The English language is full of inconsistencies and irregularities, which results in unusual English spelling words. The minute there is one rule one might think would cover every contingency, no sooner is there an exception to the rule.
To be literate in English takes a whole heap of work. It’s not an easy language to write, if one isn’t familiar with the rules - and the often larger list of exceptions.
It’s the ancient and esteemed path through which the English language has evolved that has much to do with the irregularity of the spelling. One word may be spelled one way, but the one that rhymes with it may be spelled completely differently. English is full of contradictions, such as hard and soft letters which sometimes are pronounced, and other times, not.
There is some consistency throughout English, but finding unusual English spelling words is not difficult at all.
If you find it hard to remember how to spell words now with the use of “spell check,” imagine what it was like several hundred years ago, when there was no effort to standardize how words were spelled.
You pretty much made it up as you went along. A glance at Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales” will set your mind to rest that with standardization, imperfect as it is, we have it a lot easier than our ancestors did!
The very first dictionary was compiled by Noah Webster, an American author and writer of children’s books, in 1806. Webster had seen the problems caused by a language without guidelines, and so he devoted himself to standardizing the spelling of the English language.
He only included the American spelling of words rather than the British model (center instead of centre, program instead of programme.)
One of them actually is “misspelled” - those who fall afoul of the word usually leave out one of the “S” letters.
Should you use the “i” or the “a”? Suffixes (endings on words) in the ‘ble’ category can be confusing. “Acceptable” is only acceptable if it’s spelled with an “A” before the “ble,” not an “I.”
Do you know the difference between “conscience” and “conscious”? These are called homophones; that is words that sound alike but have different meanings.
A “conscience” is what bothers you when you don’t memorize your spelling words. If you don’t get it, well, maybe you aren’t “conscious”!
Other examples of homophones include paws/pause; allowed/aloud; alter/altar; petal/peddle; bazaar/bizarre; hair/hare; hoard/horde, and many others.
It should be embarrassing, if you leave out one of the “R”s or “S”s! This is a frequently misspelled word, and just another of the unusual English spelling words.
You have to be disciplined to master English spelling. Unfortunately, many people mess up the “S” and “C” in “discipline,” either mixing them up or leaving one or the other out.
Just focus and you won’t be a dumbbell (remember, two “B”s, and only one “M.”
Fire is an easy word, right? So turning it into an adjective should be an easy task. Many misspellers, though, think adding a “Y” at the end of “fire” turns into an adjective.
“Fiery” is one of those words you’d think would be simple to spell. Instead, it hits the massive “exceptions” list all the time.
Watch your “seeds,” but that’s only the beginning. You can only “exceed” in spelling if it “precedes” or “supersedes” all other tasks. (Punnery aside, the words may have a common sound, but are spelled differently. And remember, to “exceed” you can’t spell it as “excede.”)
If you purchase “jewelry,” remember there’s no “E” in the “ry” suffix. The British spelling of jewelry is different, so if you insist on a double of the “L”, wait until you hit London before you write it in a letter to those back home.
Just bring along a dictionary if you’re unsure. It’s always better to be safe than sorry when using unusual English spelling words.