SPELLING WORDS AND TRICKY WORDS SPELLING WORDS (COMMON ERRORS) choose/chose women coming ninth piece/peace always too answer off laid twelfth its/it’s meant used to friend until receive there/they’re loose/lose which beginning their forty whose/who’s either believe know we’re/where/were truly buy didn’t tired led/lead paid Wednesday whole through/threw hoarse February Heard among already a lot does whether/weather glamour advise (verb) business practise (verb) centre recognise tonight humour frightened couldn’t advertise caught believe instead dessert/desert favourite notice realize quiet/quite among successful eligible personal recent rhyme tremendous appreciate ancient rhythm syllable definitely thorough desperate accumulate lonely necessary occurring usual fascinate embarrassing approximately usually prejudice relevant parallel determine eerie remember disappoint consequently playwright achievement weird develop horrified jewellery humorous enthusiasm particularly immediately apparently individual ladies separate disappearance similar lady’s alright (colloquial) sacred dying all right (formal) scared repetition TRICKY WORDS The Macquarie Dictionary defines the word “tricky” as characterised by deceitful or clever tricks; wily, deceptive, uncertain or ticklish to deal with or handle. Many words are not spelt the way they sound. This makes them difficult to remember. (The following material (pages 27 to 29) have been taken from the Harvey Norman WorkL OZSPELL 2002 Vocabulary Book) abattoir accumulate adamant advice aggregate alligator anachronism annul aqueduct ascendancy asthmatic awesome ballot bankruptcy barrelled berserk bluish Braille bullion bureaucracy cancellation cartography cemetery characteristic chisel cinnamon clique coincidence commiserate conceal confidante consignment controversial corridor crayfish cubicle dachshund deciduous delirious desecrate diarrhoea diminution disburse dishevelled dissent docket dutiful ecstasy electrician emphasis endorsement entrepreneur espionage align ambidextrous annihilate anxious appendicitis artichoke assent admittance bailiff accommodate acquiesce aerate balmy buccaneer caviar champagne camouflage capsicum cauliflower check cigarette clientele belligerent billet bloc boutique brochure contraceptive coronary counterfeit cruise deuce cynicism deceased delicatessen derogatory combat compatibility condescend conscientious dichotomy dungarees economic effrontery emergent encumbrance enthral erroneous exasperate distillery excruciating disapproval discrete arguable asphyxiation attitude advise bachelor abyss acoustics anomaly aisle alternate ancestry apparel brooch catastrophe battalion besiege chronic clairvoyance baritone blasphemy borne breathalyser census chasm calibre capillary casal customary debauchery defuse depth conspicuous colonel commuter concession connivance cooperative councillor crocodile dessert different ensconce epilogue euthanasia dissipation exclamation disadvantageous discourteous disparage employee doubt eccentric effect abscess accustomed additional apartheid aghast allotment analogous adolescent arc ascent atheist awful catalogue banquet ceiling channel bodily breach bunion byword cantaloupe cassette benefit bivouac chloroform circuitous cocoa collaborate commissionaire conceit congeal devise convalescent corrugated crèche cuisine dahlia decrease demarcation consensus dilapidated dinghy discernible disillusion eminent doggerel dynamite eczema elicit distraught endue envelope estrange alleged ambiguous annotate autumn appraise artisan assimilate anonymous ballistics accompaniment acreage afforestation bandanna buffalo bazaar bias campaign caress caulk cherish cinch climactic centigram buoy bludgeon boycott coercion contradictory correspondence courteous cryptic dexterity cyst deceive delinquent descendant commemorate compliments confetti detachable dilettante duress ecotourism eisteddfod dissolute encyclopaedia enthusiasm escalator exceed enamel exhilarate disbelief discrimination armful assassin automatic adze baggage accessible acquaintance advantageous albuminous amateur anemone appearance brusque catechism cellophane chaos chrysanthemum claustrophobia barmy bleary bourgeoisie broccoli bequeath chauffeur calliper capitalist consumer cynic debonair deign dermatitis diabetes colossal comparative concurrently connoisseur corduroy counsellor croupier conservation dumbfound ensure epitome exaggerate emissary excommunication disagreement discreet disperse disuse draughty ecclesiastic effervesce abysmal achieve adequate appalled aide almond analysis antithesis architectural asphalt atrocious awkward catarrh barbecue beguiling bigamy bombardier breadth cautious caffeine canyon castanets centipede bizarre choir civilian curriculum colleague committal conceive conjunctivitis diagnosis convolvulus cosmopolitan criterion curable damage definite denunciation deterrent enrolment diphtheria discipline disinfectant dissuade domicile dysentery eerie elude enclosure enforce environmentalism etiquette excel exorbitant expurgate feign filigree fluoride forensic forfeit frequency funnel gazetteer gilt-edged gravel gruesome guitar harass heinous holiday hurricane idiosyncratic illiterate immemorial impervious inadmissible incredulous index inefficiency infatuated ingredient innuendo interview irrespective jaguar jugular knack knowledgeable labyrinth laundry lengthwise liege linguistics luggage lustre malignant manual marvel mediocre meteorology miniature mnemonic narcissus nonchalant obedient occupation ophthalmology ounce pacifist pantomime participle dispossess drought foe garrulous giddy gluttonous gnome grammar grizzly guild handkerchief hearse fraud fumigate farcical fierce fluent incommunicado initial incongruous imbued independence indubitable inequity install interpretation investor hijack honorary hypotenuse impeccable lascivious ledger licence lonely lumbar irreparable its maintenance mannequin marriage maudlin irascible jubilee khaki kiosk niece nuisance obsolete onward nationality overwrought panic paroxysm peculiar mechanic metamorphosis millionaire mispronunciation embarkation engineer gnarled habitual havoc herbaceous extrovert fortieth fuchsia fallacious fiasco flammable gregarious guarantor gangrene gesticulate glimpse influenza hyphen insincere indefatigable intermittent intuitive hideous illegible immoral impromptu incessant inhabitant innumerate intoxicate irrevocable magician mandolin massacre inward lackadaisical lazy journalist karate kilogram mayonnaise laboratory lewd lineage liveliness overrate pamphlet paraphernalia passenger naughtiness meringue milieu mischievous mortgage neurotic novelist obscene octogenarian dissatisfy exorcist extinguish ferocious finesse hereditary foretell grandeur grotesque furniture genealogy gimmick freedom fabulous guttural hatred heir holocaust initiative idyllic interference immigrant impetuous inappropriate institution indict ineligible inflammation horticulture hysterical indignant laudable jeopardy juvenile knave kowtow irreplaceable macaroon leopard lieutenant liquefy negligence lyrics malnutrition marauder marzipan memento microphone miraculously model nausea nostalgia obituary occupy ornithology outlying palaeography paradise partisan embarrass dubious foliage gateau gigantic inaccurate gorgeous fortuitous fugitive guillotine happiness heifer grieve fungus fascinate filial florescent inconceivable hypnosis incorrigible imitation independent indulge inexcusable illiterate interrogation inveterate hilarious inhibition inquiry impel irritable legible licensee loquacious luminous languor jacket malaise mantelpiece marshal osteopath iridescent juggernaut kibbutz kitchen ninetieth nutrient obstreperous ophthalmic necessity ozone panorama parsimonious pendant medallist meteorological mineralogical misspell dissect enough gnat halcyon headache inequality foreword gratitude growth familiar fiend flippant freight guardian garrison ghetto glorious ingenuous innocuous insomnia indefinite internment inveigle hi-fi indebted impasse involuntary incognito humorous icicle indistinguishable launch magnificent manikin matt iodine irresistible leather jubilant kerosene kilometre meagre laburnum liaison lingerie loathe override panegyric parcel pattern per cent messenger millimetre mishap mould neutral nucleus obsequious ominous embitter explanation extraordinary feud flamboyant heroism graffiti frailty fulfilment fuselage genuine glamorous grisly facsimile gymkhana haughty helicopter homogeneous hypocrisy ignominious intermediate imminent impresario inaugural intelligentsia indictment invulnerable inflationary iniquitous inseparable intrigue itinerary jodhpurs kaleidoscope knick-knack label laryngitis maelstrom leprechaun likelihood liveable negotiate irrelevant manageable kidnapper masonry memory migraine miscellaneous mongrel piteous notoriety oblivious occurrence oscillate overall pallor paralysis partner penicillin perjury petroleum physique poignant portray precipice prerogative priest prologue prominent prospective psychiatry quadruped rabies raze recruitment reign removal reservoir resuscitate rhubarb roulette sacrilegious scaffolding seasonal serenade sheriff sinuous sleigh sociable spaniel spiritualism squeal statutory straitjacket stylus succeed superficial susceptible taciturn teenager terrorist thresh tomorrow tranquil treaty tryst tyranny unguarded upward veneer viable virus wagon weird wields wondrous xylophone moustache plebeian pornography precede proportion prowess purpose quieten raffle receipt perceptible pessimism phosphorescent preference presumably profession redundant reiterate rendezvous repetitive reunion ridiculous royalty salad scathing secondary serrated shriek sirloin sleuth solemn spatula spontaneity squirrel steadfast strategic subconscious successor superintendent sustenance talent teetotaller tetanus throughout tonsillitis transcend tremor tuition ultimate universally utterly venomous vicious viscount walnut wharf willy-nilly worship yoghurt multitude propellent provisional pumice personnel phial pillar presence privacy receptacle placebo pomegranate potatoes quarantine racket reasonable reflection relatives renewal resignation revenue rigor mortis rucksacks salmon sceptre secretarial serviette siege sizeable slothful solicitor speciality sprightly staccato sterile streak sublieutenant succulent supersede swivel tangerine temperamental theorem thwart tortuous transferable tribunal turquoise unanimous unnecessary vaccinate ventriloquist victorious vivacious wanderer wherever wintry wrath yoyo murderous pernicious pharmacy picturesque politician posse precocious quiz raisins recipe promotion protagonist psychological preliminary prevalent proffer refrigerator relevant reopen resistance revival rissoles ruffian sanatorium schooner secretive sewerage sigh skeleton sluice sombre specious spurious stalwart stifling strenuous subpoena sudden superstitious sympathy tariff temptation therapeutic timbre toughen transmitter tripod twelfth underdeveloped unremitting vain vermilion vigorous vociferous warmth whether withdrawal wreckage zoological mutual plough portable precedent prosaic pseudonym pursuit presidency privilege recognition perilous petal phosphorus quarrelsome racquet rebate registrar relieve repentant resourceful rhapsody rivets rummage sanctuary scissors sedentary sexual silhouette skilful smithereens sometimes spectre squalor startling stirrup strychnine subsidence sufferance supervisor syndicate tassel tendency thermostat titillate tourniquet trapeze troop twilight underprivileged until vandalism versatile village volcanoes warrior whiting witticism wretched mysterious prophecy provocation punish perturb phlegm piquant quotient rapturous recompense plaque populous practitioner premonition preventable prohibitive regrettable remember reprisal restaurant rhetorical roguish sabotage sanitary scruples sensible shanty simpleton skilled smuggling sophisticated spherical squat statistics stoicism studious substitute suffocate surroundings synthetic taxi terrace thief title towelling traveller troublesome typhoon undoubted unwieldy variegated vertebrate virtual voluntary wearisome wholesome woebegone writhe mythical persistence pharynx pigeon poltergeist possibility predilection prestige procession reconnaissance propaganda prove psychology query radical recalcitrant rehabilitation reminiscence repugnant restoration rhinoceros rotation sacrifice satisfactory scurrilous sentimental she-oaks simultaneous slaughter sobriety sovereign spicy squawk stature storage stupor subtle suicide surveyor syrup technological terrify thoroughfare toboggan tragic treasury truism typist unequalled uppermost vegetarian veterinary vindictive voyage weight whom womb wrongdoer