Spelling Spotlight: Shine on the Right Words

Below are 20 spelling error questions, each with a sentence containing a misspelled word. The correct spelling, answer, and explanation are provided for each. These are designed to test common spelling mistakes and provide clear reasoning for the corrections.


1. Question

The politician’s decision was highly controversal.
Options:
A. Controversial
B. Controversal
C. Controversiel
D. Contraversial

Answer: A. Controversial
Explanation: The word “controversal” is misspelled. The correct spelling is “controversial,” which means causing disagreement or debate. The error often stems from confusion with the pronunciation, where the “s” and “i” sounds are misordered.


2. Question

She was embarassed by her mistake in the presentation.
Options:
A. Embarrassed
B. Embarassed
C. Embarrased
D. Embarased

Answer: A. Embarrassed
Explanation: The word “embarassed” has one too few “r”s. The correct spelling, “embarrassed,” requires two “r”s and two “s”s. This is a common error due to the word’s pronunciation, which can make the double letters unclear.


3. Question

The team’s acheivement was celebrated with an award.
Options:
A. Achievement
B. Acheivement
C. Achievment
D. Achivement

Answer: A. Achievement
Explanation: “Acheivement” incorrectly places the “i” before the “e.” The correct spelling, “achievement,” follows the “i before e, except after c” rule, as there is no “c” preceding the “ie.”


4. Question

The restaurant’s hygeine standards were questionable.
Options:
A. Hygiene
B. Hygeine
C. Hygene
D. Higeine

Answer: A. Hygiene
Explanation: “Hygeine” is misspelled with an incorrect vowel order. The correct spelling is “hygiene,” which refers to cleanliness. The “i” comes before the “e,” and the word derives from Greek, causing frequent confusion.


5. Question

He recieved a letter from his friend abroad.
Options:
A. Received
B. Recieved
C. Receved
D. Recived

Answer: A. Received
Explanation: “Recieved” violates the “i before e, except after c” rule. Since the word has a “c,” the correct spelling is “received,” with “ei” after the “c.” This is a common mistake in words with the “ceive” root.


6. Question

The book was definately a bestseller.
Options:
A. Definitely
B. Definately
C. Definatly
D. Definetly

Answer: A. Definitely
Explanation: “Definately” is a frequent error due to pronunciation. The correct spelling is “definitely,” with an “i” instead of an “a.” The word comes from “definite,” which helps clarify the correct vowel.


7. Question

Her knowlege of history was impressive.
Options:
A. Knowledge
B. Knowlege
C. Knolwedge
D. Knowladge

Answer: A. Knowledge
Explanation: “Knowlege” omits the “d” before the “g.” The correct spelling is “knowledge,” which includes the silent “k” and the “d.” The error often occurs because the “d” is not pronounced clearly.


8. Question

The goverment announced new policies.
Options:
A. Government
B. Goverment
C. Governmant
D. Govarnment

Answer: A. Government
Explanation: “Goverment” is missing an “n.” The correct spelling is “government,” with “n” before the “m.” This mistake is common due to the word’s length and the blending of sounds in speech.


9. Question

The event was a sucess for the organizers.
Options:
A. Success
B. Sucess
C. Succes
D. Sucsess

Answer: A. Success
Explanation: “Sucess” has only one “c.” The correct spelling, “success,” requires two “c”s and two “s”s. Double consonants are often missed in words like this due to inconsistent pronunciation.


10. Question

The room was seperate from the main building.
Options:
A. Separate
B. Seperate
C. Sepparate
D. Seperete

Answer: A. Separate
Explanation: “Seperate” incorrectly uses “e” instead of “a.” The correct spelling is “separate,” with an “a” in the second syllable. The error arises from the word’s pronunciation, which can sound like “sep-er-et.”


11. Question

The occasionnal meeting was productive.
Options:
A. Occasional
B. Occasionnal
C. Ocassional
D. Occasinal

Answer: A. Occasional
Explanation: “Occasionnal” has an extra “n.” The correct spelling is “occasional,” with two “c”s and one “n.” The double “c” and single “n” are often confused due to similar words like “anniversary.”


12. Question

The millenium celebration was unforgettable.
Options:
A. Millennium
B. Millenium
C. Milennium
D. Millenniun

Answer: A. Millennium
Explanation: “Millenium” is missing an “n.” The correct spelling is “millennium,” with two “l”s and two “n”s. This word, derived from Latin, often causes errors due to its uncommon structure.


13. Question

The wierd noise kept them awake.
Options:
A. Weird
B. Wierd
C. Weerd
D. Waird

Answer: A. Weird
Explanation: “Wierd” reverses the “i” and “e.” The correct spelling is “weird,” which is an exception to the “i before e” rule. This exception is a common source of confusion.


14. Question

The accomodation was luxurious.
Options:
A. Accommodation
B. Accomodation
C. Acommodation
D. Accommadation

Answer: A. Accommodation
Explanation: “Accomodation” has one “m” too few. The correct spelling is “accommodation,” with two “c”s and two “m”s. Double consonants are often missed in longer words like this.


15. Question

The buisness was thriving.
Options:
A. Business
B. Buisness
C. Busness
D. Bussiness

Answer: A. Business
Explanation: “Buisness” incorrectly uses “ui” instead of “u.” The correct spelling is “business,” with a single “u” and two “s”s. The error is common due to the word’s pronunciation.


16. Question

The neccessary repairs were completed.
Options:
A. Necessary
B. Neccessary
C. Necesary
D. Necassary

Answer: A. Necessary
Explanation: “Neccessary” has an extra “c.” The correct spelling is “necessary,” with one “c” and two “s”s. The double “s” is often confused with other similar words.


17. Question

The cemetary was peaceful.
Options:
A. Cemetery
B. Cemetary
C. Cematary
D. Cemetry

Answer: A. Cemetery
Explanation: “Cemetary” uses “a” instead of “e.” The correct spelling is “cemetery,” with “e” in the second syllable. The word’s pronunciation often leads to this vowel swap.


18. Question

The foriegn diplomat visited the city.
Options:
A. Foreign
B. Foriegn
C. Forein
D. Forign

Answer: A. Foreign
Explanation: “Foriegn” incorrectly uses “ie” instead of “ei.” The correct spelling is “foreign,” which is another exception to the “i before e” rule, causing frequent errors.


19. Question

The priviledge of voting is important.
Options:
A. Privilege
B. Priviledge
C. Privelege
D. Privlage

Answer: A. Privilege
Explanation: “Priviledge” has an incorrect “d” and “e” order. The correct spelling is “privilege,” with “i” before “e” and no “d.” The word’s pronunciation often leads to this mistake.


20. Question

The maintanance team fixed the issue.
Options:
A. Maintenance
B. Maintanance
C. Maintainance
D. Maintinance

Answer: A. Maintenance
Explanation: “Maintanance” incorrectly uses “a” instead of “e.” The correct spelling is “maintenance,” with “e” in the second syllable. The error stems from confusion with the verb “maintain.”


These questions cover a range of common spelling errors, including issues with double consonants, vowel order, and exceptions to spelling rules. Let me know if you’d like more examples or a different format!

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