Words You Need to Know

Frequently misspelled words:

1. across 2. address 3. again 4. agreeable 5. allot 6. already 7. answer 8. apparent 9. appearance 10. athlete 11. balloon 12. believable 13. bureau 14. business 15. college 16. commitment 17. concede 18. conscientious 19. cousin 20. debt 21. definite 22. different 23. does (v.)24. eligible 25. embarrass

26. exceed 27. exhilarate 28. familiar 29. February 30. foreign 31. forty 32. grammar 33. half 34. independence 35. interesting 36. its 37. knowledge 38. laboratory 39. laugh 40. league 41. maintenance 42. minute 43. misspell 44. noticeable 45. occurrence 46. often 47. parallel 48. pastime 49. possess 50. privilege

51. probably 52. ready 53. receipt 54. recommend 55. said 56. satellite 57. schedule 58. secretary 59. separate 60. sheriff 61. sincerely 62. succeed 63. sure 64. trouble 65. truly 66. usually 67. vacuum 68. vegetable 69. villain 70. visible 71. Wednesday 72. weird 73. whose

Homonyms often misused:

1. accept - except2. aisle - isle3. bare - bear4. born - borne5. capital - capitol6. cash - cache7. ceiling - sealing8. cellar - seller9. censor - censer - senser -

sensor10. cereal - serial11. coarse - course

12. colonel - kernel13. complement - compliment14. council - counsel15. elicit - illicit 16. forth - fourth17. herd - heard18. hole - whole19. horse - hoarse20. lean - lien21. led - lead (n.)22. naval - navel23. ought - aught

24. principal - principle25. recede - reseed26. right - rite27. sight - site - cite28. stationary - stationery29. straight - strait30. their - there31. ware - wear - where32. weather - whether33. wright - write - rote - wrote34. yore - your

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Commonly confused words:

1. advice - advise2. allusion - illusion3. amoral - immoral4. affect (v.) - effect (n.)5. averse - adverse6. biannual - biennial7. breath - breathe8. choose - chose9. climactic - climatic10. collaborate - corroborate11. conscience - conscious

12. convince - persuade13. desert - dessert14. device - devise15. emigrate - immigrate16. flaunt - flout17. founder - flounder18. gambit - gamut19. imply - infer20. irritate - aggravate21. later - latter22. liable - libel

23. loose - lose24. marital - martial25. moot - mute26. nauseated - nauseous27. perspective - prospective28. proceed - precede29. proscribe - prescribe30. quiet - quite31. recall - recount32. tenant - tenet33. than - then

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Words from Arabic

Study Words

1. azure2. Islamic3. sultan4. artichoke5. mummy [1] 6. tarragon7. adobe8. mohair9. borax10. talc11. arsenal12. lemon13. tuna14. admiral15. hazard16. apricot17. carmine18. monsoon

19. average20. gazelle [2] 21. crimson22. orange23. sequin24. macrame25. algebra26. guitar27. nabob28. giraffe29. mattress30. elixir31. saffron32. cotton33. albatross [3] 34. zero35. safari [4] 36. magazine

37. zenith38. alfalfa39. imam40. mosque41. alcohol42. tariff43. lilac44. alcove45. massage46. henna [5] 47. alchemy48. sugar49. taj50. mahal51. khan52. ghoul

Challenge Words

1. muslin2. camphor3. algorithm4. minaret5. tamarind6. carafe7. julep8. marzipan9. nenuphar10. alcazar11. tahini

12. Qatari13. alkali14. serendipity15. nadir16. douane17. fennec18. hafiz19. azimuth20. bezoar21. halal22. alim

23. Swahili24. serdab25. mihrab26. salaam27. mukhtar28. khor29. foggara30. diffa31. coffle

Spelling Tips

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1. Double consonants are often seen in words from Arabic. More often than not, they occur in the middle of a word as in mummy, cotton, henna, foggara, coffle, tarragon, and several other words on the list. Their appearance at the end of a word (as in albatross and tariff) is usually because of the spelling conventions of English or some other language that the word passed through to get here.

2. A typical word from Arabic has three consonant sounds, with or without vowels between them. Gazelle, safari, talc, carafe, mahal, tahini, alkali, hafiz, and salaam are typical examples.

3. Note how many words on this list begin with al: This spelling can be traced to the definite article al ("the") in Arabic, which sometimes gets borrowed along with a word. Most of the time the spelling is al in English, but note el in elixir.

4. A long e sound (\ē\) at the end of a word from Arabic is often spelled with i as in safari and several other words on the list but may also be spelled with y as in mummy and alchemy.

5. The schwa sound (\ə\) at the end of a word from Arabic is usually spelled with a as in henna, tuna, algebra, alfalfa, foggara, and diffa.

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Words from Latin

Study Words

1. inane2. relevant3. impetuous4. ambivalent5. dejected6. postmortem7. incriminate8. access9. plausible10. interrupt [1] 11. alliteration12. refugee13. amicable14. lucid [2] 15. percolate16. meticulous17. fastidious18. trajectory19. animosity20. implement21. ambiguity22. curriculum23. omnivorous24. bellicose25. electoral26. crescent [3] 27. obsequious28. transect29. precipice30. susceptible31. condolences [4] 32. benefactor33. candidate34. bugle35. formidable36. canary37. subterfuge38. abdicate

39. lunatic40. carnivore [5] 41. gregarious42. ostentatious43. prosaic [6] 44. herbivore45. prodigal46. magnanimous47. benevolent48. mercurial49. simile50. jovial51. ridiculous52. innate53. obstinate54. discern55. mediocre56. insidious57. rupture58. precipitate59. erudite60. colloquial61. intractable62. exuberant [7] 63. ingenious64. retrospective65. ominous66. vulnerable67. omnipotent68. consensus69. discipline70. alleviate71. spectrum72. prescription73. capitulation74. incredulous75. affinity76. necessary

77. adjacent78. dissect79. conjecture80. imperative81. predicate82. corporal83. patina84. Capricorn85. participant86. library87. cognition88. primal89. filament90. unity91. ventilate92. aquatic93. igneous94. reptile95. providence96. message97. foliate98. nasal99. opera100. renovate101.credentials102. temporal103.canine104.measure105.credible106. femininity107.confidence108. triumvirate109.popularity110.diary111.humble112.vivisection113.strict114.prosecute

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115.contiguous116.ductile117.gradient

118.current119.perfidy120.fidelity

121. incorruptible

Challenge Words

1. soliloquy2. accommodate3. pernicious [8] 4. efficacy5. visceral6. exacerbate7. indigenous8. belligerent

9. vernacular10. infinitesimal11. recalcitrant12. innocuous13. precocious14. ameliorate15. commensurate16. facetious

17. prerogative18. ubiquitous19. egregious20. aggregate21. tertiary22. corpuscle23. perennial

Spelling Tips

1. One of the hardest things to remember about words from Latin is whether an internal consonant (like rr in interrupt) is doubled. To reinforce your memory of the correct spelling, try to remember related words all together (like interrupt along with interruption or necessary along with necessity).

2. The \ü\ sound (as in ooze) is nearly always spelled with u in words from Latin. It typically follows a \d\, \j\, \l\, \r\, or \s\ sound. After other consonants, this sound normally becomes \yü\ (as in bugle, subterfuge, ambiguity, and prosecute and in one pronunciation of refugee).

3. Beware of words like crescent in which the \s\ sound is spelled with sc in words from Latin. Other examples include visceral, discern, discipline, susceptible, and corpuscle.

4. When you hear within a word from Latin the \s\ sound followed by any of the sounds of e (long, short, or schwa), there's a possibility that the \s\ sound is spelled with c as in exacerbate, access, adjacent, condolences, facetious, and necessary.

5. The letter i is a vowel often used to connect two Latin word elements. If the connecting vowel sound is a schwa (\ə\) and you must guess at the spelling of this sound, the letter i might be a good guess: See carnivore and herbivore. Other examples include non–study-list words that end in iform such as oviform and pediform.

6. The letter k rarely appears in words from Latin, and its sound is nearly always represented by c as in canary, prosaic, canine, mediocre, Capricorn, cognition, ductile, incorruptible, vernacular, innocuous, and many other words on the list.

7. The letter x often gets the pronunciation \gz\ in words from Latin (as in exacerbate and exuberant).8. The combination ious ends many adjectives of Latin origin. When the consonant that precedes ious is c

or t, the sound of the final syllable is \shəs\ as in facetious, ostentatious, pernicious, and precocious. It is important to keep in mind that several adjectives from Latin ending with this sound end in eous rather than ious. In such instances, the definitions of the words usually contain phrases such as "consisting of," "resembling," or "having the characteristic of." Examples include non–study–list words herbaceous, cetaceous, and lilaceous.

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Words from Asian Languages

Study Words

1. dugong2. guru3. cushy4. seersucker5. jungle6. oolong7. nirvana8. bangle9. cummerbund10. juggernaut11. pangolin12. mahatma

13. rupee14. mongoose15. shampoo16. typhoon17. bamboo18. jackal19. dungaree20. bungalow21. gunnysack22. chutney23. karma24. jute

25. yamen26. raj27. kama28. pundit29. loot30. kavya31. jiva32. pandit33. chintz34. patel

Challenge Words

1. gymkhana2. basmati3. gingham4. mandir5. bhalu6. gourami7. masala

8. raita9. asana10. batik11. charpoy12. durwan13. mahout14. prabhu

15. Buddha16. topeng17. tanha18. lahar19. jnana20. Holi

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Words from French

Study Words

1. peloton2. barrage3. chagrin [1] 4. pacifism5. manicure6. altruism7. bureaucracy8. mascot9. parfait10. mystique11. layette [2] 12. boutique13. dressage14. croquet15. gorgeous16. denture17. mirage18. denim19. cachet [3] 20. neologism21. beige22. diplomat23. motif

24. suave25. foyer [4] 26. clementine27. ambulance28. rehearse29. leotard30. prairie [5] 31. diorama32. entourage33. fuselage34. boudoir35. collage [6] 36. amenable37. expertise38. matinee39. plateau40. sortie41. croquette42. physique [7] 43. elite44. deluxe45. nougat46. rouge [8]

47. escargot48. crochet49. regime50. doctrinaire51. tutu52. bevel53. menu54. egalitarian55. quiche [9] 56. fatigue57. garage58. morgue59. stethoscope60. vogue61. musicale62. palette63. flamboyant64. baton65. souvenir66. impasse67. finesse68. maladroit

Challenge Words

1. gauche2. rapport3. camouflage4. genre5. virgule6. debacle7. fusillade [10]

8. saboteur9. renaissance10. chauvinism11. recidivist12. chassis13. détente14. raconteur

15. mayonnaise [11] 16. surveillance17. repertoire18. dossier19. taupe20. poignant21. garçon

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22. croissant23. ecru24. lieutenant

25. protégé26. mélange27. blasé

28. fête29. ingenue30. rendezvous

Spelling Tips

1. French nearly always spells the \sh\ sound with ch, and this spelling of the sound is very common in words from French. Chagrin, chauvinism, and crochet are examples.

2. A word from French ending with a stressed \et\ is usually spelled with ette as in layette and croquette.3. A long a sound (\ā\) at the end of a word from French can be spelled a number of ways. One of the more

common ways is with et as in cachet, croquet, and crochet.4. One way to spell long a at the end of a word from French is with er as in dossier and in foyer. (Most Americans,

however, do not pronounce the ending of foyer with a long a.)5. A long e sound (\ē\) at the end of a word from French can be spelled with ie as in prairie and sortie. (But see

exercise 4 under Now You Try for another spelling of the long e ending.)6. Words ending with an \äzh\ sound are common in French. This sound is spelled age as in collage, mirage,

dressage, garage, barrage, camouflage, entourage, and fuselage.7. A \k\ sound at the end of a word from French is often spelled que as in physique, mystique, and boutique.8. The \ü\ sound (as in rouge and many other words on the list) in words from French is usually spelled with ou.

Sometimes, however, it is spelled with u as in tutu and ecru.9. When the \sh\ sound occurs at the end of a word from French, there is nearly always a silent e that follows it, as

in quiche and gauche.10. Words ending with an \äd\ sound are common in French. This sound is spelled ade as in fusillade.11. French speakers have a number of vowels that English speakers modify in pronunciation. Our way of

pronouncing the French aise (pronounced \ez\ in French) is usually \āz\.

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Eponyms

Study Words

1. praline2. magnolia3. boysenberry4. hosta5. poinsettia6. macadamia7. salmonella8. newton9. saxophone10. tortoni11. greengage12. angstrom13. gardenia

14. melba15. tantalize16. zinnia17. quisling18. begonia19. samaritan20. Panglossian21. quixote22. jeremiad23. hector24. Geronimo25. shrapnel26. vulcanize

27. Frankenstein28. Boswell29. ampere30. cupid31. Fletcherism32. yahoo33. diesel34. bandersnatch35. Crusoe36. mentor37. Dracula

Challenge Words

1. forsythia2. madeleine3. bromeliad4. mercerize5. Fahrenheit6. narcissistic

7. dahlia8. Baedeker9. philippic10. guillotine11. Bobadil12. mesmerize

13. gnathonic14. pasteurize15. Croesus16. braggadocio

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Words from German

Study Words

1. angst [1] 2. pretzel3. waltz4. haversack5. nosh6. sauerbraten7. hinterland8. verboten9. liverwurst10. streusel11. umlaut12. wanderlust13. eiderdown14. schnauzer15. lederhosen16. kohlrabi17. sitzmark18. langlauf19. autobahn20. Backstein

21. inselberg22. gestalt23. einkorn24. kitsch [2] 25. gestapo26. schloss27. rucksack28. echt29. bratwurst30. knapsack31. feldspar32. poltergeist33. noodle34. spareribs35. Meistersinger [3] 36. pumpernickel37. Bildungsroman38. strudel39. bagel40. hamster

41. cobalt42. nachtmusik43. vorlage [4] 44. graupel45. Wagnerian46. cringle47. fife48. glitz49. homburg50. kuchen51. pitchblende52. spritz [5] 53. prattle54. zwinger55. spitz56. realschule57. panzer58. stollen59. dachshund60. seltzer

Challenge Words

1. schadenfreude [6] 2. dreidel3. weimaraner4. ersatz5. fräulein

6. blitzkrieg [7] 7. gesundheit8. pfeffernuss9. edelweiss [8] 10. glockenspiel

11. rottweiler12. schottische13. anschluss14. wedel15. springerle

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16. zeitgeber17. pickelhaube

18. schnecke19. Weissnichtwo

Spelling Tips

1. Don't shy away from consonant clusters! German words often have combinations of three or more consonants that don't occur in thoroughly English words. Examples include ngst in angst, sch in schadenfreude, schn in schnauzer, and nschl in anschluss.

2. A \k\ sound in a word from German is usually spelled with k at the beginning of a word or syllable (as in kitsch and einkorn) and often with ck at the end of a word or syllable (as in knapsack and glockenspiel).

3. A long i sound (\ī\) usually has the spelling ei in words from German, as in fräulein, Meistersinger, zeitgeber, and several other words on the list.

4. The \f\ sound, especially at the beginning of a word, is sometimes spelled with v in German words as in vorlage. Other examples include the non–study-list words volkslied and herrenvolk.

5. The letter z is far more common in German than in English. Note that its pronunciation is not usually the same as English \z\. When it follows a t, which is common, the pronunciation is \s\ as in spritz, pretzel, blitzkrieg, and several other words on the list.

6. The \sh\ sound in words of German origin is usually spelled sch as in schadenfreude, whether at the beginning or end of a word or syllable. In schottische, you get it in both places!

7. A long e sound (\ē\) usually has the spelling ie in words from German, as in blitzkrieg and glockenspiel.8. The letter w is properly pronounced as \v\ in German, as you hear in one pronunciation of edelweiss

and in wedel and Weissnichtwo. Many German words, however, have become so anglicized that this pronunciation has vanished. Most Americans, for example, say "bratwurst," not "bratvurst."

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Words from Slavic Languages

Study Words

1. gulag2. parka3. Slav4. robot5. samovar6. kremlin7. troika8. slave9. mammoth10. Siberian11. tundra12. Permian13. kishke14. glasnost

15. paprika16. sable17. kasha18. nebbish19. polka20. Bolshevik21. vampire22. sputnik23. knish24. cravat25. babushka26. Soviet27. Borzoi28. gopak

29. cheka30. sevruga31. trepak32. babka33. purga34. baba35. cossack36. nelma37. kovsh38. lokshen39. feldsher40. barabara41. aul

Challenge Words

1. balalaika2. kielbasa3. tchotchke4. barukhzy

5. perestroika6. apparatchik7. commissar8. tokamak

9. pogrom10. taiga11. Beetewk

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Words from Dutch

Study Words

1. cockatoo2. keelhaul3. harpoon4. furlough5. bowery6. easel7. holster8. freebooter9. waffle10. trawl11. uproar12. beleaguer13. cruller14. yacht15. wiseacre16. brackish17. decoy18. caboose19. buckwheat20. walrus21. howitzer22. crimp23. bluff24. stipple25. floss26. cruiser27. hustle

28. klompen29. polder30. bundle31. catkin32. splice33. Flemish34. grabble35. huckster36. frolic37. ravel38. tattle39. scum40. trek41. scrabble42. clapboard43. gruff44. isinglass45. excise46. blister47. rabbit48. package49. muddle50. handsome51. foist52. staple53. gulden54. mart

55. screen56. guilder57. etch58. Netherlander59. dune60. croon61. ticket62. buckwagon63. hock64. boodle65. guy66. daffodil67. loiter68. potash69. scow70. wintergreen71. trigger72. stripe73. bruin74. skipper75. waywiser76. spoor77. mizzle78. school79. pickle80. snuff

Challenge Words

1. mynheer2. waterzooi3. flense4. muishond5. witloof6. springbok7. maelstrom

8. bobbejaan9. keeshond10. voortrekker11. uitlander12. hollandaise13. galjoen14. schipperke

15. apartheid16. hartebeest17. keest18. wainscot19. roodebok

Words from Old EnglishPage 14 of 24

Study Words1. quell [1] 2. barrow3. dearth4. bower5. paddock6. blithe7. keen8. mongrel9. reckless10. alderman11. whirlpool12. belay [2] 13. cleanser14. dreary [3] 15. bequeath16. sallow [4] 17. dross18. lithe19. gristle20. earwig21. fickle22. nestle [5] 23. fennel24. nostril25. abide26. behest27. slaughter [6] 28. gospel29. furlong30. linseed

31. nether32. fathom33. nightingale34. farthing35. threshold36. kith37. wanton38. loam [7] 39. yield40. mattock41. hawthorn42. tithe43. behoove44. forlorn45. quiver46. hustings47. aspen48. mermaid49. anvil50. barley51. linden52. hassock53. orchard54. hearth [8] 55. watery56. fiend57. goatee58. earthenware59. windily60. dealership

61. bookkeeping62. fiery63. learned64. nosiest65. creepy66. errand67. daily68. gnat69. broadleaf70. stringy71. dairy72. workmanship73. newfangled74. timely75. dogged76. mootable77. womanly78. manhandle79. folksiness80. worrisome81. roughhewn82. knavery83. hurdle84. kipper85. hundredth86. icicle87. pinafore88. yieldable89. hue

Challenge Words

1. heifer2. mistletoe3. salve4. kirtle5. Wiccan6. shrieval7. chary

Spelling Tips

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1. Old English likes double consonants following short vowels, especially if the vowel is in a stressed syllable. Examples include quell, paddock, mattock, sallow, fennel, hassock, errand, barrow, kipper, and Wiccan.

2. A long a sound (\ā\) at the end of words from Old English is nearly always spelled ay as in belay.3. Long e (\ē\) at the end of an adjective or adverb from Old English is nearly always spelled with y.

Examples include dreary, watery, windily, fiery, creepy, daily, stringy, timely, womanly, and chary.4. Long o (\ō\) at the end of words from Old English is typically spelled with ow as in sallow and barrow.

By contrast, a long o at the end of a word in many languages that English has borrowed from is simply spelled with o.

5. When the syllable \səl\ ends words from Old English, it is nearly always spelled stle, with the t being silent (as in gristle and nestle).

6. Silent gh after a vowel is common in words from Old English, as in slaughter. Silent gh usually appears after i in words like plight (not on the study list) and nightingale, and it signals that the vowel is pronounced \ī\.

7. The vowel combination oa in words from Old English is nearly always pronounced as long o (\ō\) as in loam and goatee. Examples not on the study list include shoal, boastful, and gloaming.

8. Silent e on the end or not? For words from Old English that end in either hard th (\th\) or soft th (\th\), remember this: More often than not, soft th will have a silent e at the end of the word. Consider, for example, bequeath, dearth, kith, hearth, and hundredth versus blithe, lithe, and tithe. Interestingly, the word blithe can be pronounced both ways.

Words from New World Languages

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Study Words

1. condor2. iguana3. hurricane [1] 4. kahuna5. hogan6. jerky7. muskrat8. hominy9. wigwam10. pampas11. caribou [2] 12. toboggan13. persimmon14. quinine15. powwow16. bayou

17. coyote [3] 18. tamale19. poi20. cashew21. luau22. totem23. mahimahi24. hickory25. cacao26. kona27. malihini28. wikiwiki29. Tuckahoe30. pecan31. chipotle32. skunk

33. woodchuck [4] 34. chocolate35. muumuu36. puma37. tomato38. maraca39. petunia40. jaguar41. buccaneer42. llama43. succotash44. caucus45. wampum46. mole47. toucan

Challenge Words

1. opossum2. terrapin3. ocelot

4. hoomalimali5. coati6. jacamar

7. ipecac8. menhaden9. sachem

Spelling Tips

1. Remember that words settling down in English are often spelled according to English word patterns. If you're completely unsure of how to spell a word from a New World language, you can try just "sounding it out." This strategy would work for hurricane, muskrat, wigwam, and several other words on the list.

2. Take note of the language(s) a word may have traveled through on its way to English, for the path to English often gives a clue about spelling. For example, if it had been up to an English speaker, the \ü\ sound at the end of caribou would probably have been spelled oo; but the influence of French gives us the current spelling because French usually spells this sound ou.

3. Coyote shows evidence of having passed through Spanish on its way to English: The voiced final e is often seen in Spanish words. Two other examples on this list are tamale and mole.

4. Remember what folk etymology is? Words that entered English from New World languages were prime candidates for this process. If parts of a native word sounded familiar, they were often spelled by the settlers in a familiar way, as in woodchuck. Muskrat is also probably a result of folk etymology.

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Words from Japanese

Study Words

1. ninja2. sushi [1] 3. tofu4. shogun5. honcho6. karate [2] 7. samurai8. teriyaki9. sashimi10. tsunami11. haiku [3] 12. futon

13. mikado [4] 14. hibachi15. origami16. geisha [5] 17. wasabi18. ramen19. kudzu20. banzai21. tycoon22. sumo23. koan24. satori

25. tatami26. kami27. sukiyaki28. kuruma29. Meiji30. Romaji31. odori32. miso33. Kabuki34. geta35. sayonara

Challenge Words

1. karaoke2. nisei3. sansei4. issei5. kibei

Spelling Tips

1. A long e sound (\ē\) is very common at the end of Japanese words and is usually spelled with i as in sushi, teriyaki, wasabi, Meiji, odori, and several other words on the list.

2. In some Japanese words, long e is spelled simply with e (not i) as in karate and karaoke.3. An \ü\ sound is also a common way to end Japanese words and is spelled with u as in haiku, tofu, and

kudzu.4. Long o (\ō\) at the end of a word from Japanese is spelled with o as in honcho, mikado, sumo and miso.5. A long a sound (\ā\) heard in geisha is spelled ei in some words from Japanese. Four of the challenege

words have this spelling of the long a sound and contain the word element sei, which means "generation."

Words from Greek

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Study Words

1. lethargy2. android3. chronic4. biopsy5. irony6. automaton7. enthusiasm8. synopsis9. homogeneous10. odyssey11. megalopolis12. acme [1] 13. synonym14. orthodox15. aristocracy16. calypso17. patriarch18. hierarchy19. character [2] 20. isobar21. asterisk22. eclectic23. melancholy24. stoic25. chronology26. eulogy27. didactic28. cosmetic29. Spartan30. geothermal31. cynical [3] 32. homonym33. cryptic34. hypothesis35. academy36. pentathlon37. antibiotic38. diatribe39. etymology40. hydraulic [4]

41. trauma42. hygiene43. semantics44. thesaurus45. phenomenon [5] 46. cosmos47. protagonist48. acronym49. paradox50. synchronous51. misanthropy52. sarcasm53. ephemeral54. polygon55. nemesis56. syntax57. eureka58. topography59. panic60. apostrophe61. geranium62. metaphor63. spherical64. xylophone [6] 65. dynamic66. myriad67. epiphany68. apathy69. synergy70. amnesia71. philanthropy72. democracy73. strategy [7] 74. diagnosis75. topical76. matriarch77. endemic78. analysis [8] 79. rhetoric80. eponym

81. agnostic82. dogma83. idiom84. thermal85. dyslexia86. Olympian87. allegory88. pragmatic89. adamant90. protocol91. tragic92. hydrology93. polymer94. notochord95. biblical96. ergonomic97. mathematics98. tachometer99. protein100. rhinoceros101.hyphen102.autopsy103.pyre104.herpetology105.angelic106. tritium107.androcentric108.demotic109.geode110.hedonism111.periscope112.geoponics113.asthmogenic114.monotonous115.amphibious116.symbiosis117.macron118.periphery

Challenge Word

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1. dichotomy2. misogynist3. hypocrisy4. diphthong5. mnemonic6. anomaly7. zephyr8. hippopotamus

9. euphemism10. anachronism11. metamorphosis12. hyperbole13. arachnid14. paradigm15. Eocene16. gynarchy

17. pneumatic18. Hemerocallis19. cynosure20. philhellenism21. euthanasia22. philately23. cacophony

Spelling Tips

1. In a few words from Greek, e appears at the end of a word and has long e sound \ē\: Some examples are acme, apostrophe, and hyperbole.

2. A \k\ sound in English often represents a sound from Greek that we don't actually use, and the most common spelling of this sound in English is ch: See anachronism, arachnid, character, chronic, chronology, dichotomy, hierarchy, matriarch, melancholy, patriarch, synchronous, notochord, tachometer, and gynarchy.

3. The most frequent sound that y gets in words from Greek is short i (\i\) as in acronym, calypso, cryptic, cynical, dyslexia, eponym, homonym, myriad, Olympian, synchronous, synergy, synonym, synopsis, syntax, symbiosis and polymer.

4. A long i sound (\ī\) in a word that comes from Greek is sometimes represented by y, especially after h, as in hydraulic, hydrology, hygiene, hyperbole, hyphen, hypothesis, dynamic, cynosure, gynarchy, xylophone and pyre.

5. In ancient Greek, the letter phi (pronounced \fī\) represented a breathy or "aspirated" version of the sound that is represented in English by f. Speakers of Roman-alphabet languages did not have this sound or a corresponding letter, so they substituted the \f\ sound but memorialized the original sound of phi by using ph to spell it. As a result, the English \f\ sound almost always appears as ph in words of Greek origin. Consider, for example: amphibious, apostrophe, cacophony, diphthong, epiphany, euphemism, hyphen, metamorphosis, metaphor, periphery, phenomenon, philanthropy, philately, philhellenism, spherical, topography, xylophone, and zephyr. Hundreds of words in English derived from Greek show this spelling.

6. The letter o is the vowel most often used to connect two Greek word elements. If the connecting vowel sound is a schwa (\ə\) as in xylophone, notochord, orthodox, ergonomic, geoponics, and asthmogenic and you must guess at the spelling of this sound, the letter o is a very good guess. The non–study-list words hypnotist, geometric, and electrolyte are among the many, many words made of Greek word elements connected by o.

7. The \j\ sound is always spelled with g in words from Greek. Why? When the \j\ sound appears in words of Greek origin, it does so as an anglicized pronunciation of a root originally pronounced with a hard g. Note that no j appears in any of the words on this list!

8. A schwa in words from Greek is occasionally spelled with y: See analysis, etymology, misogynist, odyssey, and zephyr.

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Words from Italian

Study Words

1. staccato2. ballot3. confetti [1] 4. semolina5. influenza6. cavalry7. piazza8. cadenza9. pistachio10. spinet11. cantata12. incognito [2] 13. vendetta14. contraband15. mascara16. graffiti17. credenza18. parapet19. falsetto20. ditto21. provolone [3] 22. extravaganza23. scampi

24. belladonna25. gondola26. rotunda27. cauliflower28. galleria29. regatta30. crescendo [4] 31. balcony32. portfolio33. antipasto34. libretto35. virtuoso36. harmonica37. maestro38. bravura39. fresco40. stucco [5] 41. inferno42. ballerina43. malaria44. grotto45. harpsichord46. allegro

47. virtuosa48. spaghetti49. piccolo50. ravioli51. vibrato52. pesto53. aria54. bambino55. salami56. Parmesan57. oratorio58. finale59. scenario60. contrapuntal61. illuminati62. concerto63. macaroni64. palmetto65. bandit66. fiasco67. cameo68. sonata69. coloratura

Challenge Words

1. scherzo [6] 2. adagio3. segue4. zucchini [7] 5. capricious6. archipelago7. charlatan

8. maraschino9. paparazzo [8] 10. fantoccini11. mozzarella12. garibaldi13. ocarina14. prosciutto

15. trattoria16. vivace17. cappelletti18. pizzicato19. intaglio

Spelling Tips

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1. Long e (\ē\) at the end of a word from Italian is usually spelled with i as in confetti, graffiti, zucchini, fantoccini, cappelletti, and many other words on the list. In Italian, a final i usually indicates a plural form. This is not always true, however, of Italian words in English.

2. Long o (\ō\) at the end of an Italian word is spelled with o as in incognito, stucco, virtuoso, concerto, prosciutto, pizzicato, vibrato and many other words on the list.

3. A long e sound (\ē\) at the end of a word from Italian can be spelled with e as in provolone, finale, and one pronunciation of vivace, although this spelling of the sound is less common than i.

4. The \sh\ sound has various spellings in words from Italian; a spelling it usually doesn't have is sh! It can be spelled sc as in crescendo and prosciutto or ch as in charlatan and pistachio. The spelling of the \sh\ sound in capricious is also seen in words that come from Latin—the ancestral language of Italian.

5. The \k\ sound can be spelled cc when it comes before long o (\ō\) as in stucco or when it comes before \ä\ as in staccato.

6. Another Italian spelling of \k\ is ch as in scherzo.7. The sound \ē-nē\, common at the end of Italian words (it forms diminutives), is usually spelled ini (as in

zucchini and fantoccini).8. The double consonant zz is typically pronounced \ts\ in words from Italian, as in paparazzo, mozzarella,

pizzicato, and one pronunciation of piazza.

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Words from Spanish

Study Words

1. burrito2. embargo [1] 3. chimichanga4. gazpacho5. mariachi [2] 6. sombrero7. alligator8. canasta9. bonanza10. chinchilla11. machismo12. enchilada13. pueblo14. hacienda15. fandango16. quesadilla [3] 17. flotilla18. tornado19. flamenco [4] 20. vigilante

21. adios22. cabana23. gordita24. peccadillo25. filibuster26. tortilla27. vanilla28. cilantro29. fiesta30. anchovy31. mesa [5] 32. ramada33. junco34. cafeteria35. bongo36. castanets37. mantilla [6] 38. oregano39. lariat40. chalupa

41. buffalo [7] 42. renegade43. langosta44. alamo45. barrio46. cedilla47. Argentine48. bolivar49. amarillo50. cordovan51. desperado52. empanada53. tomatillo54. diablo55. pochismo56. sierra57. olio58. bolero59. junta60. duenna

Challenge Words

1. sassafras2. punctilio3. sarsaparilla4. comandante

5. embarcadero6. rejoneador7. novillero8. picaresque

9. conquistador10. rasgado11. vaquero12. caballero

Spelling Tips

1. A long o sound (\ō\) at the end of a word is often a mark of Spanish origin, and it is nearly always spelled simply with o as in embargo and many other words on this list.

2. A long e sound (\ē\) at the end of a word of Spanish origin is usually spelled with i as in mariachi.

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3. The \k\ sound is sometimes spelled with qu in words of Spanish origin. This is especially true when the vowel sound that follows is long a (\ā\), long e (\ē\), or short i (\i\). Quesadilla and conquistador (in its pronunciations with and without the \s\ sound) are examples from our list.

4. It is much more common for the \k\ sound to be spelled with c in words of Spanish origin. This is almost invariable when the vowel sound that follows is a schwa \ə\ as in canasta and embarcadero; short a (\a\) as in castanets and caballero; or long o (\ō\) as in flamenco and flamenco and junco.

5. A schwa at the end of a word from Spanish is very common and is usually spelled with a as in mesa, bonanza, and several other words on the list.

6. The combination ll in Spanish words is traditionally treated as a single letter and is pronounced as consonant \y\ in American Spanish. When such words enter English, sometimes that sound persists. At other times it is pronounced just like ll would be in an English word: that is, as \l\. Some words—such as mantilla, tomatillo, amarillo, and caballero—even have two pronunciations in English. Quesadilla, tortilla, and novillero always have the \y\ pronunciation in English; chinchilla, flotilla, vanilla, peccadillo, cedilla, and sarsaparilla always have the \l\ pronunciation. Be on the lookout!

7. Note that, except for ll, double consonants in words from Spanish are not very common. Buffalo and peccadillo represent exceptions. In Spanish, buffalo has only one f and peccadillo has only one c. English spelling rules prefer two consonants as a signal that the previous vowel is short, as is the case in these words.

Word Lists (each list also contains practice exercises)

http://myspellit.com/index.html

Dictionary – Merriam Webster Dictionary (for definition, pronunciation, use in sentence, origin)

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/

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