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IT’S ALL WELL and good to say you’re good at spelling when you’re safely at your computer or on your phone, with spellcheck and autocorrect to guide your way.
But when forced to spell these words without any help, it’s a whole different ball game. You got an A1 in Leaving Cert Honours English, WHY can’t you spell ‘accommodation’?
You’re not alone. Here are some words that trip us up time and again, and easy ways to remember how to spell them.
Interrupt
Are there two Rs, or two Ps? That’s always the conundrum.
A trick that could help you remember the double Rs is to think of when someone cuts across you in conversation. It’s Really Rude, isn’t it? Really. Rude.
The main problem here isn’t the ridiculous amount of Rs, but the ending. Your heart is telling you it’s ‘-dance’. Isn’t that how we say it? CorresponDANCE?
Well, you’d be DENSE if you thought it was spelled any other way than corresponDENCE.
You want to put those two Fs in there, don’t you. It just seems right.
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STOP. Stop what you’re doing. Remember the scene from How I Met Your Mother, when Ted has this particular crisis in front of a class of waiting students:
This one is especially unfair, because it blatantly flouts the ‘I before E, except after C’ rule. How could you get it right when everything you’ve ever learned tells you the E before the I is wrong?
This site offers the mnemonic ‘Rhythm Helps Your Two Hips Move’ as a handy way to help you spell it.
If this is even a little too much effort, you could find inventive ways to avoid it when there is no autocorrect to hand. Thesaurus.com is your friend.
Wednesday 4 December, 2024
Wednesday 4 December, 2024
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7 annoyingly tricky words and tips to help you spell them
IT’S ALL WELL and good to say you’re good at spelling when you’re safely at your computer or on your phone, with spellcheck and autocorrect to guide your way.
But when forced to spell these words without any help, it’s a whole different ball game. You got an A1 in Leaving Cert Honours English, WHY can’t you spell ‘accommodation’?
You’re not alone. Here are some words that trip us up time and again, and easy ways to remember how to spell them.
Interrupt
Are there two Rs, or two Ps? That’s always the conundrum.
A trick that could help you remember the double Rs is to think of when someone cuts across you in conversation. It’s Really Rude, isn’t it? Really. Rude.
Go forth and spell ‘inteRRupt’.
Accommodation
Again, the double letters always catch us out. It just seems silly to have two Cs and Ms. Wasteful.
Here’s a tip – remember, the word is big enough to ‘accommodate’ two Cs and two Ms. Geddit? Eh? EH?
Correspondence
The main problem here isn’t the ridiculous amount of Rs, but the ending. Your heart is telling you it’s ‘-dance’. Isn’t that how we say it? CorresponDANCE?
Well, you’d be DENSE if you thought it was spelled any other way than corresponDENCE.
Professional (See also: profession, professor)
You want to put those two Fs in there, don’t you. It just seems right.
STOP. Stop what you’re doing. Remember the scene from How I Met Your Mother, when Ted has this particular crisis in front of a class of waiting students:
No Ted! Don’t do it!
That’s right. One F. Profession.
Weird
This one is especially unfair, because it blatantly flouts the ‘I before E, except after C’ rule. How could you get it right when everything you’ve ever learned tells you the E before the I is wrong?
The word ‘weird’ is weird itself. Remember that the next time you’re sweating over the spelling.
Necessary
Fecking double letters! They’re everywhere, trying to make us look silly.
One DailyEdge.ie staffer had a cute trick to remember the correct spelling of ‘necessary’ – “One Collar two Socks”. Isn’t that simple, yet brilliant?
Rhythm
THERE ARE NO VOWELS.
This site offers the mnemonic ‘Rhythm Helps Your Two Hips Move’ as a handy way to help you spell it.
If this is even a little too much effort, you could find inventive ways to avoid it when there is no autocorrect to hand. Thesaurus.com is your friend.
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