# Words that seem like they are spelled wrong **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 25, 2024, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-seem-like-they-are-spelled-wrong/1004797 "2024-07-25T22:12:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2024, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-seem-like-they-are-spelled-wrong/1004797/81 "2024-08-08T21:48:58Z")
> [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](#): > > Me fail Spanish? That’s inposible! Don’t you mean umpossible? ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2024, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-seem-like-they-are-spelled-wrong/1004797/82 "2024-08-08T22:03:10Z")
When I was a kid I was very good at spelling, so while the other children in my class had a spelling error list of hundreds of words, I had something like seven words that I had to write out each week as a way to remember the correct spelling. I’m sure that’s a decent idea for most situations, other kids wrote like ten new words each week. I didn’t even have ten words so it was really boring and repetitious. Anyways, I can only remember a couple of the words in my list, one was ‘their’ and another was ‘giraffe’. I still think it ought to be spelled ‘girrafe’. That’s where the double letters are supposed to reside. Another of my words was Viva which was a model of car. I’m annoyed that my getting Vauxhall correct didn’t mean I got a mulligan for Vever. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2024, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-seem-like-they-are-spelled-wrong/1004797/83 "2024-08-09T01:02:27Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > “Restaurant” gets me sometimes. It seems like the “u” should go after the second “a”. For years I had trouble with restaurant until I just remembered the restaurant we went to and left without eating due to the large number of ants there. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2024, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-seem-like-they-are-spelled-wrong/1004797/84 "2024-08-09T01:04:15Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > Rouge, It should be spelled Rouze. I have to look it up every time. Not to mention that rogue is also a word and which is which. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2024, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-seem-like-they-are-spelled-wrong/1004797/85 "2024-08-09T01:19:46Z")
_Rogue_ is an old computer game that spawned a series of so-called “roguelike” games. Google for “roguelike” and you get about 31 million hits. But if you Google for “rougelike”, you get over half a million hits; probably almost all of them are typos. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2024, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-seem-like-they-are-spelled-wrong/1004797/86 "2024-08-09T19:16:41Z")
> [@Frodo](#): > > “immortal”, it should be “iNmortal”, “in” - negates (as in “inappreciable”) so “can’t die” = “IN”- “mortal”. This isn’t a spelling rule. It is more like a phonetic rule that n before any labial consonant, b, p, or m, eventually turns into an n. And eventually the spelling catches up. ---
**Author:** ![FrenchDunadan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frenchdunadan/32/5449_2.png) [@FrenchDunadan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrenchDunadan)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2024, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-seem-like-they-are-spelled-wrong/1004797/87 "2024-08-11T13:37:09Z")
Seems like a huge part of this words came from French 😀 By the way if it can’t burn it is “ininflammable” in French 🙄 ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2024, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-seem-like-they-are-spelled-wrong/1004797/88 "2024-08-11T15:25:26Z")
Electrolux’ **Frigidaire** brand is not only spelled wrong, it is not thought through either. Just sayin’ (shudder!) And it looks like French too. BTW if it can’t burn it is _incombustible, ignífugo, ininflamable, refractario_ or _calorífugo_ in [Spanish](https://dle.rae.es/incombustible) but if it can it becomes either _combustible_ or _inflamable_. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2024, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-seem-like-they-are-spelled-wrong/1004797/89 "2024-08-12T16:32:46Z")
Conscience. I just spent 5 minutes in another thread spelling it like it should be. I screwed it up so bad even spell-check had no idea what I was going for. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2024, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-seem-like-they-are-spelled-wrong/1004797/90 "2024-08-12T16:40:56Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > My understanding is that “judgment” is the standard US spelling, while “judgement” is the standard UK spelling. Both, to me, seem to have a bit of wrongness to them, but you gotta spell it somehow. Don’t judg us. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2024, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-seem-like-they-are-spelled-wrong/1004797/91 "2024-08-12T17:15:29Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > _Rogue_ is an old computer game that spawned a series of so-called “roguelike” games. Google for “roguelike” and you get about 31 million hits. But if you Google for “rougelike”, you get over half a million hits; probably almost all of them are typos. The game City of Heroes had an expansion, called Going Rogue, that let you start in a different area. If you visit one particular spot in that new area, you get a badge called “Going Rouge”. That spot is at a tailor merchant, who can change your costume and other aspects of your appearance. ---
**Author:** ![Dogginit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dogginit/32/16920_2.png) [@Dogginit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogginit)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2024, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-seem-like-they-are-spelled-wrong/1004797/92 "2024-08-12T18:49:06Z")
One that I have to stop and think about everytime I write it is “sheriff”. To me it seems like it should be spelled “sherrif”. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2024, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-seem-like-they-are-spelled-wrong/1004797/93 "2024-08-12T19:27:06Z")
_Colonel_. People put an R there. Pretty much always, so that is the correct pronunciation. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2024, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-seem-like-they-are-spelled-wrong/1004797/94 "2024-08-12T19:57:02Z")
> [@Dogginit](#): > > One that I have to stop and think about everytime I write it is “sheriff”. To me it seems like it should be spelled “sherrif”. Yes! See my post above: > [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > > [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > > > What’s the logic? > > Commitment > Happening > Belittlement > > It just seems like the double consonant should come earlier in the word. ---
**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:** [August 12, 2024, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-seem-like-they-are-spelled-wrong/1004797/95 "2024-08-12T21:01:53Z")
Synecdoche. Shouldn’t even be a word. Sounds like a city in New York or the lyrics to Dem Bones. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2024, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-seem-like-they-are-spelled-wrong/1004797/96 "2024-08-12T21:39:21Z")
Dude, wait, what? I’ve only ever heard it pronounced ‘ska neck ta dee’ now I’m finding out that not only is spelled whacky - it’s pronounced whacky. You’re right, shouldn’t even be a word. [ETA: I have never heard it pronounced like this.](https://youtu.be/W96U09fyjNU?si=3y9UbNJQfNpUfbbC) ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2024, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-seem-like-they-are-spelled-wrong/1004797/97 "2024-08-12T23:15:58Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Synecdoche. Shouldn’t even be a word. Sounds like a city in New York or the lyrics to Dem Bones. Reminds me of an old joke. Person 1. How do you spell Schenectady? Person 2. Oh, send it to Troy. The Post Office knows. Person 1. How do you spell Troy? Back in my day, inflammable meant capable of being inflamed. And incapable of being inflamed was rendered as noninflammable. But there was too much confusion and too many people taking the in- as negating the flammable part, so gradually the word got replaced by flammable, which is entirely reasonable. And the negation is nonflammable. The new system is vastly superior. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2024, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-seem-like-they-are-spelled-wrong/1004797/98 "2024-08-13T00:07:48Z")
Flautist. Why isn’t it “flutist”? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2024, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-seem-like-they-are-spelled-wrong/1004797/99 "2024-08-13T03:18:18Z")
It is. I see “flutist” more often in US English. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2024, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-seem-like-they-are-spelled-wrong/1004797/100 "2024-08-13T20:28:24Z")
I agree. I think flautist is from Italian, IIRC and I refuse to use it. I also dislike classical plurals. I use phenomenons, octopuses, cactuses, etc. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-seem-like-they-are-spelled-wrong/1004797.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-seem-like-they-are-spelled-wrong/1004797.md?page=6)