# Words you just realize you've been spelling wrong all along... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 19, 2015, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-you-just-realize-youve-been-spelling-wrong-all-along/738008 "2015-11-19T20:11:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-you-just-realize-youve-been-spelling-wrong-all-along/738008/1 "2015-11-19T20:11:39Z")
So…I’m a good speller. Like, a _really_ good speller. Spelling bee winner throughout grade school, etc. It’s just always come very naturally and effortlessly for me; I’m a man of unremarkable intelligence in most areas, but I’ve always been a perfect speller for whatever reason. So imagine my shock a week or two ago, when I realized that not only have I been spelling the word **embalm** (and its whole extended family: embalmed, embalming, etc.) incorrectly my whole life, I’ve been saying it and hearing it incorrectly in my head. In my head and on paper, it had always been “enbalm,” with an n. Since it isn’t a word that comes up much when slamming out copy at a doctor’s office (unless it was a really incompetent doctor, I guess), it wasn’t until just recently that I had Microsoft Word underline it for me. I instantly went, “no way,” and in 60 seconds of googling, the walls came crumbling down around me. Everything I thought I knew was a lie. ☹ Any words that you only realized as an adult that you had been spelling wrong forever? :smack: ---
**Author:** ![WildBlueYonder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ce7236/32.png) [@WildBlueYonder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildBlueYonder)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-you-just-realize-youve-been-spelling-wrong-all-along/738008/2 "2015-11-19T20:25:14Z")
I was always a good speller, but gets worse over the years I get sick of others misspelling! Especially payed, paid -quite and quiet the most!!! What bugs me is when I am typing, I need the word “your” but all I get is “you” There are a few others that I cant think of right now. I hate using apostrophes! ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-you-just-realize-youve-been-spelling-wrong-all-along/738008/3 "2015-11-19T20:33:53Z")
Exorbitant. I always assumed it was “exorbinant” - most people I hear pronounce it that way! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-you-just-realize-youve-been-spelling-wrong-all-along/738008/4 "2015-11-19T20:36:26Z")
I’m a very good speller, but a while back I learned from the SDMB that the word I had always pictured as sauter (pronounced sotter) was actually spelled solder. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-you-just-realize-youve-been-spelling-wrong-all-along/738008/5 "2015-11-19T20:43:11Z")
Dilemma. It is, apparently, just dilemma. From the greek di- meaning two and lemma meaning horn. Sensible. Obvious. Where the hell did I ever get dilemna from? I blame, without evidence, elementary school. Apparently, a common thread between people who learnt the dilemna spelling is that they went to catholic elementary schools. So, as far as I’m concerned this is Mrs. K\_\_\_'s fault. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-you-just-realize-youve-been-spelling-wrong-all-along/738008/6 "2015-11-19T21:03:14Z")
I used to stick a D in refrigerator. I guess because “fridge.” It took me the longest time to figure out how to spell occasion. Two c’s, one s, or one s, two c’s? ---
**Author:** ![The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_wind_of_my_soul)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-you-just-realize-youve-been-spelling-wrong-all-along/738008/7 "2015-11-19T21:17:57Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > Dilemma. > > It is, apparently, just dilemma. From the greek di- meaning two and lemma meaning horn. Sensible. Obvious. > > Where the hell did I ever get dilemna from? I blame, without evidence, elementary school. Apparently, a common thread between people who learnt the dilemna spelling is that they went to catholic elementary schools. So, as far as I’m concerned this is Mrs. K\_\_\_'s fault. This! I feel like I’ve seen dilemna somewhere. Or heard it. Or something. ---
**Author:** ![Karen\_Lingel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karen_lingel/32/18649_2.png) [@Karen\_Lingel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karen_Lingel)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-you-just-realize-youve-been-spelling-wrong-all-along/738008/8 "2015-11-19T21:51:34Z")
Parliment Czecholslovakia ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-you-just-realize-youve-been-spelling-wrong-all-along/738008/9 "2015-11-19T21:56:37Z")
It took me a _long_ time, as in I only realized this maybe a year ago, that “everyday” and “every day” were different. I realized the difference in definition all along; I just thought they were both one word. I’ve always known how to spell everything else, though. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-you-just-realize-youve-been-spelling-wrong-all-along/738008/10 "2015-11-19T21:56:47Z")
Rigamarole. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-you-just-realize-youve-been-spelling-wrong-all-along/738008/11 "2015-11-19T21:58:13Z")
I’m curious about the spelling of “fly” and “party” with various “e” suffixes added to the end: Fly, flyer? or flier? Party, partied, partier? Or partyer? Is see the “Partyer” spelling a lot especially in the context of “Tea Partyer”. Why not Tea Partier? Oh, and mandoline, which I just learned yesterday right here on this board. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-you-just-realize-youve-been-spelling-wrong-all-along/738008/12 "2015-11-19T21:59:52Z")
I want to spell tinnitus, tintinnitus. I can only think it’s because the racket in my ears deserves a longer word. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![ReticulatingSplines](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@ReticulatingSplines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReticulatingSplines)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-you-just-realize-youve-been-spelling-wrong-all-along/738008/13 "2015-11-19T22:22:11Z")
I was shocked recently to discover that a person who opens a restaurant is a “restaurateur” and not a “restauranteur.” ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-you-just-realize-youve-been-spelling-wrong-all-along/738008/14 "2015-11-19T22:38:22Z")
> [@74westy](#): > > Rigamarole. This one for me too. That’s how I always spelled and used it. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-you-just-realize-youve-been-spelling-wrong-all-along/738008/15 "2015-11-19T22:45:06Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > Dilemma. > > It is, apparently, just dilemma. From the greek di- meaning two and lemma meaning horn. Sensible. Obvious. > > Where the hell did I ever get dilemna from? I blame, without evidence, elementary school. Apparently, a common thread between people who learnt the dilemna spelling is that they went to catholic elementary schools. So, as far as I’m concerned this is Mrs. K\_\_\_'s fault. > [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](#): > > This! I feel like I’ve seen dilemna somewhere. Or heard it. Or something. I second Catholic elementary school, plus, I read a lot of comic books then, and THAT’S where I’m sure I’ve seen it. Maybe they went to CES, too. BIP: amok/amuck - which is it? 2 words, same definition? 2 different words? ---
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-you-just-realize-youve-been-spelling-wrong-all-along/738008/16 "2015-11-19T22:47:20Z")
Quadriplegic. Due to the word par_a_plegic, I thought it was quadr_a_plegic. ---
**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:** [November 19, 2015, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-you-just-realize-youve-been-spelling-wrong-all-along/738008/17 "2015-11-19T22:54:00Z")
> [@ddsun](#): > > I want to spell tinnitus, tintinnitus. I can only think it’s because the racket in my ears deserves a longer word. 😉 Maybe by analogy with “tintinnabulation”? ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-you-just-realize-youve-been-spelling-wrong-all-along/738008/18 "2015-11-20T00:54:38Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Party, partied, partier? Or partyer? > > Is see the “Partyer” spelling a lot especially in the context of “Tea Partyer”. Why not Tea Partier? My SWAG: Lexical units. _Tea party_, in the sense of “the thing little girls do with their stuffed animals and their Moms’ clothes” is two words - the noun _party_, modified by the adjective _tea_. The noun is the semantically significant word; a _tea party_ is a party where tea is served. So the … agentitive suffix? verbal noun marker? anyway, the _-er_ goes on to _party_. As per normal English spelling rules, the _-y_ becomes an _-i_. However, _Tea Party_, in the sense of the political movement, is a different kind of word - a name. (Yes, singular “word” - _Tea_ and _Party_ together carry the meaning; semantically, it’s one word.) Names have different rules - their forms don’t change when they’re modified. So one could talk about “Disneylike animation” or a “Kennedyesque politician” or “Kerryian diplomacy”. Or, a Tea Partyer. At least, that’s my guess. ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-you-just-realize-youve-been-spelling-wrong-all-along/738008/19 "2015-11-20T01:18:22Z")
I have to look up immigration and emigration almost every time. What’s up with the Ms? Who decided that? ---
**Author:** ![oara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b77776/32.png) [@oara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oara)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-you-just-realize-youve-been-spelling-wrong-all-along/738008/20 "2015-11-20T01:26:58Z")
Liquefy, minuscule, parliament. I also had the idea of “dilemna” for a while as a kid, but I never attended a religious school, and generally picked up vocabulary from reading. It might’ve just come from unconsciously applying a general pattern from words like “condemn”. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-you-just-realize-youve-been-spelling-wrong-all-along/738008.md?page=2)