Don't be frustrated! You CAN master your spelling demons. No matter our age, we all have at least a few pesky words that confound us. Don't give up!
You can increase your spelling skills when you:
Sometimes the biggest "demons" in your own writing are NOT the words
that weird, obscure and very long. Rather, they are more
frequently-used words that are easily confused with other words.
Here's our list of devilish words. We've included a brief definition of
these words. You'll also see some tricks to help you remember some of
them in bold.
Printable version of our list of Spelling Demons
accept | to receive |
except | other than; Everyone came except Tex. |
affect | to have an influence on |
effect | result; effects of contaminated beef... |
allusion | an indirect reference |
illusion | misleading belief or perception; Her good health was only an illusion. She was actually very ill. |
altogether | entirely; completely |
all together | all at the same time; All of us are together in the car. |
ascent | a movement upward; The scent of the skunk sent me running up the hill |
assent | agreement |
counsel | advice
given to someone else, or to advise Wise counsel sells |
council | a group of people selected to advise others |
descent | a movement downward; descent - decline |
dissent | disagreement |
desert | to
abandon, or an arid place; Sahara desert has just one s |
dessert | after-dinner course |
elicit | to bring out |
illicit | illegal; Both illicit and illegal begin with il |
gorilla | a large primate; Do you like gorillas or apes best? |
guerilla | a type of soldier |
loose | not tight; The noose was loose. |
lose | to come to be without something; lose your keys |
quiet | making no sound |
quite | completely; That's quite a nice kite. |
straight | without a bend |
strait | narrow passage of water; I can't wait to ride through the straits. |
weather | the state of the atmosphere, including temperature, wind, moisture, etc. |
whether | introduces the first choice; Whether he goes or stays, he must decide soon. |
which | one of a group |
witch | a sorcerer; The witch outwitted the fox. |
A friend recently send me this cute and helpful blog post about some of these same words, and similarly confusing ones, too. Enjoy!
https://www.websiteplanet.com/blog/talking-aloud-talking-allowed-watch-write-make-sure-right/
Many spelling demons are actually homonyms, such as capital/capitol and principle/principal. Learn more about confusing homonyms on this helpful page.
You may also be interested in these lists of difficult words:
We have an assortments of spelling lessons and lots, lots more tips. Find links to all of them here.
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