100 Most Often Misspelled Words in English

acceptable - Several words made the list because of the suffix pronounced -bl but sometimes spelled -ible, sometimes -able. Just remember to accept any table offered to you and you will spell this word OK. accidentally - It is no accident that the test for adverbs on -ly is whether they come from an adjective on -al ("accidental" in this case). If so, the -al has to be in the spelling. No publical, then publicly. accommodate - Remember, this word is large enough to accommodate both a double "c" AND a double "m." acquire - Try to acquire the knowledge that this word and the next began with the prefix ad- but the [d] converts to [c] before [q]. acquit - See the previous discussion. a lot - Two words! Hopefully, you won't have to allot a lot of time to this problem. amateur - Amateurs need not be mature: this word ends on the French suffix -eur (the equivalent of English -er). apparent - A parent need not be apparent but "apparent" must pay the rent, so remember this word always has the rent. argument - Let's not argue about the loss of this verb's silent [e] before the suffix -ment. atheist - Lord help you remember that this word comprises the prefix a- "not" + the "god" (also in the-ology) + -ist "one who believes."

believe - You must believe that [i] usually comes before [e] except after [c] or when it is pronounced like "a" as "neighbor" and "weigh" or "e" as in "their" and "heir." Also take a look at "foreign" below. (The "i-before-e" rule has more exceptions than words it applies to.) bellwether - Often misspelled "bellweather." A wether is a gelded ram, chosen to lead the herd (thus his bell) due to the greater likelihood that he will remain at all times ahead of the ewes.

calendar - This word has an [e] between two [a]s. The last vowel is [a]. category - This word is not in a category with "catastrophe" even if it sounds like it: the middle letter is [e]. cemetery - Don't let this one bury you: it ends on -ery nary an -ary in it. You already know it starts on [c], of course. changeable - The verb "change" keeps its [e] here to indicate that the [g] is soft, not hard. (That is also why "judgement" is the correct spelling of this word, no matter what anyone says.) collectible - Another -ible word. You just have to remember. column - Silent final [e] is commonplace in English but a silent final [n] is not uncommon, especially after [m]. committed - If you are committed to correct spelling, you will remember that this word doubles its final [t] from "commit" to "committed." conscience - Don't let misspelling this word weigh on your conscience: [ch] spelled "sc" is unusual but legitimate. conscientious - Work on your spelling conscientiously and remember this word with [ch] spelled two different ways: "sc" and "ti." English spelling! conscious - Try to be conscious of the "sc" [ch] sound and all the vowels in this word's ending and io-u a note of congratulations. consensus - The census does not require a consensus, since they are not related.

daiquiri - Don't make yourself another daiquiri until you learn how to spell this funny word-the name of a Cuban village. definite (ly) - This word definitely sounds as though it ends only on -it, but it carries a silent "e" everywhere it goes. discipline - A little discipline, spelled with the [s] and the [c] will get you to the correct spelling of this one. drunkenness - You would be surprised how many sober people omit one of the [n]s in this one. dumbbell - Even smart people forget one of the [b]s in this one. (So be careful who you call one when you write.)

embarrass (ment) - This one won't embarrass you if you remember it is large enough for a double [r] AND a double [s]. equipment - This word is misspelled "equiptment" 22,932 times on the web right now. exhilarate - Remembering that [h] when you spell this word will lift your spirits and if you remember both [a]s, it will be exhilarating! exceed 0 Remember that this one is -ceed, not -cede. (To exceed all expectations, master the spellings of this word, "precede" and "supersede" below.) existence - No word like this one spelled with an [a] is in existence. This word is a menage a quatre of one [i] with three [e]s. experience - Don't experience the same problem many have with "existence" above in this word: ence!

fiery - The silent "e" on "fire" is also cowardly: it retreats inside the word rather than face the suffix y. foreign - Here is one of several words that violate the i-before-e rule. (See "believe" above.)

gauge - You must learn to gauge the positioning of the [a] and [u] in this word. Remember, they are in alphabetical order (though not the [e]). grateful - You should be grateful to know that keeping "great" out of "grateful" is great. guarantee - I guarantee you that this word is not spelled like "warranty" even though they are synonyms.

harass - This word is too small for two double letters but don't let it harass you, just keep the [r]s down to one. height - English reaches the height (not heighth!) of absurdity when it spells "height" and "width" so differently. hierarchy - The i-before-e rule works here, so what is the problem? humorous - Humor us and spell this word "humorous": the [r] is so weak, it needs an [o] on both sides to hold it up.

ignorance - Don't show your ignorance by spelling this word -ence! immediate - The immediate thing to remember is that this word has a prefix, in- "not" which becomes [m] before [m] (or [b] or [p]). "Not mediate" means direct which is why "immediately" means "directly." independent - Please be independent but not in your spelling of this word. It ends on -ent. indispensable - Knowing that this word ends on -able is indispensable to good writing. inoculate - This one sounds like a shot in the eye. One [n] the eye is enough. intelligence - Using two [l]s in this word and ending it on -ence rather than -ance are marks of . . . you guessed it. its/it's - The apostrophe marks a contraction of "it is." Something that belongs to it is "its."

jewelry - Sure, sure, it is made by a jeweler but the last [e] in this case flees the scene like a jewel thief. However, if you prefer British spelling, remember to double the [l]: "jeweller," "jewellery." (See also pronunciation.) judgment - Traditionally, the word has been spelled judgment in all forms of the English language. However, the spelling judgement (with e added) largely replaced judgment in the United Kingdom in a non-legal context. In the context of the law, however, judgment is preferred. This spelling change contrasts with other similar spelling changes made in American English, which were rejected in the UK. In the US at least, judgment is still preferred and judgement is considered incorrect by many American style guides.

kernel (colonel) - There is more than a kernel of truth in the claim that all the vowels in this word are [e]s. So why is the military rank (colonel) pronounced identically? English spelling can be chaotic.

leisure - Yet another violator of the i-before-e rule. You can be sure of the spelling of the last syllable but not of the pronunciation. liaison - Another French word throwing us an orthographical curve: a spare [i], just in case. That's an [s], too, that sounds like a [z]. library - It may be as enjoyable as a berry patch but that isn't the way it is spelled. That first [r] should be pronounced, too. license - Where does English get the license to use both its letters for the sound [s] in one word? lightning - Learning how to omit the [e] in this word should lighten the load of English orthography a little bit.

maintenance - The main tenants of this word are "main" and "tenance" even though it comes from the verb "maintain." English orthography at its most spiteful. maneuver - Man, the price you pay for borrowing from French is high. This one goes back to French main + oeuvre "hand-work," a spelling better retained in the British spelling, "manoeuvre." medieval - The medieval orthography of English even lays traps for you: everything about the MIDdle Ages is MEDieval or, as the British would write, mediaeval. memento - Why would something to remind of you of a moment be spelled "memento?" Well, it is. millennium - Here is another big word, large enough to hold two double consonants, double [l] and double [n]. miniature - Since that [a] is seldom pronounced, it is seldom included in the spelling. This one is a "mini ature;" remember that.

minuscule - Since something minuscule is smaller than a miniature, shouldn't they be spelled similarly? Less than cool, or "minus cule." mischievous - This mischievous word holds two traps: [i] before [e] and [o] before [u]. Four of the five vowels in English reside here. misspell - What is more embarrassing than to misspell the name of the problem? Just remember that it is mis + spell and that will spell you the worry about spelling "misspell."

neighbor - The word "neighbor" invokes the silent "gh" as well as "ei" sounded as "a" rule. This is fraught with error potential. If you use British spelling, it will cost you another [u]: "neighbour." noticeable - The [e] is noticeably retained in this word to indicate the [c] is "soft," pronounced like [s]. Without the [e], it would be pronounced "hard," like [k], as in "applicable."

occasionally - Writers occasionally tire of doubling so many consonants and omit one, usually one of the [l]s. Don't you ever do it. occurrence - Remember not only the occurrence of double double consonants in this word, but that the suffix is -ence, not -ance. No reason, just the English language keeping us on our toes.

pastime - Since a pastime is something you do to pass the time, you would expect a double [s] here. Well, there is only one. The second [s] was slipped through the cracks in English orthography long ago. perseverance - All it takes is perseverance and you, too, can be a (near-)perfect speller. The suffix is -ance for no reason at all. personnel - Funny Story: The assistant Vice-President of Personnel notices that his superior, the VP himself, upon arriving at his desk in the morning opens a small, locked box, smiles, and locks it back again. Some years later when he advanced to that position (inheriting the key), he came to work early one morning to be assured of privacy. Expectantly, he opened the box. In it was a single piece of paper which said: "Two Ns, one L." playwright - Those who play right are right-players, not playwrights. Well, since they write plays, they should be "play-writes," wright right? Rong Wrong. Remember that a play writer in Old English was called a "play worker" and "wright" is from an old form of "work" (wrought iron, etc.) possession - Possession possesses more [s]s than a snake. precede - What follows, succeeds, so what goes before should, what? No, no, no, you are using logic. Nothing confuses English spelling more than common sense. "Succeed" but "precede." Precede combines the Latin words "pre" and "cedere" which means to go before. principal/principle - The spelling principle to remember here is that the school principal is a prince and a pal (despite appearances)--and the same applies to anything of foremost importance, such as a principal principle. A "principle" is a rule. (Thank you, Meghan Cope, for help on this one.) privilege - According to the pronunciation (not "pronounciation"!) of this word, that middle vowel could be anything. Remember: two [i]s + two [e]s in that order. pronunciation - Nouns often differ from the verbs they are derived from. This is one of those. In this case, the pronunciation is different, too, an important clue. publicly - Let me publicly declare the rule (again): if the adverb comes from an adjective ending on al, you include that ending in the adverb; if not, as here, you don't.

questionnaire - The French doing it to us again. Double up on the [n]s in this word and don't forget the silent [e]. Maybe someday we will spell it the English way.

receive/receipt - I hope you have received the message by now: [i] before [e] except after . . . . recommend - I would recommend you think of this word as the equivalent of commending all over again: re+commend. That would be recommendable. referred - Final consonants are often doubled before suffixes (remit: remitted, remitting). However, this rule applies only to accented syllables ending on [l] and [r], e.g. "rebelled," "referred" but "traveled," "buffered" and not containing a diphthong, e.g. "prevailed," "coiled." reference - Refer to the last mentioned word and also remember to add -ence to the end for the noun. relevant - The relevant factor here is that the word is not "revelant," "revelent," or even "relevent." [l] before [v] and the suffix -ant. restaurant - 'Ey, you! Remember, these two words when you spell "restaurant." They are in the middle of it. rhyme - Actually, "rime" was the correct spelling until 1650. After that, egg-heads began spelling it like "rhythm." Why? No rhyme nor reason other than to make it look like "rhythm." rhythm - This one was borrowed from Greek (and conveniently never returned) so it is spelled the way we spell words borrowed from Greek and conveniently never returned.

schedule - If perfecting your spelling is on your schedule, remember the [sk] is spelled as in "school." (If you use British or Canadian pronunciation, why do you pronounce this word [shedyul] but "school," [skul]? That has always puzzled me.) separate - How do you separate the [e]s from the [a]s in this word? Simple: the [e]s surround the [a]s. sergeant - The [a] needed in both syllables of this word has been pushed to the back of the line. Remember that, and the fact that [e] is used in both syllables, and you can write your sergeant without fear of misspelling his rank. supersede - This word supersedes all others in perversity. This is the only English word based on this stem spelled -sede. Supersede combines the Latin words "super" and "sedere" which means to sit above.

their/they're/there - They're all pronounced the same but spelled differently. Possessive is "their" and the contraction of "they are" is "they're." Everywhere else, it is "there." threshold - This one can push you over the threshold. It looks like a compound "thresh + hold" but it isn't. Two [h]s are enough. twelfth - Even if you omit the [f] in your pronunciation of this word (which you shouldn't do), it is retained in the spelling. tyranny - If you are still resisting the tyranny of English orthography at this point, you must face the problem of [y] inside this word, where it shouldn't be. The guy is a "tyrant" and his problem is "tyranny." (Don't forget to double up on the [n]s, too.)

until - I will never stop harping on this until this word is spelled with an extra [l] for the last time!

vacuum - If your head is not a vacuum, remember that the silent [e] on this one married the [u] and joined him inside the word where they are living happily ever since. Well, the evidence is suggestive but not conclusive. Anyway, spell this word with two [u]s and not like "volume."

WXYZ

weather - Whether you like the weather or not, you have to write the [a] after the [e] when you spell it. weird - It is weird having to repeat this rule so many times: [i] before [e] except after...? (It isn't [w]!)

Prepared by: MR. JEROME G. GLIPONEO Filipino English Teacher, P 5 & 6 Maryvit School, Pattaya

Common misspellings
The table gives the correct spelling of the word, handy tips on getting it right, and also the most common misspellings that weve found in our research, so you can check to see if any of the same mistakes have been tripping you up. Correct spelling accommodate, accommodation achieve across aggressive, aggression apparently appearance argument assassination basically beginning believe bizarre business calendar Caribbean cemetery chauffeur colleague coming committee completely conscious curiosity definitely dilemma disappear disappoint ecstasy embarrass environment existence Fahrenheit familiar finally fluorescent foreign foreseeable forty forward Spelling advice two cs, two ms i before e one c two gs -ent not -ant ends with -ance no e after the u two double ss ends with -ally double n before the -ing i before e one z, double -r begins with busi-ar not -er one r, two bs ends with -ery ends with -eur -ea- in the middle one m double m, double t, double e ends with -ely -sc- in the middle -os- in the middle -ite- not ate-mm- not -mnone s, two ps one s, two ps ends with sy two rs, two ss n before the m ends with -ence begins with Fahrends with -iar two ls begins with fluore before i begins with forebegins with forbegins with forCommon misspelling accomodate, accomodation acheive accross agressive, agression apparantly appearence arguement assasination basicly begining beleive, belive bizzare buisness calender Carribean cemetary chauffer collegue comming commitee completly concious curiousity definately dilemna dissapear dissapoint ecstacy embarass enviroment existance Farenheit familar finaly florescent foriegn forseeable fourty foward

friend further gist glamorous government guard happened harass, harassment honorary humorous idiosyncrasy immediately incidentally independent interrupt irresistible knowledge liaise, liaison lollipop millennium, millennia Neanderthal necessary noticeable occasion occurred, occurring occurrence pavilion persistent pharaoh piece politician Portuguese possession preferred, preferring propaganda publicly really receive referred, referring religious remember resistance sense separate siege

i before e begins with furbegins with g-mor- in the middle n before the m begins with guaends with -ened one r, two ss -nor- in the middle -mor- in the middle ends with -asy ends with -ely ends with -ally ends with -ent two rs ends with -ible remember the d remember the second i: liaisi in the middle double l, double n ends with -thal one c, two ss remember the middle e two cs, one s two cs, two rs two cs, two rs, -ence not -ance one l ends with -ent ends with -aoh i before e ends with -cian ends with guese two ss in the middle and two at the end two rs begins with propaends with cly two ls e before i two rs ends with -gious -mem- in the middle ends with -ance ends with -se -par- in the middle i before e

freind futher jist glamourous goverment gaurd happend harrass, harrassment honourary humourous idiosyncracy immediatly incidently independant interupt irresistable knowlege liase, liason lollypop millenium, millenia Neandertal neccessary noticable ocassion, occassion occured, occuring occurance, occurence pavillion persistant pharoah peice politican Portugese posession prefered, prefering propoganda publically realy recieve refered, refering religous rember, remeber resistence sence seperate seige

successful supersede surprise tattoo tendency therefore threshold tomorrow tongue truly unforeseen unfortunately until weird wherever which

two cs, two ss ends with -sede begins with surtwo ts, two os ends with -ency ends with -fore one h in the middle one m, two rs begins with ton-, ends with -gue no e remember the e after the r ends with -ely one l at the end e before i one e in the middle begins with wh-

succesful supercede suprise tatoo tendancy therefor threshhold tommorow, tommorrow tounge truely unforseen unfortunatly untill wierd whereever wich

Spelling Rules
While spelling used to be taught via simple memorization, experts now believe that understanding key spelling rules is the best way to master new words. Rules help you learn new spelling words in several different ways. For example: They take the mystery out of spelling by demonstrating patterns among seemingly unrelated words. They show connections between unfamiliar words and words you already know. They help you identify specific speech patterns that can offer clues as to how a word is spelled. They explain how new words are built using prefixes and suffixes.

Basic Spelling Rules

One of the most common spelling rules taught to elementary students is "I before E, except after C, unless it says A as in neighbor and weigh." However, there are a number of other rules that you can use to help decode the spelling of an unfamiliar word. For example: The letter Q is always followed by U. In this case, the U is not considered to be a vowel. The letter S never follows X. The letter Y, not I, is used at the end of English words. Examples of this rule include my, by, shy, and why. To spell a short vowel sound, only one letter is needed. Examples of this rule include at, red, it, hot, and up. Drop the E. When a word ends with a silent final E, it should be written without the E when adding an ending that begins with a vowel. In this way, come becomes coming and hope becomes hoping. When adding an ending to a word that ends with Y, change the Y to I if it is preceded by a consonant. In this way, supply becomes supplies and worry becomes worried. All, written alone, has two L's. When used as a prefix, however, only one L is written. Examples of this rule include also and almost. Generally, adding a prefix to a word does not change the correct spelling. Words ending in a vowel and Y can add the suffix -ed or -ing without making any other change.
Do we spell with "cial" as in "social" or "tial" as in "essential"? Rule: We spell with "cial" after a vowel as in "social" and with "tial" after a consonant as in "essential." Details: The "cial" and "tial" endings occur in approximately 36 words, and only 7 out of 36 words are exceptions. The word "controversial" contradicts all the rules because it is spelled with an "s." cial in 11 words:

facial official superficial crucial

tial in 18 words:

racial beneficial judicial social presidential confidential influential consequential circumstantial nuptial commercial spatial

glacial artificial special

residential prudential existential referential substantial martial

Exceptions:

credential potential essential sequential partial prenuptial provincial palatial

financial initial controversial

Lesson 2
Do we spell the sound of "f" with an "f" as in "font" or with a "ph" as in "geography" or with a "gh" as in "enough"? Rule: 1) As in "enough," the "gh" that sounds like an "f" occurs in approximately eight words. 2) The letter "f" is not

allowed in long words, and if a word is long (two or more syllables), then the "f" sound is spelled with a "ph," as in "geography." gh in 8 words:

enough cough trough geography autobiography hyphenated euphemism Philippine sophisticated pharmacy emphasize phonology phonetic photograph ophthalmology schizophrenia refer felony fidelity fabulous fantasy famine furious

tough laugh sough philosophy apostrophe nephew physician amphibian graphics pharmacist emphasis phobic phoneme triumph pamphlet paraphrase prefer feminine infant facilitate fallacy comfort furniture

rough slough

ph in long words; the f is not allowed in long words:

biography peripheral atmosphere Philadelphia amphitheater elephant alphabet symphony phonics metaphor paragraph diphthong Euphrates transfer finite fanatic family fantastic fugitive refuge

Exceptions of the f in 21 long words:

Lesson 3
Do we spell with "tion" as in "nation" or "sion" as in "expression" or "cian" as in "musician"? Rule: 1) As in "musician," spell with "cian" in approximately 18 words that describe a person's profession or hobby. We spell with "sion" in approximately 47 words. The "sion" is in 27 words that end with "ss" as in expressexpression and in 10 other words that contain the word "mission" as in "admission." We spell with "tion" in the rest of such words as in "action." cian in 18 words:

musician physician mathematician optician patrician beautician

sion in 47 words:

magician politician logician pediatrician technician dietician impression repression regression congressional succession obsession

electrician statistician arithmetician obstetrician theoretician cosmetician oppression progression aggression recession accession confession

expression depression suppression egression procession excision

profession discussion compassion concession intermission remission permission extension comprehension mansion
Exceptions:

obsession concussion percussion mission transmission commission tension pretension pension expansion complexion

possession passion session admission emission commissioner intension apprehension dimension

suspicion

ocean

Lesson 4
Rule: The ending "sion" as in "vision" has a special sound, which is different from the sound of "sion" as in "expression." When you hear yourself saying this special sound of "sion" as in "vision," spell it with "sion." The "sion" as in "vision" occurs in approximately 38 words and a few of these words have to do with seeing "visual" through the eyes as in "television" or through the mind as in "supervision."

vision revision decision collision infusion inclusion intrusion delusion corrosion evasion version subversion immersion

television supervision incision confusion transfusion exclusion illusion explosion occasion abrasion aversion submersion excursion

envision division precision diffusion conclusion preclusion elusion erosion invasion lesion inversion conversion [Persian]

Lesson 5
Do we spell with "ege" as in "college" or with "age" as in "cabbage"? Rule: The "ege" as in "college" occurs in approximately three words and the "age" as in "cabbage" is in the rest of such words. ege in 3 words:

college
ege in the rest:

privilege cabbage damage orphanage postage outage frontage advantage mileage bandage message usage leverage

cortege baggage rummage savage hostage voltage heritage package village adage massage average forage

language mortgage manage salvage shortage footage cottage wreckage cartilage sausage passage coverage

hemorrhage courageous

courage carriages

discourage marriage

Note: These three words have a silent d: knowledge, acknowledge, cartridge

Lesson 6
The "e" better than the "a" Theory Theory: 1. The people who developed written English did not like the letter "a" and the "e" is better than the "a" in English. 2. Verbs are always more important than nouns, and nouns are more important than adjectives: 1) Verbs 2) Nouns 3) Adjectives. 3. Therefore, when two words sound the same, English uses "ee" in verbs as in "see" and "ea" in nouns as in "sea"; Furthermore, English uses "ee" in nouns as in "week" and "ea" in adjectives as in "weak." Analyzing the meaning of the following words that contain "ea" as opposed to "ee," one discovers that those who developed written English did not like the "a" and used "ea" in words that, to them, conveyed some type of a negative connotation: ea for negative connotations: cheap (of little value) cheat (to deceive)

freak (abnormal person) leash (a restraining chain) treason (betrayal) sleazy (cheap) repeat (nothing new) sneak (not being frank) squeak (unpleasant sound) seal (mere animal) appeal (to petition) squeal (to tell on friends) dream (not actual) wean (give up milk) deceased, dead (not alive) beat (to hit) beast (brutal)

rear (not the front) fear (to be afraid) weak (not strong) weasel (deceitful) defeat (to be beaten) smear (to stain) impeach (discredit) appear (not sure) reveal (to expose) conceal (to hide) scream (cry loudly) lean (sign of weakness) disease (sickness) leak (a leak of liquid) ear (mere body part)

See how "steal," even though a verb, the "ea" was given to a verb with a negative connotation, but not to the noun "steel." Apparently, food items and anything associated with eating were considered mundane and perhaps banal items. Thus, the "ea" was given to most words associated with food: ea for banal food items:

eat meal peas wheat

meat veal beans yeast

feast tea peach grease

Examining the meanings of the many words that contain al, ar and an as opposed to el, er and en one can see that the "a" was associated with the vulgar and banal class of words. Analyze the meanings of some such examples: a for banal: vulgar (banal)

burglar (thief) singular (alone, not many) popular, familiar (too exposed)

beggar (jobless) liar (lieliar) similar (not the real one) caterpillar (a mere worm)

summary (not the whole thing) standard (basic) drunkard (mere drunkard) banal (vulgar) burial (related to death) decimal (very small amount) resistance (opposing force) assistant (not superintendent) dependant (needy)
Not an "a" in dependent, independent

secretary (not the boss) separate (by itself) lizard (mere lizard) scandal (public disgrace) trivial (of little importance) sufferance (pain) assistance (needing aid) servant (low ranking job) dependant (child in need)

Practice: To memorize the spelling of all the words in the above lessons, read them aloud slowly.

Uncovering the Mystery of Dyslexia by Camilia Sadik

Reason: The reason we can't spell turns out to be that a single English sound can be spelled in many different ways. Can read but cannot spell: Most people can read the numerous spelling patterns of the various English sounds; however, they do not always remember which of the numerous spelling patterns to choose when spelling these sounds in words. For example, most people may be able to read the word "ocean" but when they try to spell it, they may write osion or otion or ocian or ocion or oceon or oseon or osheon or oshin or ochin, etc. This is only one example out of hundreds. Examine the following two examples of a single sound being spelled in many different ways. 1. The single sound of long "e" is spelled in these 10 spelling patterns we call phonics: The e as in me, ee as in meet, ea as in meat, ei as in receive, ie as in believe, y as in happy, ey as in money, i as in ski, e-e as in complete, and i-e as in elite. 2. The single "k" sound is spelled in these five ways: The letter k as in keep, c as in cloud, ch as in chemistry, x as in maximum, and q as in queen. Imagine: There are thousands of words that contain the sound "k" but are not spelled with the letter "k." Without any previous logical explanations or rules, how are logical learners expected to remember to spell the "k" sound in thousands of words? The "k" sound being spelled in five ways is only one of the reasons we can't spell. Imagine having to spell the rest of the English sounds in many different ways in a countless number of words! These are brief logical answers to the abovementioned problem about the "k" sound: 1. The "k" is a minor letter that occurs in approximately 50 short words. 2. The letter "k" is not allowed in long words like in "factory." 3. The hard "ch" as in "chemistry" occurs in approximately 71 useful words. 4. The "x" is to spell a "ks" sound, as in tax=taks. 5. The "qu" is to spell a "kw" sound, as in quit=kwit.

What is dyslexia?
A Traditional Definition: Traditionally, dyslexia is said to be a condition in which a person can have difficulties learning to read or spell. Some dictionaries define dyslexia as a learning disability or a learning disorder. Those who are labeled with dyslexia may sometimes see or spell letters in a crisscross manner. For instance, they may write a word like "shipment" as "shipmetn" and "for" as "fro." Some may also see or spell words in a crisscross manner. For example, they may see "My niece is nice." as "My nice is niece." How much is known about dyslexia? In spite of the enormous amount of money being spent on dyslexia, very little is known about it. When I approached someone who did a PhD on dyslexia, he said there was no known solution for dyslexia and thus his specialty was not in finding answers, but in conducting tests in schools to diagnose children who had dyslexia. Is dyslexia innate or is it acquired? The commonly held belief is that dyslexia is innate, but I believe it is acquired. People are led to believe that dyslexia cannot be prevented; I believe it can easily be prevented. They are led to believe that one must accept dyslexia and manage his life around it; I believe dyslexia can be ended among those who already have acquired it. Finally, yet importantly, people are led to believe that dyslexics have learning disabilities; I believe they do not have learning disabilities. In fact, I will prove that dyslexics are the better thinkers, the most creative ones, and the finest type of learners. I will address each of the latter points separately.

Analytic learners can acquire dyslexia: Usually, logical and analytic learners cannot memorize the spelling of words without logical explanations as to why a single English sound should be spelled oneway and not the other. Memorizers, however, can remember the spelling of words without having to have logical reasons. When analytic learners do not have anyone offering them the logical reason that they need, they end up becoming poor spellers, and some of them will not read at all. It is not a matter of choice for them; their logical minds cannot memorize without regularity. Their brains reject such unstable spelling patterns of the same sound in so many words. Eventually, analytic learners acquire dyslexia. I will explain how they acquire it in the following paragraphs. Meanwhile, dyslexia is acquired but only among analytic learners (learners that need logical explanations first). Dyslexia in English: Know that speakers of other languages do not acquire dyslexia in their native languages, and this is so if their native languages happen to have one spelling pattern for each sound. In fact, most new immigrants who are completely literate in their native tongues come to the U.S. and then acquire dyslexia in English. Moreover, they send their children to schools assuming that their children will learn to read and spell in the same way that they learned when they were back in their homelands. Most had not heard before of a child going to school, passing from one grade to another, and not learning to read or spell. Camilia Sadik's definition of dyslexia: Dyslexia is a name given to an acquired condition wherein analytic learners can have various levels of difficulties when reading or spelling words. Usually, a person labeled with dyslexia is forced into speed-reading before learning to read. Because of hurrying, he sees letters and words in a crisscross manner, and then he ends up spelling them in the same crisscross manner that he reads them. When an analytic learner, who only knows the ABCs, is asked to read stories before learning phonics, he acquires dyslexia. He needs to be taught phonics before being forced to read sentences and stories. For instance, he needs to be informed beforehand that the "y" can sound like an "i" at the end of short words, before asking him to read a word like "my." Without informing beforehand, an analytic learner expects to see "My cat is cute." to be written as, "Mi kat iz qut." How is dyslexia acquired? Is there anything wrong with asking an analytic child who has just learned his ABCs to read a sentence like "My cat is cute"? All the teachers I asked said no there was no problem with this sentence and that they would continue to ask young children to read more such simple sentences in children's books. I agreed with the teachers that memorizers would learn to read and spell "My cat is cute." However, teaching, "My cat is cute." to an analytic and logical learner who had just learned his ABCs is like committing a linguistic crime. An analytic learner expects to see "My cat is cute." to be "Mi kat iz qut." and there is nothing wrong with the way an analytic learner thinks. In fact, he is the most coherent and commonsensical thinker who cannot simply accept what he has just seen and heard; he simply questions WHY it is that English words are not written in a consistent way. It is this WHY that makes a huge difference between the two types of learners. It is because of this why that analytic learners fall behind in class while memorizers are reading at a faster pace. Because they are so young, analytic children cannot form all the linguistic questions they need to ask; and, the number of whys overwhelms them at such a young age. They may wish to ask their teachers why the "q" sound is spelled with a "cu" in "cute" and why the "i" sound is spelled with a "y" in "my" but they cannot form such complex questions. Eventually, they become too overwhelmed with the number of questions they wish to ask, and then they decide to keep their mouths shut and put the blame upon themselves.

As a result, they continue to fall behind in class and no one realizes why they are falling behind. No one else around them knows what they have been through; even they, themselves, lose track of what is taking place. This entire episode happens so fast; it is like a quick nightmare that one forgets its details after waking up. Shortly after that, the commotion created around them and the worried parents lead these poor kids to believe they have some type of an innate learning problem. Before they know it, the testing specialists come to schools to diagnose them as dyslexics. Their condition remains a mystery to them, to their teachers, to their parents, and even to the specialist who may have a PhD in dyslexia. It is an outrage to watch our nation's finest type of thinkers being forced to live with illiteracy and falling behind in schools. Since when was analytic thinking a defect? In time, they fall behind not only in reading and spelling but also in all other subjects that require reading and spelling. This explains why so many of the so-called "dyslexics" are very creative in performing arts that do not require as much reading or spelling. Consequently, analytic learners become aware of the need to hurry to read faster to keep up with their classmates who are memorizers. They feel the pressure of having to read faster coming from their teachers, their peers, their parents, and from society at large. They are told to try harder and their teachers and other literacy advocates advise them to read interesting stories to improve their abilities to read. They ask them to read more stories when these poor kids cannot yet read or spell words or certain sounds in words. Nevertheless, they continue to try harder to read as they are told. In the midst of all this pressure, they develop the ability to speed-read before learning to read. Eventually, they speed-read without seeing the way words are spelled and they may not differentiate single words like "three, tree, there, etc." Some say that words jump at them. They hurry so much that their visions travel rapidly from left-to-right and vice-versa so that they end up seeing letters and sometimes words in a crisscross manner. When they write, they write in a hurry, in the same crisscross manner in which they read. They are in a desperate need to read slowly in order to see the way words are written. Yet, they are forced into speed-reading, and that only worsens the situation. Speed in reading or in anything is a result of a process that one can only achieve naturally; speed cannot be achieved through force. Constantly, dyslexics think they have to hurry and then they become obsessed with hurrying. Even when asked to look at words and copy them, they hurry and may copy words in a crisscross manner. They hurry more when their teachers ask them to find the main idea in the story they are reading. Analytic learners can only focus on one thing at a time; hence, they focus highly on the main idea but not on the way, words are written. And this is the story of how dyslexia is acquired. Typically, dyslexics focus highly on one thing and they become extremely creative at it. This explains seeing various types of creativity among dyslexics, but not among good spellers. Albert Einstein could not spell and he is a fine example of such highly focused and creative persons. Additional examples of such analytic persons are James Joyce, Thomas Edison, Agatha Christie, Robin Williams, Danny Glover, Tom Cruise, and Whoopi Goldberg.

Living an entire life with dyslexia: Some dyslexics may get by with reading but will have difficulties spelling the words that they read. Others may not learn to read at all. If they did not learn to read or spell by the end of third grade, chances are they are not going to learn from traditional learning methods at all. According to them, memorizing without reasons is impossible. Their minds will never open up to the way words are written without logical explanations.

Except in arts, music, and some divisions of science, dyslexics will naturally suffer in schools from low

performances and low grades in the subjects that require reading and spelling words in English. They often express their sorrow from the way society looks down at them or blames them. The saddest part is that too many dyslexics tend to think society is right and that they are to blame because they did not do it right when they were little kids. Society owes them a huge apology. A woman came to my spelling class and said she had not accepted a promotion where she worked for 22 years, because she was too afraid they would discover her spelling problem. After attending the spelling course, she accepted the promotion. Millions suffer from low self-esteem and many books can be written about dyslexics' heartbreaking life stories. Before the labeling of "learning disability" was accepted in schools, children were told they were too lazy to study. Isn't time to try to make up for some of the damage done in the past? Should we keep the name "dyslexia," which rhymes with medical conditions like anorexia, asphyxia, hysteria, etc.? I suggest changing the naming of "dyslexics" to "analytics," and "dyslexia" to "analytic strictness." Cases of ADD caused by dyslexia can be ended in a few weeks: Reading is the foundation for all learning. Obviously, a dyslexic child forced to sit in classrooms year-after-year without learning is going to be bored to the point of developing ADD; if dyslexia is prevented early enough, so are most cases of ADD. Yes, the cases of ADD caused by dyslexia can end in a few weeks while ending dyslexia. In 1998, I met Lee who was a child in sixth grade. Lee had been sitting in classrooms for six years not being able to read any words. He was labeled with dyslexia, ADD, learning disabilities, etc. Repeatedly, his parents were told he was an impossible-to-learn case. In August 1998, Lee learned to read in six days, not in six years. Lee's lifestyle changed after reading and ADD had no more presence in his new way of life. B.J. could read but he could not spell; he also recovered from ADD after studying in my spelling class for 10 days. Months later, I ran into him and his father and he said, "My grades are all straight A's now Ms. Sadik." B.J.'s overflowing energy was reversed into positive energy. Anticipate seeing a separate book written by Camilia Sadik about the life stories of those who used to have dyslexia or ADD. Camilia's Program for preventing dyslexia: Dyslexia can easily be prevented among analytic thinkers, only if the principle of Informing Before Introducing is applied in schools right after teaching the ABCs and right before asking students to read sentences and stories. It is best to begin by placing all phonics in a queue to await their turns to be introduced logically and one-at-a-time. In Read Instantly, all phonics are placed in a queue and then introduced logically one-at-a-time and then presented in 20 or more words; the words presented must not contain any new phonic that has not yet been introduced. When dyslexia is understood and when educators know how to avoid it, it will be easily prevented. If teachers decide to use Read Instantly, they need not change the order in which the lessons are presented; in this book, each new spelling pattern of a sound is placed in a queue awaiting its turn to be logically introduced and in a sequence of lessons. Each lesson is carefully planned and no lesson is placed there arbitrarily. Right after learning the ABCs, teachers must inform learners of any new spelling pattern of a sound before asking them to read words that contain such a pattern. If the principle of Informing Before Introducing were practiced in schools, our children would have no reason to acquire dyslexia. To avoid acquiring dyslexia, no analytic student should be asked to read any new combination of letters (phonic), unless first being warned about it and shown enough examples of it. For example, they need not be asked to read any words like "geography" unless they are first warned that the "ph" sounds like an "f." Using Camilia's Program, students are informed that the letter "f" is not allowed in long words and thus we have to use a "ph" in a long word like "geography." If possible, tell learners how many words there are that contain that specific phonic; also, show them all the words by listing them on a page or a few pages. Tell and show; don't only tell. Teach all of phonics, not bits and pieces of phonics. For instance, no analytic student should be asked to read "cian" as in "musician" unless first being warned about the "cian" and then shown enough examples of it in words like electrician, pediatrician, mathematician, etc. Since the "cian" is in 18 English words, show them a comprehensive list of all the 18 words that contain "cian." Furthermore, tell them and show them that the sound of "tion" at the end of words is spelled in three major ways as in emotion,

expression, and musician. Tell and show by listing the words that have: 1. "cian" as in "physician" in 18 words that refer to careers or hobbies. 2. "sion" as in "expression" is in 47 words, and there is a rule for that. 3. "tion" as in "motion" is in the rest of such words. Therefore, teachers need to begin by teaching letters, then phonics, and if possible show all the words that contain that specific phonic. Only after all phonics are introduced and learned in a number of words, should we be asking logical learners to read and write words in sentences, stories, or any other written text.

Millions are Confused!

The following examples are to show how confusing it can be to ask a new analytic and logical learner to read words that contain letters that do not sound like their letter names: The "a" sounds like the name of the letter A in "rain," but not in "ran" and not in "auto." The "e" sounds like the name of the letter E in "meat," but not in "met" and not in "trailer." The "i" sounds like the name of the letter I in "hide," but not in "hid" and not in "skirt." The "o" sounds like the name of the letter O in "hope," but not in "hop" and not in "choir." The "u" sounds like the name of the letter U in "tube," but not in "tub" and not in "virus." The "g" sounds like the name of the letter G in "huge," but not in "hug." The "h" sound in "hot" is different from the "h" sound in the "th" as in "mouth." The "s" sounds like the letter Z as in "rose" and as in "was." The "y" is a consonant in "yes" but a vowel at the end of words: by, happy, day, boy The "c" sounds like the name of "c" in "cell," but like the "k" in "cut," like the "sh" in "social," and like the name of the letter "q" in "cute." The "q" always sounds like the letter "k," not like the name of the letter "q" and every "q" is followed by a "u." Students must be informed ahead of time that every "q" is followed by a "u." They also need to be informed that every "qu" is followed by a vowel and that the "qu" sounds like "kw" as in "quit." The sound of the actual letters "q" is not found in "q," but in "cu" as in cute, cucumber, accurate, accumulate, cure, secure, etc. Unless informed beforehand, analytic learners will spend the rest of their lives trying to figure out how to spell these words. For instance, the sound of "shin" at the end of words is spelled in tion as in action, or sion as in expression, or cian as in musician, or cean as in ocean. Likewise, the sound of "shil" at the end of words is found in cial as in social, or tial as in substantial, or sial as in controversial. If such endings are introduced too soon and without presenting any logical rules that govern phonics, they can cause a young learner to think something is wrong with his ability to learn.

There are 26 English letters and 13 of these letters change and make sounds that are different from their letter names; it does not make sense to tell analytic learners that the name of this letter is "s" as in "nose" before informing them that the "s" can sound like a "z" when between two vowels. Otherwise, they may expect to see "nose" written as "noz." A sample lesson taken from Read Instantly to prevent dyslexia: For teachers: Inform Before Introducing these phonics made by the letter "y":

The "y" is a consonant in the beginning of words or syllables: yes

The final "y" in short words becomes a long "i": by, my, fly, why The final "y" in long words becomes a long "e": happy, history The final "ey" becomes a long "e": key, monkey, valley The final "ay" becomes a long "a": play, day, stay The special sound of "oy": boy, toy, joy, enjoy The stressed final "y" is a long "i" again: bypass The middle "y" can sound like short "i": Lynn, gym, gymnasium To students: Read aloud slowly to memorize the spelling of these words: my why by sly shy funny key day boy happy donkey play toy happily monkey way employ carry valley tray joy hurry alley say enjoy

The same above lesson is expanded in Learn to Spell 500 Words a Day. Every spelling pattern of any English sound has a logical rule and all the useful words that follow a specific rule, are listed and then used in a story.

Conclusion: Dyslexia is acquired but only among analytic learners, and what causes it is being
compelled to speed-read before learning to read. Reading too fast, too soon causes analytic learners to see letters in a crisscross manner and eventually that causes them to write letters in that same crisscross manner. The severity of seeing words and letters in a crisscross manner varies from one learner to another. Some dyslexics may write letters and words in a crisscross manner; others may say letters in a crisscross manner like "asked" as "aksed." Some dyslexics can read but cannot spell; others cannot read at all. Traditional teaching continues to pressure learners with dyslexia into speed-reading and into reading stories that are more interesting, hoping that, in the process, they will learn to read or spell. When the community of educators understands dyslexia, it will be eradicated within a very short time.