For questions 61-63, choose the word that is misspelled.
1. The traveler thought it fortuitous that the hotel afforded such comfortable accomodations.
A. Traveler
B. Fortuitous
C. Afforded
D. Accomodations
2. Janice’s arguement was that she had not been allowed sufficient time to complete the brief.
A. Arguement
B. Allowed
C. Sufficient
D. Brief
3. Despite public opinion to the contrary, the defendant was aquitted of all the charges.
A. Opinion
B. Aquitted
C. Contrary
D. Defendant
4. The student had to redo his essay numerous times before the teacher deemed it acceptible.
A. Redo
B. Numerous
C. Acceptible
D. Deemed
For questions 65 through 67, choose the correct spelling of the word to fill in the blank.
5. The official tried to _______ the angry crowd with offers of reparations.
A. Appease
B. Apease
C. Apiese
D. Appese
6. Everyone be sure to mark this important date on your ___________.
A. Callenders
B. Calendars
C. Callendars
D. Calenders
7. I could not _______ that he would do something like that.
A. Beleive
B. Beleave
C. Believe
D. Bileive
For questions 68 through 70, choose which word is incorrectly spelled in the sentence context.
8. The manager reported that the new sales paradigm was having a positive affect on revenues.
A. Paradigm
B. Positive
C. Revenues
D. Affect
9. I still new what you meant even though you used the wrong spelling.
A. New
B. Meant
C. Though
D. Used
10. She was stymied about what kind of clothing was appropriate to where to this particular function.
A. Stymied
B. Where
C. Appropriate
D. Particular
Answers – Spelling
1. D: The correct spelling is accommodations. Both the c and the m are doubled. Think of the word commodious (convenient, roomy), from the same root.
2. A: The correct spelling is argument. The silent final e of argue is dropped in the noun form.
3. B: The correct spelling is acquitted. The original prefix is ad-, but this becomes ac- before a q to make it easier to pronounce.
4. C: The correct spelling is acceptable. A helpful mnemonic is “Accept any table you’re offered.”
5. A: The correct spelling of this word is appease (meaning to mollify, pacify, or soothe).
6. B: The correct spelling is calendars. Remember that it has one e surrounded by two as.
7. C: The correct spelling is believe. Remember this rule: “I before e, except after c.”
8. D: For this meaning, the noun should be effect. The word affect can be a transitive verb, e.g., to affect someone or something vs. having an effect. When it is a noun, affect means mood or emotional state, e.g., “The patient’s overall affect was depressed.” (When it is a verb, effect means to cause or implement, e.g., “The new president effected many changes in tax laws.”)
9. A: The correct spelling should be knew, the past tense of the irregular verb to know. The spelling new is an adjective meaning novel, recent, unfamiliar, or not old, e.g., “He bought a new car, not a used one.”
10. B: In this context, the correct spelling is wear, a verb meaning to dress in or have on the body or about the person. The spelling where is an adverb meaning in what place or direction.