60 of the Hardest Words to Spell in the English Language

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English language teacher Ronnie Ramos lists some of the most complicated words in English

Co-authored by Ronnie Ramos and Aly Rusciano

Last Updated: December 19, 2025 Fact Checked

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Level 1 (Easy)

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Level 2 (Intermediate)

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Level 3 (Advanced)

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Why are English words so hard to spell?

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So you want to test your spelling knowledge! Maybe you’re entering a spelling bee at school or simply want to quiz or impress your friends. Either way, you’ve come to the right place! We’ve compiled a list of the most commonly misspelled words in the English language. The list is categorized into levels, from Level 1 (the least challenging) to Level 3 (the most challenging). See if you have what it takes to master all three and become a spelling champion!

Tough Words to Spell

English language teacher Ronnie Ramos says some of the hardest words to spell are those that are spelled differently than they're pronounced. Here are some examples of tricky words:

Accommodate: to provide with a place to live or to be stored in (Latin)
Conscientious: putting a lot of effort into your work (French)
Fuchsia: a small plant that has red, purple, or white flowers (Latin)
Minuscule: extremely small (French)
Nauseous: feeling as if you might vomit (Latin)

Section 1 of 4:

Hard Words to Spell: Level 1

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These words are tricky to spell, but not too difficult. Want to impress your friends but don’t want to try too hard? Well, these words are perfect for that! The words below are hard to spell (and even pronounce), but they’re not too tricky to memorize.
- Accessory (/əkˈses.ər.i/): something added to a machine or to clothing that has a useful or decorative purpose (Latin)^{[1]
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- Accommodate (/əˈkɑː.mə.deɪt/): to provide with a place to live or to be stored in (Latin)^{[2]
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- Broccoli (/ˈbrɑː.kəl.i/): a vegetable with a green stem and a mass of flower buds on top (Italian)^{[3]
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- Conscious (/ˈkɑːn.ʃəs/): to notice that a particular thing exists or is present (Latin)^{[4]
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- Embarrass (/ɪmˈber.əs/): to cause someone to feel nervous, worried, or uncomfortable (French)^{[5]
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- Intelligence (/ɪnˈtel.ə.dʒəns/): the ability to learn, understand, and make judgments (French)^{[6]
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- Lightning (/ˈlaɪt.nɪŋ/): a flash of bright light in the sky (English)^{[7]
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- Misspell (/ˌmɪsˈspel/): to fail to spell a word correctly (French)^{[8]
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- Narcissistic (/ˌnɑːr.səˈsɪs.tɪk/): having too much interest in and admiration for yourself (German)^{[9]
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- Nauseous (/ˈnɑː.ʃəs/): feeling as if you might vomit (Latin)^{[10]
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- Necessary (/ˈnes.ə.ser.i/): needed in order to achieve a particular result (French)^{[11]
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- Occasion (/əˈkeɪ.ʒən/): a particular time, especially when something happens or has happened (Latin)^{[12]
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- Playwright (/ˈpleɪ.raɪt/): a person who writes plays (English)^{[13]
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- Rhythm (/ˈrɪð.əm/): a strong pattern of sounds, words, or musical notes (French)^{[14]
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- Separate (/ˈsep.ɚ.ət/): existing or happening independently (Latin)^{[15]
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- Spaghetti (/spəˈɡet̬.i/): pasta made in the form of long, thin strings (Italian)^{[16]
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- Vacuum (/ˈvæk.juːm/): a space for which most or all of the matter has been removed (Latin)^{[17]
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- Weird (/wɪrd/): very strange or unusual (English)^{[18]
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- Zucchini (/zuːˈkiː.ni/): a long, thin vegetable with a dark green skin (Italian)^{[19]
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Need some extra help learning how to spell? No problem! Take a look at this spelling guide for tips on how to spell words more quickly.

Section 2 of 4:

Hard Words to Spell: Level 2

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These words are quite challenging to spell. So, you’ve mastered all of the words in level 1—amazing! Now, can you pass level 2? These words are slightly more difficult to spell because of their curious pronunciations:
- Asthma (/ˈæz.mə/): a medical condition that makes breathing difficult (Latin)^{[20]
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- Bologna (/bəˈloʊ.ni/): a cooked, smoked sausage that is sliced and eaten cold (Latin)^{[21]
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- Bourbon (/ˈbɝː.bən/): a type of American whiskey (English)^{[22]
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- Charcuterie (/ʃɑːrˈkuː.t̬ər.i/): cold cooked or preserved meat (French)^{[23]
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- Colonel (/ˈkɝː.nəl/): an officer of high rank in the army or air force (French)^{[24]
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- Dilate (/ˈdaɪ.leɪt/): to become wider or farther open (Latin)^{[25]
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- Entrepreneur (/ˌɑːn.trə.prəˈnɝː/): someone who starts their own business (French)^{[26]
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- Epitome (/ɪˈpɪt̬.ə.mi/): the typical or highest example of a stated quality (French)^{[27]
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- Fuchsia (/ˈfjuː.ʃə/): a small plant that has red, purple, or white flowers (Latin)^{[28]
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- Gnaw (/nɑː/): to bite or chew something repeatedly (English)^{[29]
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- Handkerchief (/ˈhæŋ.kɚ.tʃiːf/): a square piece of cloth used for cleaning the nose (English)^{[30]
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- Indict (/ɪnˈdaɪt/): to accuse someone officially of a crime (French)^{[31]
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- Ingenious (/ɪnˈdʒiː.ni.əs/): very intelligent and skillful (French)^{[32]
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- Lesion (/ˈliː.ʒən/): an injury to a person’s body (French)^{[33]
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- Liquefy (/ˈlɪk.wə.faɪ/): to cause a gas or a solid to change into a liquid form (French)^{[34]
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- Minuscule (/ˈmɪn.ə.skjuːl/): extremely small (French)^{[35]
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- Mischievous (/ˈmɪs.tʃə.vəs/): behaving in a way that is slightly bad but not intended to cause harm (French)^{[36]
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- Paradigm (/ˈper.ə.daɪm/): a model of something (Latin)^{[37]
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- Pharaoh (/ˈfer.oʊ/): a king of ancient Egypt (Latin)^{[38]
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- Phlegm (/flem/): a thick substance in the nose and throat (French)^{[39]
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- Pneumonia (/nuːˈmoʊ.njə/): a serious illness in which one or both lungs become red and swollen (Latin)^{[40]
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- Pronunciation (/prəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/): how words are spoken (French)^{[41]
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- Sherbet (/ˈʃɝː.bət/): a sweet food similar to ice cream made mostly of fruit (Turkish)^{[42]
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Section 3 of 4:

Hard Words to Spell: Level 3

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These words are the hardest words to spell in the English dictionary! So, you’ve learned all the words in level 1 and level 2. We applaud you! That’s no easy feat. And here comes your final challenge: level 3. The words below are the most challenging words to spell and pronounce in the English language. If you master these, you’ll be a spelling pro!
- Acquiesce (/ˌæk.wiˈes/): to accept or agree to something unwillingly (French)^{[43]
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- Bouillabaisse (/ˌbuː.jəˈbes/): a thick soup made from fish, vegetables, and spices (French)^{[44]
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- Bourgeois (/ˈbʊrʒ.wɑː/): belonging to or typical of the middle class (French)^{[45]
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- Bureaucracy (/bjʊˈrɑː.krə.si/): a system for controlling or managing a country, company, or organization (French)^{[46]
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- Caricaturist (/ˌker.ə.kəˈtʃʊr.ɪst/): a person who creates caricatures (French)^{[47]
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- Connoisseur (/ˌkɑː.nəˈsɝː/): a person who knows a lot about and enjoys the arts (French)^{[48]
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- Conscientious (/ˌkɑːn.ʃiˈen.ʃəs/): putting a lot of effort into your work (French)^{[49]
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- Gobbledegook (/ˈɡɑː.bəl.di.ɡuːk/): language that seems difficult or means nothing (English)^{[50]
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- Gubernatorial (/ˌɡuː.bɚ.nəˈtɔːr.i.əl/): relating to a governor (Latin)^{[51]
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- Hors d’oeuvre (/ˌɔːr ˈdɝːv/): a small savory dish eaten at the start of a meal (French)^{[52]
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- Logorrhea (/ˌlɑːɡ.əˈriː.ə/): speaking loudly, quickly, and a lot (Greek)^{[53]
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- Maneuver (/məˈnuː.vɚ/): a planned action that is intended to get an advantage (French)^{[54]
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- Onomatopoeia (/ˌɑː.noʊˌmæt̬.oʊˈpiː.ə/): the act of creating or using words that include sounds that are similar to noise (Latin)^{[55]
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- Orangutan (/ɔːˈræŋ.ə.tæn/): a large ape with reddish-brown hair and long arms (French)^{[56]
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- Otorhinolaryngologist (/ˌoʊ.t̬oʊ.raɪ.noʊ.ler.ɪŋˈɡɑː.lə.dʒɪst/): a doctor who studies or treats diseases of the ear, nose, and throat (Greek)^{[57]
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- Paraphernalia (/ˌper.ə.fɚˈneɪl.jə/): all the objects needed for or connected with an activity (Latin)^{[58]
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- Sacrilege (/ˈsæk.rə.lɪdʒ/): treating something holy or important without respect (French^{[59]
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- Sesquipedalian (/ˌses.kwə.pəˈdeɪl.jən/): a long word (Latin)^{[60]
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Section 4 of 4:

Why are English words so hard to spell?

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1
There are more possible spellings and pronunciations than there are ways to read words. In the English language, there are 26 letters and 45 sounds, with more than 250 ways to spell those sounds! Because of this, spelling can get tricky, as many words have hidden letters or complicated letter combinations.^{[61]
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Research source} As certified accent specialist Amanda Boyce explains, “English is non-phonetic. Unless you know the phonetic alphabet, it’s quite tricky to remember all the rules and try to pronounce things when you don’t know how they’re written.”^{[62]
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Expert Source

Amanda Boyce
Certified Accent Specialist

Expert Interview}
- For example, the /j/ sound can be spelled as J, G, or DGE, and the sound of /sh/ can be spelled with SH, CH, TI, CI, SSI, SI, C, T, and S.
- All in all, you can’t always tell the spelling of a word based on how it’s said. For instance, the letters D, N, and E are silent in “Wednesday,” which is why the word is often misspelled.^{[63]
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Want more information on common spelling mistakes? Check out this article to learn about basic English spelling rules!
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Lots of English words have been borrowed from other languages. The English language is a melting pot full of words from other cultures and languages. Because of this, not every word in English follows exact rules. This can make it harder to learn how to spell words.^{[64]
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- For instance, “chauffeur” is a French word, and its combination of vowels can be confusing to spell and pronounce.