tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post174347117079213887..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: The answer: Jeopardy. The question: What is a word I can't spell? By Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger72125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-15921997648358061592017-04-21T09:58:32.512-07:002017-04-21T09:58:32.512-07:00I agree with Johnny Walker's comments about Sp...I agree with Johnny Walker's comments about Spanish, though certain words could be spelled differently and sound the same, such as "jefe" (chief) could be spelled "gefe" and "sed" (thirst) could be spelled "ced". The opposite, though, is true, that any Spanish word, except perhaps imported words from Native or other languages, is pronounced just one way. I find I can pronounce any Spanish word, including the emphasis on the correct syllable, just by the spelling of a word.Jonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00483417885845331990noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-41854993237547132962017-04-20T17:38:52.968-07:002017-04-20T17:38:52.968-07:00Available..Thank for spell check. For some reason ...Available..Thank for spell check. For some reason it gets me.Stu Rhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14097000913495185851noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-34798419876458548802017-04-20T11:18:50.622-07:002017-04-20T11:18:50.622-07:00Bill O'Reilly is hard to spell. First because ...Bill O'Reilly is hard to spell. First because proper names are more idiosyncratic than common names. The English convention for double vowels usually makes sound of the first vowel long. That would mean he should pronounce it Bill O'Really. And maybe he should.Waynenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-79365685616631851012017-04-20T08:31:36.821-07:002017-04-20T08:31:36.821-07:00Vowels with the schwa sound, like in pleasant and ...Vowels with the schwa sound, like in pleasant and separate.Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07970279084294759260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-52452260898966448882017-04-19T23:54:28.497-07:002017-04-19T23:54:28.497-07:00Privilege, knowledge and definitely. They might be...Privilege, knowledge and definitely. They might be right this time. Oh - and acclimate. Yet "acclaimate" makes more sense: of or pertaining to acclaim.Roger R.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-89460347857608482792017-04-19T20:25:11.469-07:002017-04-19T20:25:11.469-07:00Eligibility and convenience. Which are two words I...Eligibility and convenience. Which are two words I type out multiple times a day in my job. Sarahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-36484687401436153362017-04-19T15:58:06.188-07:002017-04-19T15:58:06.188-07:00Also, fun fact: In other languages, eg. Spanish, t...Also, fun fact: In other languages, eg. Spanish, there's no weird letter/sound variations. Letters always follow the same pronunciation rules. ALWAYS. So saying a word out loud literally means you can spell it... you just write how it sounds.<br /><br />When my Spanish girlfriend first came to London she saw a clip of a spelling bee and wondered what the hell was was with these children. Just HOW mentally challenged were these kids?!Johnny Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13302545167970532080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-29600462397444154772017-04-19T15:50:47.454-07:002017-04-19T15:50:47.454-07:00Receive... I'm nearly 40 and still I write rec...Receive... I'm nearly 40 and still I write recieve all the time! Argh!Johnny Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13302545167970532080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-53516345079624953222017-04-19T13:51:04.108-07:002017-04-19T13:51:04.108-07:00I notice this when the airlines are having trouble...I notice this when the airlines are having trouble...<br /><br />Cancelled or canceled.Bartnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-18613505484833036952017-04-19T12:22:19.699-07:002017-04-19T12:22:19.699-07:00For a long time, "restaurant" and "...For a long time, "restaurant" and "intriguing" I still have to stop for a moment for the latter. Too many "i's" and "g's" Hell.Pete Grossmannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-20271006879417633082017-04-19T10:22:45.996-07:002017-04-19T10:22:45.996-07:00Here in Albuquerque (never Alburquerque unless you...Here in Albuquerque (never Alburquerque unless you specifically mean the Duke) we just spell it ABQ.Znoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-42987652052778359542017-04-19T09:11:48.563-07:002017-04-19T09:11:48.563-07:00Harass and embarrass. One has one "r"; t...Harass and embarrass. One has one "r"; the other has two. I correct spelling for a living, and I still have to look those ones up. But the key to getting these things right is knowing (or at least suspecting) what you don't know. Otherwise, you could have a "potatoe" moment.Julia Littletonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00383062351465092013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-76882692866619481922017-04-19T08:34:13.860-07:002017-04-19T08:34:13.860-07:00Vacuum. Is it two c's or two u's? I know i...Vacuum. Is it two c's or two u's? I know it's not both. I think I've finally gotten a handle on separate. I also try to throw that d in privilege. I was also going to recommend the book "Word by Word" by Kory Stamper, but I see someone above has beat me to it! Bettyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08361592930703627190noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-87261933368647374272017-04-19T07:24:41.048-07:002017-04-19T07:24:41.048-07:00Barefoot Billy Aloha: you forgot the apostrophe. I...Barefoot Billy Aloha: you forgot the apostrophe. It's humuhumunukunukuappua'a. :)<br /><br />I'm an excellent speller, which I attribute to my last name being spelled about 12 different ways. Also that I grew up living on Llewellyn Street in Milwaukie (Oregon--the "ie" is correct). But two words I always have trouble with are "sieve" and "seize". The first of those, especially, never looks right to me.Alan Cnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-85807528131905614622017-04-18T23:49:53.491-07:002017-04-18T23:49:53.491-07:00Learning English as a second language, you tend to...Learning English as a second language, you tend to not have that many problems of this nature because you had to hammer all this stuff into your brain as vocabulary, and you got bad grades if you didn't. Some things that native speakers tend to struggle with are never a problem if you really had to consciously work to learn the language. Your vs. You're, no problem. Same with ei vs. ie, Alzheimer's and Frankenstein. Believe, retrieve, conceive, perceive. Piece of cake. Boggles my mind why some of that seems to be so hard for other people.<br /><br />I used to use "wether" a lot in communication, until someone pointed out to me that this is probably not what I meant. I've added an h since then, but still have to think hard about it from time to time. Not thinking about it and just going ahead and using a word usually works better, the difficulties come into play only when you start to think about it and grow increasingly unsure.<br /><br />What keeps striking me as odd is this seemingly perpetual inability of many of my American friends to use certain words particularly of Germanic origin. It's VandenBERG and HindenBURG. (Dammit.)Markusnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-49562809694638885552017-04-18T22:07:40.583-07:002017-04-18T22:07:40.583-07:00Back when I worked as a nanotechnician (really!), ...Back when I worked as a nanotechnician (really!), I had to use the word "gauge" a lot. I still have to double-check that word because it still looks wrong.<br /><br />"Fluorescent" used to get me.Pseudonymhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04272326070593532463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-22557156831457181022017-04-18T21:55:43.468-07:002017-04-18T21:55:43.468-07:00That one is a b*tch. Agreed.That one is a b*tch. Agreed.Judyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08596112021500591852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-11769882717504064182017-04-18T21:54:49.106-07:002017-04-18T21:54:49.106-07:00I'm one of your Canadian fans and often have a...I'm one of your Canadian fans and often have a difficult time spelling Tramp. Tromp. Trimp. Tremp. Trymp. Tripe. <br /><br />Also have a problem with pronouncing your name. Now that you have the podcast I understand the 'vine and not the 'been but I keep asking Google each day for your website and she gets me there either way. Great question!<br /><br /><br />Judyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08596112021500591852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-11856548584898940512017-04-18T21:06:53.554-07:002017-04-18T21:06:53.554-07:00I find it interesting the way British grammar and ...I find it interesting the way British grammar and lexicography are starting to merge with the American rules in online writing, "judgement" being a perfect example. Also, the way most people seem to put a period outside a concluding quotation mark (British syntax), instead of leaving it inside the quotation marks (American syntax). Americans should write "Cheers." Brits should write "Cheers". But Americans increasingly do it the British way.<br /><br />I also occasionally see Americans using plural verbs with collective nouns (British grammar), although that's mostly with words that look plural. For instance, "The United Nations are voting." You still wouldn't hear an American say "The committee are voting."<br /><br />I blame a lot of this confusion on Wikipedia. The main English articles are edited by both Americans and Brits (and Canadians, etc.), and there's never been a decision made on what should be the house style. So their articles are all over the map.Andy Rosenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-48980456617907612642017-04-18T20:37:47.352-07:002017-04-18T20:37:47.352-07:00A memory hint: Just remember that five-way Cincinn...A memory hint: Just remember that five-way Cincinnati (one "t" at the end) chili includes spaghetti (two "t" at the end). And it's delicious, as any devotee of Skyline, Gold Star or Empress will tell you. VP81955https://www.blogger.com/profile/11792390726196611188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-16881045282641811502017-04-18T20:29:37.774-07:002017-04-18T20:29:37.774-07:00Ohh, lost the spelling bee on "judgement"...Ohh, lost the spelling bee on "judgement" and still can't get it right... <br /><br />Souvenir (or whatever)... <br /><br />My favorite misspelling on student papers: "in it for the long hall...." spell check never catches that one! Dodgerdawgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-33311766585974091652017-04-18T20:11:30.990-07:002017-04-18T20:11:30.990-07:00For years I spelled restaurant resteraunt, I confe...For years I spelled restaurant resteraunt, I confess.Greg Thompsonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-92216493106864819572017-04-18T17:42:47.461-07:002017-04-18T17:42:47.461-07:00Albuquerque is named after the Duke of Alburquerqu...Albuquerque is named after the Duke of Alburquerque, so either spelling should be OK. There was a state legislator that tried to correct the spelling in the 90s.MikeNnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-5033087197571623752017-04-18T17:05:38.708-07:002017-04-18T17:05:38.708-07:00The "e" is not optional in judgment.
Jud...The "e" is not optional in judgment.<br />Judgment is the American spelling.<br />Judgement is the British spelling.<br />Yes, you will see it in the US as judgement on occasion.<br />It's wrong even if people do it. <br />It's not Judgement at Nuremberg (Nuremberg is a hard one by the way)<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-90860858468044529862017-04-18T15:55:26.106-07:002017-04-18T15:55:26.106-07:00I was ON JEOPARDY!, but, in part to spell it corre...I was ON JEOPARDY!, but, in part to spell it correctly, I say GE-o-PAR-dee<br />Roger Owen Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05298172138307632062noreply@blogger.com