(WPRI) – When it comes to spelling, everyone seems to have at least one word that trips them up.
AT&T Experts reviewed the top-searched “how to spell” words by state from March 24, 2020, to March 24, 2021, using Google Trends.
“Quarantine” was the most widely misspelled word, most searched in 12 states, the data revealed. Many people even thought it was spelled “corn teen.”
“No, ‘corn teen’ is not a new nickname for a teenager really into the yellow vegetable,” the Experts said.
Seven states misspelled favorite, the second-most misspelled word. The most common misspelling was “favourite.”
“A common misspelling in the United States is actually the correct spelling in the UK. We see “U” over there,” the Experts said, adding that they “hope the people overseas don’t get mad at us.”
“Coronavirus” was third on the list, frequently misspelled — mostly as “caronavirus” — in six states, including Vermont, which on Monday became the first state in the nation to vaccinate 80% of its eligible population with at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Following that was the word “which,” most commonly misspelled in five states as “wich” or “witch.”
Other words Americans had trouble with included:
- Every (three states)
- Believe (three states)
- Definitely (three states)
- Separate (two states)
Incidentally, people in Washington, D.C., where many of our country’s leaders reside, have trouble spelling “succeed.” They “couldn’t quite figure out how many C’s” were in the word, the Experts said.
