-hate/493775/48 "2009-04-21T23:59:35Z")
> [@Varrius](#): > > This literally made me laugh out loud. 🙂 > > My wife always pronounces it “whores de ovries”, which is kinda cute. I choose to go with “Horse Doovers”. How about forte? A few decades ago, my mom told me she had just discovered that it was supposed to be pronounced “fort”, not “for-tay”. I tried that one in public a few times and got chided mercilessly. Now I am totally afraid of a word! ---
**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:** [April 22, 2009, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-spellings-you-hate/493775/49 "2009-04-22T00:57:19Z")
> [@amarone](#): > > Tonne is not an alternative spelling of “ton” - it is a word in its own right with a (slightly) different meaning. A “ton” is an Imperial measure of weight, and is 2,240 lbs (outside of North America, which has its own “ton” or “short ton” of 2,000 lbs). A “tonne” is a metric ton, i.e. 1,000 kilograms, or 2,205 pounds. They should call it a Megagram then! So there! ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-spellings-you-hate/493775/50 "2009-04-22T03:58:12Z")
I definately hate definately because I type it ALL OF THE FREAKIN TIME and every time I do I am buzzing along and have to stop because I need to spell check the damn word. definitely…there…I did it right…eat that spellcheck ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-spellings-you-hate/493775/51 "2009-04-22T04:43:32Z")
misled - when I see it in print, I think of a word that rhymes with chiseled. rhyme - just looks weird interesting - I pronounce it ‘in-trest-ing’ (Arte Johnson help me learned how to spell it) environment - why is there a third ‘n’ in the middle of it? ---
**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-spellings-you-hate/493775/52 "2009-04-22T05:46:18Z")
Infancy-I spelled it I-N-F-A-N-T-S-Y in a spelling bee in middle school, due in large part, I think to first round nerves. I think that if I had made it out of the first round, I would have calmed down and done all right. Instead, I messed up on infancy. ARRGH ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Mondegreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/91b2a8/32.png) [@Lord\_Mondegreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Mondegreen)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-spellings-you-hate/493775/53 "2009-04-22T06:19:28Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > interesting - I pronounce it ‘in-trest-ing’ (Arte Johnson help me learned how to spell it) > > environment - why is there a third ‘n’ in the middle of it? I pronounce “interesting” and “environment” as they are spelled. Perhaps it’s a regional thing (I’m Australian). ---
**Author:** ![BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-spellings-you-hate/493775/54 "2009-04-22T09:22:40Z")
minuscule. Although because it should be miniscule, it’s [becoming more ok](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/minuscule) these days. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-spellings-you-hate/493775/55 "2009-04-22T12:27:52Z")
whilst. SHould be willst, but it’s whilest. I hate it because it takes longer to say while-st, or is it wile ist? Whilst your at it why not just say while? ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2009, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-spellings-you-hate/493775/56 "2009-04-23T02:50:27Z")
During football season I used to yell at the TV for Brett Favre to correct the spelling of his last name. (For those non-football fans, it’s spelled Favre, pronounced farve.) ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2009, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-spellings-you-hate/493775/57 "2009-04-23T16:54:37Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > rhyme - just looks weird If it makes you feel better, “rime” is an acceptable alternate spelling, and is not likely to be confused with its other meaning of frost or incrustation. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2009, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-spellings-you-hate/493775/58 "2009-04-23T17:52:43Z")
“judgment”, “acknowledgment”, etc look wrong to me. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2009, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-spellings-you-hate/493775/59 "2009-04-23T19:13:45Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > _Maintenance._ > > I always think it should be _Maintainance._ _Thank_ you…when I wrote the OP, I knew there was another word that suffered from the same issues – you hit it right on the head. If need to _maintain_ something, then I should be doing _maintain_ance, not maintenance. I’m not looking to mainten it. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2009, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-spellings-you-hate/493775/60 "2009-04-23T19:21:11Z")
> [@Hal\_Briston](#): > > _Thank_ you…when I wrote the OP, I knew there was another word that suffered from the same issues – you hit it right on the head. > > If need to _maintain_ something, then I should be doing _maintain_ance, not maintenance. I’m not looking to mainten it. Except you’re neglecting to account for the influence of punctuation. "Maintain is pronounced with a (slight) emphasis on the second syllable. When the third syllable is added to make it a noun, the pronunciation changes so that the first syllable is has the primary accent (and thus retains its long vowel), the last syllable receives the secondary accent (as well as the _n_ sound) and the middle syllable is not accented and its vowel is reduced to a schwa. Keeping the _ai_ in the center syllable would create the false impression that a long _a_ or diphthongal _i_ was expected. Spelling it with an _e_ is clearer. See also _retain_/_retention_. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-spellings-you-hate/493775.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-spellings-you-hate/493775.md?page=4)