Which is the most commonly misspelled word in each state?
And unlike us, none of them were using Google to doublecheck their spelling.
In honor of this year's Bee, WordUnscrambler.pro — an online resource for wordsmiths and Scrabble enthusiasts — has attempted to determine the most misspelled word in each state by studying the volume of Google searches containing phrases like 'How do you spell [X]' or 'How to spell [X].' The site's analysts also enlisted the help of Ahrefs, a marketing and SEO company, to determine the volume of searches and the variations of possible spelling queries for the analysis.
The results, according to WordUnscrambler.pro, are indicative of 'America's most misspelled words.'
Spelling bee champ wins by visualizing words typed on keyboard
A representative for the site said many of the commonly misspelled words shared similar attributes, such as silent letters, tricky vowel sounds, or foreign etymologies. Having autocorrect on our phones and computers may also be contributing to poorer spelling ability, the spokesperson noted.
'We simply forget things that we delegate to technology,' the spokesperson wrote in an emailed statement obtained by Nexstar. 'Misspellings might be on the rise not because we know less, but because we need to know less.'
Which words do Americans often misspell?
On a national level, the results of the analysis determined that Americans misspell the word 'definitely' more than any other, with 33,500 searches for the word's correct spelling recorded from January 1 through May 16, 2025. 'Separate' and 'necessary' followed behind with 30,000 searches and 29,000 searches respectively.
America's most misspelled words, according to WordUnscrambler.pro
Definitely – 33,500 searches.
Separate – 30,000 searches.
Necessary – 29,000 searches.
Believe – 28,500 searches.
Through – 28,000 searches.
Gorgeous – 27,000 searches.
Neighbor – 25,500 searches.
Business – 24,200 searches.
Favorite – 23,000 searches.
Restaurant – 22,500 searches.
When it comes to individual states, many of those same words appear to be most difficult for residents to spell. Some of the notable outliers include: residents of Hawaii, who often appear to have trouble with 'luau'; residents of Tennessee, who aren't so sure how to spell 'broccoli'; and Google users in Vermont, who more often request the correct spelling of 'Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.'
America's most misspelled words by state, according to WordUnscrambler.pro:
Alabama – Different
Alaska – Tomorrow
Arizona – People
Arkansas – Quesadilla
California – Appreciation
Colorado – Sergeant
Connecticut – Schedule
Delaware – Beautiful
Florida – Compliment
Georgia – Necessary
Hawaii – Luau
Idaho – Definitely
Illinois – Congratulations
Indiana – Taught
Iowa – Through
Kansas – Different
Kentucky – People
Louisiana – Through
Maine – Pneumonia
Maryland – Character
Massachusetts – Beautiful
Michigan – Scratch
Minnesota – Successful
Mississippi – Beautiful
Missouri – Temperature
Montana – Appreciate
Nebraska – Beautiful
Nevada – School
New Hampshire – Protective
New Jersey – Congratulations
New Mexico – Appreciate
New York – Different
North Carolina – Secret
North Dakota – Daughter
Ohio – Crochet
Oklahoma – Patience
Oregon – Business
Pennsylvania – Scissors
Rhode Island – Cancelled
South Carolina – People
South Dakota – Beautiful
Tennessee – Broccoli
Texas – Protect
Utah – Definitely
Vermont – Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
Virginia – People
Washington – Appreciation
West Virginia – Beautiful
Wisconsin – Different
Wyoming – Beautiful
Scripps spelling bee celebrates a century of testing young learners
The results of the analysis were released just in time for the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee, which itself came just in time to make Americans everywhere feel slightly worse about their own spelling abilities. Faizan Zaki, 13, a student from Allen, Texas, won the competition after correctly spelling the word 'eclaircissement,' which Merriam-Webster defines as 'a clearing up of something obscure.'
He then fell to the floor as confetti rained down upon the stage.
'One thing that differentiates him is he really has a passion for this,' a friend of his told the Associated Press. 'In his free time, when he's not studying for the bee, he's literally looking up archaic, obsolete words that have no chance of being asked.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Chicago Tribune
6 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Wanted: more empathy as federal cuts threaten safety nets for the poor
When is a lemonade stand more than a lemonade stand? For one thing, it becomes something special when it is run by your seven-year-old granddaughters…with assistance from two of their best buddies and, of course, a hefty lift from their mom and dad. It gets even more noteworthy when it's featured on the Yorkville Police Department's Facebook page, which gave the girls' enterprise a '10 out of 10' for decorations and attitude, also ranking the 'excellently refreshing lemonade and drive-in-drive-out access as superb.' Even more impressive: Their few hours peddling regular and pink lemonade in the hot sun brought in well over $300 …much of which came from generous 'tips' that far exceeded the dollar-a-glass-price. Among those giving patrons: the immigrant owner of a construction company working in their subdivision who recalled how at age seven in his native Mexico he began selling candy at school – then later his grandmother's home-baked goods – which fueled his eventual entrepreneurship here in this country. Who knows. Perhaps last weekend's successful concession business (homemade cookies and snack bags were also for sale) will spark an entrepreneurial passion in one of the little girls. What I loved most about this mid-summer project, however, was that all proceeds from the lemonade stand were delivered to Hesed House on Wednesday, an idea that came from the twins after learning more about the homeless shelter in Aurora. Which would make proud any parent or grandparent who knows it's never too early to help kids understand there are so many people out there far less fortunate than they are. It's hardly breaking news that social workers are concerned about the rising rates of homelessness locally and across the nation. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, over the last eight years, there has been a 40% increase in the number of unhoused Americans; with 2024's rate the highest since since the US. Department of Housing and Urban Development began keeping statistics nearly 20 years ago. At Hesed House in Aurora there are currently 280 adults in the shelter, another 59 in the family shelter, with 120 more living in off-site locations. But those numbers are a 'drop in the bucket' compared to what we will see in the future with federal government changes that greatly impact the poor, said Joe Jackson, executive director of the homeless facility. He's especially concerned about how this administration's so-called 'Big Beautiful Bill' will impact 'permanent supportive housing,' which is intended for those with disabilities. Hesed House has 100 men, women and children who are benefiting from this help but there are, he said, 'tens of thousands across the state.' In a best-case scenario, Jackson said, 'if the funding for this program gets cut 50-60% and is left up to states' to figure out how to distribute it, 'Hesed House will fall under a grant for emergency solutions. And that means it can't be used for permanent supportive housing,' which he notes, 'has been scientifically proven as best practice for ending homelessness' because it is not only more dignified housing but is cheaper than shelters. Jackson's most immediate short-term concern is cuts to Medicaid; not just for people Hesed House serves but from partner agencies like the Association for Individual Development, which gets 80% of its funding from Medicaid. And Hesed House, he told me, 'does not exist without AID,' which is connected to so many of the homeless shelter's services, including on-site mental and behavioral health counseling and street outreach. 'I don't mean to be a doomsday predictor,' Jackson said. 'But if things go through as is currently set up, we will see record numbers of homelessness … it will not just overwhelm the homeless system. It will collapse.' Lore Baker, executive director of AID, is equally concerned. For one thing, the agency that serves those with developmental, intellectual, physical and/or mental health challenges and covers Kane, Kendall, DeKalb, McHenry, northern Cook, western DuPage and parts of Will counties, relies on SNAP benefits to feed residents in its group homes. And she worries that changes to this program, as well as Medicaid, will involve an insurmountable volume of red tape as these individuals try to traverse a complicated processing system that can be intimidating even to those without disabilities. Both executive directors bristle at the notion too many are taking advantage of welfare programs. If you look at Medicaid fraud, for example, 'the vast majority are from fraudulent billers,' not the patients, said Baker. And how often do you hear 'these people just need to get a job,' said Jackson, adding that 80% of Hesed House residents work but don't make enough money to afford a home, along with food, utilities and other expenses. He also pointed out that the number of calls to the shelter's Homeless Prevention Program, which is set up to keep people from losing the roofs over their heads, 'is beyond anything we've seen in the past.' From 2022 to the present, there have been 2,292 instances of people being able to stay in their homes.. And all these cases are 'people who live locally, our neighbors, with plenty working multiple jobs just to keep the lights on,' Jackson said. 'Without this type of program, they would already be on the streets or in shelters.' On that same topic, Baker points out that people on social security disability receive $997 a month, which would not begin to cover most rent these days. 'I've worked in this business for 30-plus years and have never seen anything like the way HUD has raised its fair market rent,' she said, referring to the 40% increase a couple years ago, following by the more recent 20% uptick. 'It is a basic misunderstanding of the way the world works from those who do not have to worry about living paycheck to paycheck,' insisted Baker. 'There is a vindictiveness and unkindness that is not warranted. Even able-bodied people are working their buns off to be able to survive.' Lazarus House Executive Director Kristi Athas, noting there are 'few entry level jobs out there right now for our guests' has 'yet to meet someone working the system.' And she invites anyone who believes differently to take a tour of the St. Charles shelter she leads. 'I promise you will see people who look like you and me; working at your bike store or bagging your groceries … ,' she said. 'It doesn't matter who you are. When you see a mother and child being homeless, how can that not impact you and push us all to do better?' There's no question it's also been a challenging time for social workers in the trenches. Baker admits she's shed plenty of tears in recent months, 'and I'm not a crier.' What's referred to as 'compassion fatigue' is a real thing, with nonprofits under tremendous pressure to deal with the surge in need. Unfortunately, 'based on what we're seeing' at Hesed House, said Jackson, 'faith organizations are also stretched to capacity … there is only so much water you can wring out of a towel.' Athas sees the breaking point as well. 'All the points in the system are being pinched,' she said. 'We are all pulling every lever we have; but there is only a finite amount of levers we can pull.' All of which brings us back to the need for more empathy. It's a characteristic that can't be instilled too early, agrees Athas, who sees youngsters once or twice a week show up at Lazarus House with sandwiches for residents; and Jackson, who is encouraged when children raise money for the Aurora shelter. Whether it's a neighborhood lemonade stand or a Scouting project or individual kids donating their birthday money, the payout far exceeds the dollar amount, he said. It's not only 'teaching empathy toward others,' it is showing those who are homeless 'there are people who really do care.' It 'means the world to them,' Jackson concluded; then added a sentence I've heard him say frequently and with conviction. 'It gives them hope for a better tomorrow.'
Business Insider
11 hours ago
- Business Insider
My dad is a retired FDNY firefighter, but hasn't slowed down one bit. He's shaped my own vision of work and retirement.
On a recent Saturday morning, my retired parents texted me, the resident family foodie, for restaurant recommendations in Raleigh, North Carolina. I don't live there, but they figured I'd know where to look. They're not on vacation, exactly — they're there for one of my dad's 60-and-over softball league tournaments. This is just part of what retirement looks like for my dad, a retired FDNY firefighter. Rather than settling into a life of golf courses or cruise ship decks, he's just as busy now as he was when he was working — he's simply doing different things. After more than 20 years fighting fires in New York City, with his pension secured, my dad could have easily slowed down. He could have embraced the kind of stillness most people dream about. Instead, he picks up shifts chaperoning events at our hometown high school a few times a month, everything from school dances to football games. During his FDNY days, he spent years as captain of the department's softball team, and these days, he still hits the field for regular batting practice and travels around the country to compete in senior leagues. This is his idea of taking it easy. It doesn't surprise me at all that he hasn't slowed down Some people might ask: Why keep "doing" when you don't need to? But that question has never really made sense to me. My dad never had just one job. He was running into burning buildings, yes, but also running a small sunroom business he had built from the ground up while making sure he never missed my brother's hockey games or my dance recitals. His own parents had grown up in Queens with very little and worked hard to move the family out to a house in the suburbs. I think, on some level, he felt he owed it to them to make good on that effort. The way I saw it growing up, slowing down almost felt selfish — movement wasn't just a habit, it was a way of honoring where we came from. It's no surprise, then, that I find myself replicating that rhythm. I work full-time as the Head of Marketing at a music tech startup, which means that on evenings and weekends, I'm rarely truly "off." And, still, I pitch articles like this one, and I take on freelance clients when I can. The idea of being satisfied with just one job — even if it's a stable one — has never quite taken root in me, and that's not because I fear stillness, but because ambition has always looked like staying in motion. Watching my dad retire taught me that effort doesn't stop being meaningful once the paycheck becomes optional; it just becomes far more personal when you're not just doing it for money. He does it because he likes being part of something that's larger than himself, whether that's in the hallways of his alma mater or trash-talking in the dugout with guys he's known for decades. There's an inherent purpose in that rhythm. And sure, I know what the headlines say: older Americans are working longer, and it's often framed around worries about economic uncertainty, about disappearing pensions, and sometimes that is why. But, sometimes, it's a value system passed down — whether we asked for it or not. I'll likely have a similar version of retirement My dad's version of retirement is not about refusing to rest but rather about refusing to disappear. His life now is proof that being mentally, socially, and physically active can be its own kind of joy, that usefulness and community don't have to be casualties of aging. He's still ordering new bats and gloves, booking travel to tournaments, and texting me for restaurant recs in whatever city he's landed in. Meanwhile, I'm working from home in San Juan, Puerto Rico, laptop open, pitching another story while practicing my Spanish and planning my next salsa class. Clearly, neither of us seems interested in sitting still. When I think about my own future, I'm not sure I'll ever want the version of retirement where I just vanish into leisure, either. Maybe that's the gift my dad gave me: a model for what aging could look like — one where I don't lose sight of myself, but I refocus. Not a stop point, but an entirely new chapter to start — one where your time is still yours to shape in whichever way you see fit. If I ever do retire, I hope it looks a lot like his. Full of play, purpose, and enough momentum to keep me in motion.
Hamilton Spectator
a day ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Station Lands Heritage Park opens in Niverville
Niverville has a new park, and it's a historically significant one. The Station Lands Heritage Park was officially opened in a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, July 18, on Station Road. Mayor Myron Dyck was on hand for the event alongside former town employee Cornelius Funk and local history enthusiasts Bernie Falk and Ernest Braun. The park, marked by a handsome timber shelter covering a refurbished historical well, can be reached via a walking trail from Main Street. The well is the result of an accidental discovery made in 2012. At that time, Funk was cutting grass when one of the wheels of his mower unexpectedly fell into a hole. 'He could have gone right over if it wasn't for the width of the mower preventing it,' says Braun of the lucky happenstance. Eventually the hole was filled in, with the help of Bernie Falk, another former town employee. In the meantime, Braun researched the significance of the hole and its proximity to the nearby railroad tracks. He concluded, through depth exploration, that this well had originally been used to provide water for steam engines. Ten years after the discovery, in the fall of 2022, the town began construction on a park. 'If you didn't have access to water, you would not see a community here,' says Mayor Dyck of the well's significance. 'To have water this close in proximity shows the infrastructure that was important to the day and the significance of it, and how it connected communities.' The park was developed in collaboration with the Eastman Historical Society, as well as a team of students from the Steinbach Regional Secondary School's carpentry class that designed and rebuilt the well and timber shelter. Along the way, the park has been supported by numerous volunteers. Reclaimed brick from both the well and other local sources were used to rebuild the well to its current height. Natural grasses, trees, and shrubs were then planted nearby. Partial funding of $75,000 was provided by the provincial government through the Building Sustainable Communities fund. Niverville's town council matched the province's contribution, bringing the project's cost to $150,000. Stations Land Heritage Park is part of more than 160 acres of usable public greenspace in Niverville. The town also boasts twenty-four kilometres of active transportation routes. 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 .
