Think You Can Spell?
These Are the Words Most Get Wrong
People are quietly second-guessing how to spell some of the nation’s most familiar words, with new data revealing the ones double-checked the most.
From everyday favourites to famously tricky spellings, the latest figures lift the lid on the words prompting thousands to turn to Google for quick confirmation.
Kelvinside Academy analysed search data to uncover the words most commonly looked up after typing “how to spell…”, offering a glimpse into the nation’s most searched-for spellings.
“Colour” ranked first, attracting an average of 1,600 searches a month, followed by “favourite” (1,400) and “diarrhoea” (1,300). “Beautiful” came fourth with 1,200 searches, while “check”, “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”, and “definitely” drew 1,100 searches each.
Rounding out the top ten were “aunty”, “business”, “jewellery”, “gorgeous”, and “behaviour”.
Rank | How to spell… | Average Monthly Searches
1 | Colour | 1,600
2 | Favourite | 1,400
3 | Diarrhoea | 1,300
4 | Beautiful | 1,200
5 | Check | 1,100
5 | Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious | 1,100
5 | Definitely | 1,100
6 | Aunty | 880
7 | Business | 730
8 | Jewellery | 660
9 | Gorgeous | 600
10 | Behaviour | 560
Fiona Kennedy, from Kelvinside Academy, noted many of the most searched words reflect common spelling challenges, particularly around silent letters, vowel combinations, and double consonants.
“A lot of the words have silent letters, or double consonants in the middle,” she said. “Words like business and jewellery regularly cause confusion because of repeated letters.
“The influence of American spelling online can also be seen, with words such as colour and favourite often misspelt when people drop the ‘u’.
“Words with lots of the vowels, like gorgeous and beautiful, or a where a lot of vowels are close together can further be confusing.”
Fiona also pointed to the wider impact of digital communication: “people now often write in abbreviations, shorthand, or informal styles, and you’re starting to see that coming through in written writing.”
“With the rise in spellcheck and autocorrect, there’s a definite decline in being able to spell things correctly”, she stressed.
However, she emphasised that spelling remains a skill that can be strengthened with the right approach, particularly through regular exposure to language and engaging learning techniques.
Five ways to improve your spelling
- Read more, in any format
“Those who engage more with books typically having a better grasp of English language skills and spelling,” Fiona said.
Regular exposure to words, sentence structure and storytelling help to reinforce understanding in a natural and consistent way.
“In fact, it doesn’t even have to be a physical book – audiobooks, or having somebody read to you, can also help,” she added.
“Being surrounded and immersed in language has a significant and positive effect.”
- Make spelling interactive and enjoyable
Rather than relying on repetitive copying, Fiona encouraged more hands-on methods such as games, visual techniques, and creative exercises.
“It doesn’t have to be sitting copying out lots and lots of spelling lists,” she said. “There’s lots of other ways that it can be done in a more fun way.”
Fiona suggested breaking words down into sounds, using colours to identify patterns, and using interactive methods to make spelling more memorable.
- Use technology to your advantage
While digital habits can contribute to spelling issues, Fiona said they can also be a useful tool.
“Because we live in such a digital world now, we can actually use this to our advantage.
“For example, you could identify the correct spelling from a list of words or look at different texts and try to identify mistakes.”
She explained that tools like spellcheck and predictive text can help users recognise errors and choose the correct spelling, especially when starting with a phonetic attempt.
“Over time, this can help build familiarity with correct spellings and improve confidence in written communication.”
- If in doubt, leave it out
For those unsure about punctuation, Fiona’s advice was simple: “If in doubt, leave it out.”
She said apostrophes are one of the most common areas of confusion, with many people adding them unnecessarily.
“People often apostrophise anything that’s plural, when in reality apostrophes are not used for standard plurals.”
Using them incorrectly can make writing look more confusing, so she suggested it is often better to avoid them altogether if you are unsure, particularly in informal writing.
“Focusing on clarity first, and adding punctuation only when confident, can help prevent common mistakes.”
- Don’t be afraid to learn
Fiona also highlighted the importance of removing stigma around spelling mistakes, creating an environment where people feel comfortable improving.
“It’s creating an environment where people aren’t judged on making mistakes,” she said.
“The fear of getting things wrong can often hold people back from practising or trying new words, so a more relaxed approach, where mistakes are seen as part of the learning process, can help build confidence over time.”
By focusing on progress rather than perfection, and creating spaces where people feel supported, people are more likely to engage with spelling and develop stronger skills in the long term.
