6 Impossible Words To Spell Correctly

Every now and then on this blog, we’ll step out of the world of books and into a world that makes the world of books possible. That would be the world of words. Words.

We’ve talked about annoying words anddisgusting words and even pleasant words. And, of course, since this is an English-speaking blog, I focus on English words.

[This article was first published at 101books.net by Robert Bruce, a reader enthusiastic!]

Today, let’s take a look at impossible-to-spell words. Or at least words that I find impossible to spell.

These aren’t words like pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanokoniosis or even floccinaucinihilipilification (both actual words) that I couldn’t be expected to spell if you gave me 24 hours and one of those wild-eyed spelling bee kids, like this girl, as a tutor.

These are simple words, words that we’ve heard and written all our lives. But for some reason, these words are the bane of my spelling existence. I simply can’t put the letters in the right order.

Rhythm: I’ve never spelled this word correctly on the first attempt. Ever. I think there’s some symbolism here. I’m a white boy who can’t spell rhythm.

Occasion: Why two Cs and only one S? Why not one C and two Ss. That’s the way I prefer to spell it. On occasion, I get it right. But usually, spellcheck has to correct me.

Maintenance: The spelling of this word makes zero sense. So we “maintain” the long-term health of our car by performing “maintenance” on it? I always, always, always want to spell this word as “maintainance.”

Liaison: I’ve probably needed to write this word maybe three times in my life, but when the opportunity comes around, it’s a futile effort. I have never and, likely will never, spell “liaison” right, unless I’m looking at the correct spelling of the word when I type it. Like I just did.

Restaurant: Why do I always want to put an E in place of the “AU” in “restaurant?” What kind of English spelling dimwit am I? Have you seen my baseball?

Diarrhea: The silent H here is the killer. And we all know diarrhea is anything but silent. Sorry, I couldn’t resist. I’m getting a little loose with my sense of humor. Oh, no. It happened again.

Should spelling common words like these be so difficult? Am I an idiot who should be ashamed to hold an English degree?

Or am I not the only one? Are there any words that you have trouble spelling correctly?

[This article was first published at 101books.net by Robert Bruce, a reader enthusiastic!]