How much easier would life be if English spelled words like they sound? We wouldn’t need a minute to think about expressions like necessary, entrepreneur, and Wednesday, sound them out loud or rewrite them too many times just to give up and Google it or turn on the spellcheck.
Unfortunately, in reality, the English language is a mix of spellings and pronunciations from all over the world that also depend on which country you’re in (how fun!). So it’s no surprise that many people seem to struggle with it, even if they’re English native speakers.
Below, the Bored Panda team has gathered some of the most hilarious instances where people couldn’t spell out words correctly to save their lives. Scroll down to find them, and make sure to leave a comment telling us what words you also struggle with that are way too complicated for no reason.
While you’re at it, don’t forget to check out a conversation with Lindsay Dow, language consultant at Lindsay Does Languages, who kindly agreed to chat with us more about spelling in the digital world.
#1 Vanilla Abstract
Image credits: Malaluan31
#2 Aunt Rap Runner
Image credits: jin_of_the_gale
#3 Autistic Guitar
Image credits: whoaisthatatesla
Even though we write less and less by hand and use autocorrect and grammar software daily, the importance of spelling correctly still remains, says Lindsay Dow, language consultant at Lindsay Does Languages.
“It does but it’s something that perhaps doesn’t matter as much as in the past because we can rely on tools like spellcheckers and Grammarly to ensure we’ve got things right. And then if you do make a mistake, you have the excuse of calling it a typo! However, it does, of course, still help to speed up writing and editing for yourself,” she says.
#4 Grapes Are Discussing
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#5 Orthodontist Opponent
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#6 Do You Lemonade?
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The words she personally struggles to spell are resource and language. “Two words I write a lot in my line of work—and they often end up as resoruce and langauge if no auto-spellchecker is on.”
As for others, she noticed that some modern abbreviations in spoken language don’t always get a set written form for a while. “For example, we might shorten the phrase “as per usual” to something like (and I hope you can understand my spelling attempt!) “as per ughe”!”
#7 Maybe Both?
Image credits: valkalrie
#8 Hole In Tire
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#9 My Favourite… Triangle Food With Topping
Image credits: ben_games
Some typos could be harmless and even funny (like these on the list), but a slip of a finger also has the potential to make us look less intelligent to others than we are. In fact, it was proven that a lack of proficiency in writing could be a barrier to people getting a job or even a date. It creates confusion as well, hindering our basic ability to communicate.
#10 Had To Confirm This Is Really What They Mean. Damsel In This Dress
Image credits: OmenLW
#11 My Friend’s Poor Attempt At Spelling Necessarily
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#12 Sell My Nana Illness Is Going Around
Image credits: reddit.com
It’s hard to say if our ability to spell is getting worse because we rely on auto-correct and spellcheck. We are writing more and faster and more efficiently than ever and that might be the reason the number of typos is increasing, says Lindsay.
“One interesting point made in this article is that we type more (and quicker) than we write “manually,” and more people are typing nowadays, all factors that increase the number of spelling errors. So it may not be as simple as spellcheck making spelling worse. There are a few other factors at play.”
#13 There Is Just No Winning. I Accept The Feet
Image credits: Xephia
#14 All Rise As The Prosecution Performs The Ever Dance
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#15 Couples Tee
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While there’s no concrete research proving that our spelling is getting worse, it doesn’t hurt to try and keep it up or improve it—to make our communication clearer, appear more intelligent, and avoid losing job or dating opportunities.
For this, Lindsay recommends practice. “Much like anything, the boring answer is practice! However, as I say to my clients when they’re learning foreign languages, ensure that you’re making the process fun, flexible, and functional. There are endless ways to improve spelling, but if it’s boring rote exercises and you find them tedious, then you’ll learn nothing!”
#16 Kidney Garden
Image credits: moxieroxie13730
#17 “Bone Jaw”
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#18 Please Pay For Gas Recipe Inside
Image credits: IcyBrradford
“One thing that I have discovered by accident that might help is to switch the language of your keyboard,” she added. “That way, spellcheck will be wanting to change almost every word, and you’ll be forced to pay attention!”
#19 Maybe My Friend Should Retake Health Ed
Image credits: reddit.com
#20 Caucasian
Image credits: theholykingkiwi
#21 All Tomato’s Ruin Relationships
Image credits: lordofthefries_
A method that research has found to be effective for improving spelling is Cover-Copy-Compare (CCC). It involves looking at a word, copying it, and then covering it and trying to write it from memory. It can enhance spelling accuracy, especially when combined with sounding out words by slowly and carefully pronouncing each letter to figure out a word’s spelling.
#22 Don’t Eat Asians
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#23 Nobody Secures Funding Like Gaston
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#24 I Digest
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#25 Forcible Future
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#26 Found My “Double Banger”
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#27 Aarons
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#28 Just My ‘Six Cents’
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#29 Flewed Out
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#30 The Leggo My Eggo Things
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#31 This Guy Is Living The Life And Taking Life For “Granite”
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#32 Feminem: The Rapper Eminem’s Daughter?
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#33 Man, In Some Near Sucks Dude
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#34 Meaty Okra
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#35 Dye Of Beeties
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#36 Always Bring Poop Purée On Vacation
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#37 Giggle Bites
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#38 Hiyaaahh
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#39 They Are Cinnamons
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#40 I Guess She Didn’t End Up Becoming A Pedestrian?
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#41 Jason Waterfalls
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#42 Daylight Saving Time Is My Worst Enema
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#43 Placebo Gazebo
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#44 For What?
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#45 Eating Raw Eggs Gives You Salmon Vanilla
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#46 Since I Missed The First Three, Luckily There’s A Fourth
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#47 Allah Cart
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#48 Damn Those Clouds Look Anonymous
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#49 Shoot Yourself Or Eat Pizza
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#50 Cease And Dentist
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#51 A Two Stick
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#52 Her Favourite Song
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#53 Stand Office
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#54 Gastro Astronomer / Astrologist
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#55 I’m Starving, Boutta Go Grab Some Cow Zones From The Pizza Place
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#56 Cooker Honda = Kooikerhondje
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#57 Ellen, The Generous
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#58 A Loan
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#59 The Start Of The A Pack Of Lips
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#60 In Greedy Ants
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#61 Firstable
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#62 Starch Your Engines
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#63 I Agree It Is Physically Irresponsible
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#64 Eight The Hd
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#65 An Interesting Title! (Also, Cake Day!)
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#66 Legal Legends
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#67 Mini Guitar
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#68 A Prang Mantas! Oh No
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#69 Alabama
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#70 “Further Of Due”
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#71 This Sign Was At My School
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#72 Nana’s Cooking Up Some Beagles For Breakfast
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#73 Everyone Love Party Sean
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#74 I Too Love To Sit On My Thrown
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#75 Food Instructions
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#76 Farmer John Cheese
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#77 Nickel Teen Is A Highly Addictive Substance
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#78 A Florida Lee?
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#79 Disposable Thumbs
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#80 Debt Written
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#81 That’s A Bold Tack Tick, Cotton
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#82 This Question Keeps Me Up At Night
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#83 Mackened Cheese
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#84 Key Bored
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#85 Do You Come Here Off Ten?
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#86 Grow A Pear
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#87 Ease Dropper
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#88 50 Purse Cent
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#89 Holapino Peppers Anybody?
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#90 Bloody Hate Those Mindgrains
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#91 Yum, Sweat Treats
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#92 Well Bless Your Sole
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#93 Doctors And Their Patiences
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#94 Spotted In London
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#95 Day Sha Vo
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#96 Nutritious Italian Gangster
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#97 Snores
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#98 Just Need A Blanket
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#99 Woldrob
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#100 Meganism
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#101 Goggles The Mind
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#102 When The Resident Is Dense
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#103 Goody Tooshoo
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#104 Sonic The Head Chog
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#105 Lacktoast Sensitivity
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#106 Pure Breed Puddles
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#107 Okay, Your Owner
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#108 Orango Tango
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#109 Literally 1984
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#110 It’s Ale Looya. Noted
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#111 Telaniqus
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#112 My Mom’s Still Learning How To Text
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#113 Tummy Aeigth
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#114 I Must Be Playing The Wrong Game
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#115 My Self A Steem
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#116 That’s A New One For Me
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#117 Whaalaw
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#118 Just Say The Magic Words And “Walla”
Image credits: Cheap-Panda