Have you ever turned to your computer to look up how to spell a word?
Odds are, you have. And now, you can see which words are the most commonly misspelled thanks to a new analysis.
Experts at the site Word Unscrambler found that Americans struggle the most with the words “bougie,” “favorite,” “through,” “business,” and “tomorrow,” respectively.
The analysis, shared by several news outlets on Wednesday, was based on Google Trends search data from January 1 to May 18, according to Georgia-based News 12 26 Augusta.
Experts looked at the search terms “How do you spell” and “How to spell” to figure out which words were most likely to stump Americans.
There were 134,400 searches for the word “bougie” this year, News 12 26 Augusta reported. To be fair, the word, which is short for “bourgeois” and used to describe something or someone as fancy or luxurious, does have two spellings. It may be spelled as “bougie” or “boujee,” according to Merriam-Webster.
The next five most misspelled words in America are: “because,” “definitely,” “beautiful,” “niece” and “separate.”
A spokesperson for Word Unscrambler explained to Kentucky outlet WHAS 11 that many of the words in the analysis are hard to spell because of silent letters, irregular vowel sounds, difficult consonant blends and double letters.
The analysis also covered the most misspelled words in each state.
Beautiful
People from Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Vermont and West Virginia may struggle to spell the word “beautiful.”
Because
The word “because” can stump people from Indiana, Missouri, New Jersey and Ohio.
Business
People in Alabama, Maryland, Mississippi and Wisconsin may find it hard to spell the word “business.”
Chihuahua
The word “chihuahua” also made the top spot for those in Georgia, Oklahoma and Wyoming. That makes sense given that the dog breed is popular in Georgia and Oklahoma, and ranked number two in the U.S., according to a study released by U.S. News & World Report last August.
Appreciate
People in Hawaii and Montana may struggle to spell the word “appreciate.”
Bougie
Those in New Hampshire and Rhode Island can find the word “bougie” the most challenging.
Color
“Color” was the most misspelled word in Colorado and Illinois.
Congratulations
The word “congratulations” may perplex people in Nebraska and South Dakota.
Definitely
People in Kentucky and Maine can find it hard to spell the word “definitely.”
Schedule
“Schedule” is the most misspelled word in Kansas and Massachusetts.
Spaghetti
The word “spaghetti” may stump people in North Carolina and Virginia.
Through
Those from Arizona and Tennessee may struggle with the word “through.”
Here’s a list of the most misspelled words in the remaining states:
- California: Different
- Connecticut: Recommend
- Florida: School
- Idaho: Necessary
- Iowa: Character
- Louisiana: Restaurant
- Michigan: Which
- Minnesota: Ukulele
- Nevada: Teacher
- New Mexico: Sincerely
- New York: Judgement
- North Dakota: Adios
- Oregon: Diamond
- Pennsylvania: Maintenance
- South Carolina: Quite
- Texas: Recycle
- Utah: Basically
- Washington: Fiancé
Those who wish to brush up on their spelling should watch the Scripps National Spelling Bee from next Tuesday through Thursday. The student spelling competition has been around for more than a century.
Last year, Faizan Zaki, a 13-year-old from Dallas, became the spelling bee champion by correctly spelling the French word “éclaircissement,” which means to clear up something obscure.
