Letter imperfect: What words do we mispel, uh, misspell the most?
Show Caption
Hide Caption
Chippewa Local speller Zach Yeager prepares for national bee
Zach Yeager, a student at Chippewa Junior/Senior High School in Doylestown, is busy preparing for the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Oddly, "misspell," a not-particularly easy word to spell, is not on a recently released list of words Americans most often misspell.
But as the Scripps National Spelling Bee gets underway, a study by WordUnscrambler.pro, an online tool for Scrabble players and others who play word games, finds that Americans have a hard time spelling a host of other words.
Using Google Trends search data from the start of the year through May 19 for "How do you spell ..." and "How to spell ...," analysts found that we definitely can't spell "definitely." We can't separate our impulse to misspell "separate" from search engine inquiries. And we somehow find it necessary to Google the spelling of "necessary."
Those are the top three hard-to-spell words, respectively, according to WordUnscrambler's analysis.
You won't believe what else is on the list. Or maybe you will.
What does a Google analysis reveal about spelling miscues?
At least two words with the challenging i-e combination made the list of most-misspelled words: "believe," which came in at No. 4, and "neighbor," at No. 7.
There were 33,500 searches for "definitely," 30,000 for "separate" and 29,000 for "necessary." "Through" seems to be a troublesome word, with 28,000 searches.
But maybe we can also take some solace in a polarized nation in some other words on the list: We may be complimenting one another a lot, because "gorgeous" is No. 6 on the list. And we obviously care about our "neighbors," even if that e-i-or-i-e thing gives us fits.
Google took root with a misspelling
Google's own origin story includes a misspelling: Creators Sergei Brin and Larry Page originally called their search engine Backrub. But Page had a better idea (it might have been hard to think of a worse one): googol, or a "1" followed by 100 zeroes, or, if you're into exponents, 10 to the 100th power. Page misspelled it, and Google, the search engine, was born.
The search engine's ubiquity, though, has made "google" a verb as well as a proper noun. And that popularity comes in large part because of its utility in helping us find some of our "favorite" (No. 9 on the list of most misspelled words) things.
The things we search for most may be some of the things we misspell most often: "business" is No. 8 on the list and "restaurant" is No. 10 for misspelled searches.
What do people in your state misspell the most?
Alabama, Kansas, New York and Wisconsin all want to be "different," while Arkansans just want a good "quesadilla." Colorado, home to six U.S. military bases, seems to search "sergeant" a lot, and Delaware, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nebraska, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wyoming are all looking for someone or something that's "beautiful."
Californians and Washingtonians (of the state variety) are looking for "appreciation," and people in Montana and New Mexico want to "appreciate" whatever it is that they appreciate.
Contrary to their prickly reputations, New Jerseyans like to say "Congratulations," as do the folks in Illinois. Floridians like to "compliment" people. And in Arizona, Kentucky, South Carolina and Virginia, they're just looking for, well, "people."
Maine is concerned with "pneumonia," and who can blame them? In Alaska, they can't stop thinking about "tomorrow," and in Connecticut, they're apparently on a strict "schedule."
North Carolinians are keeping a "secret," while they're merely "protective" in New Hampshire (and in Texas, where the spelling of "protect" is searched most often). They're evidently practicing their "crochet" skills in Ohio, but practicing "patience" in Oklahoma.
No one should be running with "scissors" in Pennsylvania. But folks everywhere, including in Tennessee, should eat their "broccoli" to stay strong.
Some states contributed to the top words on the list, including "definitely" (Idaho and Utah), "necessary" (Georgia), "through" (Iowa and Louisiana) and "business" (Oregon). In Indiana, they're wondering what's being "taught," while Nevadans are concerned with "school." Maryland is searching for "character," and Minnesota wants to be "successful."
In Michigan, they're starting from "scratch" but feeling the heat in Missouri, where the "temperature" gets warm. Rhode Islanders are curious about what's been "cancelled" and in North Dakota, it's all about the "daughter" (because "son" is pretty easy to spell).
It's hard not to envy the people of Hawaii, though, who are thinking about the next "luau."
And what's up with you, Vermont? You just want to know how to spell "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious."
Don't we all?
Do you want to share a slice of Americana with USA TODAY? Contact Phaedra Trethan by email at ptrethan@usatoday.com, on X (formerly Twitter) @wordsbyphaedra, on BlueSky @byphaedra, or on Threads @by_phaedra
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
8 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Raccoon whose sidewalk death went viral in 2015 immortalized in Toronto's history
TORONTO - Ten years ago, a dead raccoon on a downtown Toronto street sparked an impromptu sidewalk shrine as passersby laid flowers, candles and cigarettes around the critter. Now, Conrad the raccoon has been immortalized in the city's history with a heritage plaque at the spot where it all happened. Conrad went viral in 2015 after his remains laid on the sidewalk at the corner of Yonge and Church streets for nearly 14 hours following a social media post reporting the dead animal to the city. Meg Sutton, plaques co-ordinator with Heritage Toronto, says the 10th anniversary of Conrad's death is the perfect occasion to revive the raccoon's story, which she says united Canadians across the country. The plaque includes photos of the posts that launched the DeadRaccoonTO hashtag, imprints of raccoon paws and a QR code that leads to a website where people can post their own raccoon stories. As the first-ever animal plaque in the city, Sutton says it also serves to highlight the natural history of raccoons in urban spaces. In the early 1900s, industrialization and deforestation caused such a threat to the raccoon population that people worried the creatures would go extinct, she said. 'Now, raccoons have become so adaptable and resilient that they've made their homes in attics and sheds, they've found new diet sources and human-discarded food, and they've just become these cheeky personalities that run amok,' Sutton said Tuesday in an interview. So far, more than 400 people have scanned the QR code on Conrad's plaque and the web page has been visited more than 1,000 times. After a month, a permanent version of the plaque will be installed to replace the QR code with life-size raccoon prints since the QR code requires maintenance and upkeep, Sutton said. Promoting community engagement was the main goal of the plaque, she said, since 'everyone has a raccoon story in Toronto.' 'Conrad is one for the people, where he represents a lot of individual moments or interactions,' Sutton said. 'And I think we all kind of fell in love with him.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 22, 2025. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Hamilton Spectator
5 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
The 700-year-old Prague cathedral will get a new voice as an organ is nearly installed
PRAGUE (AP) — The installation of a new organ at Prague's St. Vitus Cathedral is nearing completion, giving the 700-year-old biggest temple in the Czech Republic a proper instrument to accompany religious services and concerts. An international team was working on a three-story scaffolding above the main entrance inside the cathedral on Tuesday to put in place some of the remaining pipes. The work is scheduled to be complete in late August, followed by the voicing and tuning of the pipes through the end of the year. The public could hear the organ's first sounds on June 15 next year, the feast of St. Vitus, officials said. The organ contains some 6,000 pipes, ranging in length 7 millimeters (0.28 inches) to 7 meters (23 feet). The four-manual instrument was build in a workshop of Gerhard Grenzing in El Papiol near Barcelona in Spain. The renowned German organ builder has constructed almost 140 organs and reconstructed more than 90 historical instruments in many countries. Once completed in Spain, the new organ was disassembled and its parts were gradually transported to Prague on trucks. The cathedral is linked to the Czech statehood. It's a place where the Czech kings were coronated and buried while the Czech crown jewels are stored inside. The funeral Mass for Vaclav Havel, the Czech Republic's first president, was celebrated in the cathedral on Dec 23, 2011. The previous organ was completed in the early 1930s, but turned out to be too small for its monumental space and frequently broke down. There was no interest in fixing the organ during World War II and more than 40 years of communist rule. Effort to build a new organ started in 2017, with a crowdfunding campaign that collected more than 109 million Czech koruna, or crowns, ($5.2 million), about 98% of the sum needed. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Florida gets failing grade in new plastic pollution report, calls for stronger action
The Brief A new report from the Ocean Conservancy is giving the United States a failing grade when it comes to fighting plastic pollution. The report comes as new studies show microplastics are increasingly being found in the human body, raising alarms among health professionals. TAMPA, Fla. - A new report from the Ocean Conservancy is giving the United States a failing grade when it comes to fighting plastic pollution. The environmental non-profit gave the Sunshine State a 1.5 out of 5 stars for its current efforts, saying there's significant room for improvement. The release coincides with Plastic Free July, a global campaign urging individuals and governments to cut down on single-use plastics. READ: EPA's research and development office eliminated; thousands laid off What they're saying "Four out of five Americans want to see plastics addressed," said JP Brooker, the director of the Florida Conservation Program at Ocean Conservancy. "And yet, we're only giving states an average score of 1.5 out of 5 stars." Florida earned some points in the report for steps like banning intentional balloon releases and allowing communities to ban smoking on beaches, which helps reduce litter. But, Brooker said the state still has a major roadblock: It prevents local governments from banning single-use plastic items like bags and utensils. Dig deeper Brooker said plastic pollution isn't just an environmental issue, it's also a threat to Florida's economy. MORE: Governor DeSantis signs deal to speed up Florida Everglades restoration projects He also advocates for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws, already passed in seven states, that require manufacturers to help manage the waste they create. Big picture view Florida isn't alone in its low score. The Ocean Conservancy's report found that about 90% of states failed to meet basic standards for plastic waste reduction. "The U.S. is the world's number one generator of plastic waste," Brooker said. "We need to embrace a circular economy, where plastics are reused and recycled, not just thrown away." Currently, the UN is working on global trade to reduce plastic pollution. READ: Temple Terrace residents raise concerns over cancer-causing chemicals in drinking water Why you should care The report comes as new studies show microplastics are increasingly being found in the human body, raising alarms among health professionals. "The problem is even worse now," said Dr. David Berger, a Tampa-based pediatrician. "It's already in our water supply. It's in our food. Even if people start avoiding plastics today, it's still everywhere." The Ocean Conservancy's report compiled the top ten items collected on Florida beaches. The top three items were the following: Cigarettes Butts Plastic bottle caps Food wrappers Plastics straws came in at No. 7. Despite awareness campaigns, cigarette butts have remained the number one item for years, highlighting the ongoing challenge of changing public habits. The Source The information in this story was gathered by FOX 13's Genevieve Curtis. Solve the daily Crossword
