separate: There is "a rat" in sep-a-rate
definitely: There is "finite" inside definitely
necessary: One collar (c) and two sleeves (ss)
receive: I before E except after C
believe: Never believe a lie: there is a "lie" in believe
friend: A friend is there to the end: fri-END
February: Remember the first r: Feb-RU-ary
Wednesday: Say it Wed-nes-day to remember the d
library: Lib-RAR-y: the first r counts
beautiful: Starts with beau (as in French beauty), then tiful
because: Big elephants can always understand small elephants
calendar: Ends in -ar, not -er
different: Three syllables in writing: diff-er-ent
embarrass: Two r's and two s's
environment: Don't forget the n before the m: environ-ment
government: Remember the n: govern-ment
height: Ends with -ght, not -th
interesting: Spelled int-er-est-ing
knowledge: Starts with a silent k and has a d: know-ledge
license: Ends in -ense (in the US)
lightning: No e in the middle: light-ning for the flash in the sky
maintenance: Main + ten + ance
neighbor: Neighbor ends in -bor, with eigh
occasion: Two c's and one s
occurred: Two c's and two r's
personnel: Two n's and one l
possession: Two s's twice: poss-ess-ion
privilege: No d: priv-i-lege
pronunciation: The verb is pronounce, but this noun drops the o: pro-NUN-ciation
publicly: Not publically
reference: Refer + ence
restaurant: Rest + au + rant
rhythm: Rhythm Helps Your Two Hips Move
schedule: Starts with sch
sincerely: Spelled sin-cere-ly, keep the e
success: Two c's and two s's
surprise: Remember the first r: su-r-prise
tomorrow: One m and two r's
truly: Drop the e before -ly
until: Only one l at the end
weird: An exception: weird breaks the I before E rule
which: Starts with wh
writing: One t: write drops its e
accommodate: Two c's and two m's: big enough for both
across: Only one c
address: Two d's and two s's
argument: Drop the e from argue: argu-ment
athlete: Three syllables: ath-lete, no extra e
basically: Ends in -ally
bicycle: Spelled bi-cy-cle
business: Business has "bus" at the start, and "ness"
caught: Rhymes with taught: aught is a common ending
cemetery: Ends in -ery, with all e's
chocolate: Write all three syllables: choc-o-late
column: Silent n at the end
comfortable: Spelled com-fort-able
conscience: Con-science
dessert: Two s's: you want more of it
disappoint: One s and two p's
exercise: Ends with -cise
familiar: Ends in -iar
fourth: Four + th, so it keeps the u
generally: Gener-al-ly
grammar: Ends in -ar
guard: Silent u
guess: Silent u
harass: One r and two s's
immediately: Immediate + ly, keep the e
independent: Ends in -ent
jewelry: Jewel + ry
judgment: Drop the e: judg-ment
laboratory: Lab-or-a-tor-y
leisure: Rule exception: e before i
millennium: Two l's and two n's
mischievous: Mis-chie-vous: only three syllables, no extra i
misspell: Two s's: mis + spell
noticeable: Keep the e before able
parallel: Para-LL-el: the two l's are parallel
parliament: Parlia + ment, with an i
perseverance: Ends in -ance
pursue: Pur-sue
questionnaire: Two n's
recommend: One c and two m's
relevant: Rel-e-vant
responsibility: Ends in -ility
sergeant: Sounds like SAR-jent but is spelled with an e: ser-geant
similar: Ends in -ar
special: Ends in -cial
strength: Strength has a g and a th
temperature: Temper-a-ture: say it with four syllables
unnecessary: Un + necessary: both n's
vacuum: Two u's together
vegetable: Spelled veg-e-ta-ble
village: Ends in -age

Free flashcards from Peabody at peabody.kids/flashcards/la-misspelled-common-1