Frequently misspelt words

[hallelujahheisrisen]

I need to improve my spelling. I need a list of words that are "difficult" but useful. I struggle with ence/ance and double letters.

I have collected a list of spellings that I know I have trouble with but need more. So far I am learning:

necessary/success
discrete/discreet (thanks pedants)
embarrass/embarrassment
sentence
separate
definite (pedants again)
religious

Until someone pointed out definite and discrete/discreet I did not even know I was getting them wrong, so there are bound to be a lot more that I have no idea I am getting wrong.

Help please!

Accommodation.

Presumably you know that the words discrete and discreet have two completely different meanings?

Stationery (office supplies like paper, pens etc) and stationary (standing still/not moving)

Liaise (correct)
Liase (incorrect)

Independant instead of -dent.

I work with someone who says 'mute' instead of 'moot', as in 'mute point'. Grr!!

Loose (opposite of tight) and lose (misplace)

Ola... only because someone in pedants corner pointed it out! (Crete as in separate from the mainland)

Stationery has an e for envelope. I have to think about it but can work it out.

Loose and lose drive me bonkers. They are another pair that I have to stop writing and work out... I really wish it would come automatically. (chants "loose goose")

Independant? oh hell! I use that a lot and have probably been spelling it wong all over the place.

Government and parliament were taught at school.

I remember 'separate' by thinking 'someone will smell A RAT if I get it wrong': it helps me avoid putting an 'e' in instead of an 'a'.

I remember 'discrete', meaning separate (ha!) and distinct, by thinking of it as a short, pinched, single 'e' in the middle. I remember 'discreet' by thinking of the long 'ee' as a stage whisper: 'Shhh, be discreeeeet!'

I consider myself to be a good speller, but for some inane reason I always want to put an extra T in attachment (attatchment)

effect and affect (one is usually the noun, the other is almost always a verb)

questionnaire

would have / would've not would of (that's not really spelling tho)

yy stationary/ery, saw that wrong on a printed notice the other day

Practice (noun) and practise (verb) - think about advice and advise, they are said differently but the c/s rule follows.

I am good at spelling but for some reason always get brocolli wrong ... broccoli???

Breath/breathe, breaths/breathes - another noun/verb mixup that is quite frequent.
Too/to - the extra o makes it too much, the single o gets you to the end quicker
Brought/bought - either you bring it or buy it, they are not the same thing.

In which case it's broccoli OP, not brocolli! I only realise I have gone wrong (on my shopping list as a rule) when I get to the l and think, "oh no, double l looks wrong, but it's double something, oh no, doublle c...."

Double C, because it looKs like a Cauliflower- a double hard 'c' sound.

Ooh, I cocked up the bolding there. But you know what I mean.

Formerly and formally

It should be indepenDENT not independant. So many people get that one wrong!

Not so much spellings as knowing which is the right one to use:
Were/where
There/their/they're
Your/you're
Rite/right

Past/passed

Root words to help me remember some tricky ones:

separate (pare)

definite (finite)

Also some silly rhymes: "It is necessary for Mary (ary) to have
one collar (c) and two socks (ss)"

its and it's ... the apostrophe shows that the word is 'missing' a letter ...

a lot and a bit - not alot

Alot

Phased (as in phased-out)
And fazed (as in discomposure)

The Oatmeal has a helpful poster.

Oops, that link didn't work. Try again. The Oatmeal

I prefer 'spelled' to 'spelt' and 'misspelled' to 'missspelt' but I think both are considered acceptable.

practice/licence = nouns
my GP practice, my driving licence
practise/license = verbs
Practise the piano every day; pubs are licensed premises