English spellings
English is famous, even notorious, for its varied spellings. This is a selection of commonly misspelt and/or mispronounced words, alongside regular ones for contrast. For example, *disāsterous is a common misspelling of disāstrous, with the e echoing that of disāster (the asterisk indicates an incorrect spelling, the accents stress and pronunciation: see English phonemes; where there is more than one accent, the first is stressed).
Particular attention is given to homophones, words with the same pronunciation. English is rich in homophones; it also has many homonyms, words with the same spelling and pronunciation, and homographs, words with the same spelling but different pronunciation. All three can be found here. In this alphabetical list, the most common word is placed first in the entry.
Also of special note are words that many writers incorrectly divide. ôver and dûe, for example, combine to form overdûe, without a space in the middle. Such examples are included with ‘one word’ alongside them: alongsîde one word.
The equals sign = is placed between homophones (in some cases the approximately equals sign ≈ is more appropriate). Homographs and other similar words are included after 'cf.' (from Latin conferre, 'compare').
An asterisk is placed before incorrect respellings, thus: *thuss. Words in italics are used to suggest meanings, in the case of similar words. The word person (or persons after more than one) implies either a personal or family name. Such words are included because they often contrast with the spellings of homophones, for example a bank clerk might be named Clàrk or Clàrke, but most probably not 'Clerk' (which is pronounced identically in BrE). It may, of course, also be a commercial or place name, as this is a matter regarding individuals: the fact that one is more likely to meet a person, most probably male, called Maurice Mórris than one called Mórris Maurice, both words and hence both names being pronounced the same in BrE (Maurìce in AmE), is about as relevant as the fact that one is unlikely to meet a person called either.
A
 letter = èh? what? (names of letters are usually written as capitals in text)
a article *ə: schwa. It can be a strong form â, like the name of the letter Â, but this can sound pompous, especially in private; it can however be used for emphasis, as a synonym for ône, as for example of a tennis player trailing 4-6 2-0: At lêast hê lêads ín â sét.
àaah sentiment ≈ àaargh disgust more a´s may be added, ≈ àh response
àardvark
Ãaron - also Ãron or Áron and now some say Áaron = Árran Isle
àh response ≈ àaah sentiment ≈ àaargh disgust (in the latter cases more a´s may be added)
abándoned - not -nned
Abbàs
ábdomen
abdóminal
Aberdêen
Aberýstwýth
aberrâtion
abét
abhŏr
abhórrent
âble capable = Âbel person
abòut *əbòut
ábscess
ábsèil cf. sâil
ábsence
abstâin
absténtion
ábstinence
abýsmal -zməl
abýss
ácadême
acádemy
académic
accélerate ax-, cf. excél, éxcellent
áccent áx-
accéntuate -x-
accépt receive cf. excépt exception
áccess *áxéss, cf. áxis, áxês
áccident áx-
accidéntally áx-
áccolade
accómmodate - two c’s and two m’s
accòmpany
accòmplíce person
accòmplísh achieve
Accrà
accrûe cf. acróss
acërbic
âche *âke
achìêve
ácmê
acquiésce *aquìéss, cf. quiéscent *kwìéssent, quîet *kwîət
acquîre *aquîre
acquít
âcreage *âkerage
acróss cf. accrûe
áctual *ákchəl
ácûmen cf. áccurate
ácupuncture
ádage
adàgio -jô
ádd more = ád advertisement
Áddis Ábaba
ádditive
addíctive
addréss BrE = a dréss; AmE áddress
adhêre (d and h pronounced separately)
adhêsive (d and h pronounced separately)
ád hóc
ádjective cf. ejécted
adjöurn
adjúst *ajúst
ád nåusêám
adôbê
adrénalín can be -íne
advānce
ádvent
advénture
ádversary -vəsrỳ or advërsary
ádvërt
ádvertise never -îze
advërtísement BrE; AmE ádvertîsement
advîce noun -ss
advîse verb pronounced but never spelt -îze
advîser = advîsor (alternatives)
Aêgêan *Êjêən
ãerial air = Ãriel person
ãerie bird = ãiry light and = variant spellings of bird: ãerie = éyrie = éyry
ãeroplane BrE; AmE ãirplane
Aêschylus BrE; AmE Êschylus *Êeskiləss
aêsthétics AmE ê-
afféct alter cf. efféct result í-
áffect emotion
afféctive emotional cf. efféctive resultant
áffidâvit
affrònt cf. effròntery
Afghánistān - either stressed
aficionàdo
afrâid
África
Afrikàans -ànce
Afrikàner
āfter
āfterwards
again é, but AmE and some BrE, regular: agâin
against é, but AmE and some BrE, regular: agâinst
agâpe gaping
ágapê eros
âge cf. édge: Francophones beware
âgeing *âging, *âjing
âgeist
agô
ágriculture
âid help = âide assistant; Âids or ÂIDS disease = âids, âides plurals
Âids or ÂIDS disease = âids, âides plurals ãir breathe = Ãyr Scotland = ére before = é’er ever = héir estate
ãiry light = all four spellings of éyrie = éyry = ãerie = ãery bird, cf. êerie strange
alîgn = a lîne, cf. állŷ friend, állêy way
aîsle church = îsle island
Ajáccio *Azháxio
Àjax Amsterdam *Àyáx
Âjax person
Ál person cf. åll total
Alabáma - one m, cf. Montána, Louisiána
Álan = Àllen = Àllan
alás
Ålbany cf. Álbânia
Álbert
Albuquërquê *Albəkïrky
Åldwých
Álfred
álgaê *áljê or *álgy
álgorithm rhymes with rhýthm
Áli person = álley walk - except Muhámmad Àlì boxer
âlias *âlius
Álíce
alîgn = a lîne, cf. állŷ
Álistair = Álastair
âlias
álibî
âlien
alienâtion
alîgned *allîned, cf. állied
alîve
åll every = åwl tool, cf. Ál person
Alládin
allegâtions *allogations
allége cf. lédge, etc.
alléged *aléjd
allégedly *aléjidly
allelûia or allelûja or allelûya
állêy path = Áli person, cf. állŷ
álligâtor
allót assign = a lót much
åll-òut total before noun needs hyphen
allòwed permitted = alòud heard
álloy
állŷ friend cf. állêy, alîgn
állŷ noun
allŷ verb, cf. Álì person
ålmanac
ålmost
àlms gift = BrE àrms body, weapons
alóngside one word
alòud audible = allòwed allow
alréady before = åll réady ready
alrîght = åll rîght - same meaning, probably by analogy with alréady
Alsâtian
ålso
ålter change = åltar church
altërnate adjective
ålternâte verb
altërnative
althôugh *åldhô
alumínium BrE; AmE alûminum
alvêolar
ålways
ám be
âm ante meridian *â-ém
ámateur *ámətə; AmE can be amateûr
ambássador cf. émbassy
ámbergrìs BrE; AmE ámbergrís - s pronounced
ambítious *ámbíshəss
amén BrE à, AmE â
aménd cf. comménd
aménds make = eménds alters
âmìable cf. âim
ámícable
amòng
amòunt
an *ən: version of a before a consonant
anáchronism -nákr-
ánalŷse
análysês plural *ənáləssêez
análysis singular *ənáləssís
ánalýst
ánarchy *ánəkỳ
áncestor
ánchor -nk-
ánchovy -ntsh-
âncient
and *ənd, sometimes ánd for emphasis = &
andántè
Ándês
Andêan
Andórra AmE -ŏrr-, cf. Pandŏra
Ándreŵ
anémonê cf. an énemy
ângel *ânjəl, cf. ángle
ánger BrE *áng-gə
ángry *áng-gry
ángst
ánimus cf. ûnánimous
Ánkara
ánnals cf. ánalyst
annéx verb
ánnex or ánnexe noun
annîhilate *annîyílâte
anómaly
ánonýmity
anónymous anòther one word
ānswer - w silent: BrE *ànsə, AmE *ánsr
Antàrctica first c can be silent
ántê- before = ántì-
Ánthony (usual) = Ántony Mark, -tə-
ántì- against = ántê-; AmE ántî-
ántidote
Antìgua -gə
antirrhînum *antirŷnum
antisémitism
anxîety *angzîety
ánxious *ánkshəss
any thing é-, cf. Ánnie person
anybody *énnybódy, one word
any mŏre two words
anyone *énnywún, one word
anyway despite one word, cf. where wây is a noun: any wây yoû loòk at ít
apâce fast = a pâce step
apàrtheîd -tîte
apéritìf - either stressed
aphêlion *áfêlian
apìêce each one word = a pìêce part
apócalypse
apólogîse verb
apólogíes plural noun
apóstasy
apóstrophê
appål - AmE can be appåll
appålling
apparátchik
ápparâtus BrE - either stressed (to children apparatus can sound plural, ‘apperators’); AmE apparátus
appárel
appárent
appêar
appêasement
appêaser
applåuse
approval -prû-
approve -prû-
âpricot
à priŏrî two words
àpriŏrísm one word
apropôs *ápropô
Aquãrius
Árab adjective, person
Arâbian adjective
Árabic language
àrc circle = Àrk Noah
archâíc *àrkâyíc
archeólogy àrk-
archipélago àrk-
àrchive *àrkîve
ãrêa space *ãrêə, cf. ària, êra
Argentìna Àrj-
àrgil clay - soft g
Argŷll Scotland = Argŷle Plymouth - hard g
àrgue
àrgument
ària opera cf. ãrea
árid
Ãries -ríz
árístocrat BrE á stressed, AmE í stressed
aristocrátic
Àrkansas BrE -såw, AmE -sà
arrést
arrhythmic
àrsenal *àrssnəl
arrhýthmic
àrtefact
artêsian well *àrtêzhən
artifícial -shəl
artisán art *àrtizán
àrtist art
artìste stage
ascént climb = assént agree
ascertâin
ÁSEAN or Ásean association *ássián, cf. Âsian Asia, *Âzhan
Âsia *Âsha or *Âzha