The 10 everyday words we can't spell

14:49 16 June 2009

A new study has found that the word Brits find most difficult to spell correctly is 'definitely'.

The 10-letter word sees many of us confusing the second 'i' with an 'a' on a regular basis.

Other words included in the poll include 'sacrilegious', which leaves people confused over whether it has an 'e' or 'i' in the middle, and 'indict', which is often misspelt as 'indite'.

'Manoeuvre' and 'bureaucracy' also confused many, thanks to their close proximity of vowels.

A spokesperson for market research company OnePoll.com, responsible for the study of 5,000 people, said: "So many of us can't seem to spell.

"Whether it is down to the structure of the word, or the frequency of use, there is no excuse not to learn how they are formed.

"And considering people judge others, yet don't like their intelligence to be judged by how well they spell, they should up their game and pick up a dictionary."

Although it didn't make the list, 90% admit to giving up trying to spell 'diarrhoea'. A third get it so wrong their PC spellchecker can't even recognise the word they're attempting to conquer.

The research also revealed that 57% judge other people on their spelling, with 42% admitting they believe people who can't spell are 'thick'. Most Britons, however, rate their spelling as 'good'.

Half of Brits admit the spell-check and auto-correcting on computers is to blame for their laziness in not checking spelling, while one in three believe that predictive text messaging and 'text speak' are to blame for terrible spelling in the real world.

Over three-quarters of the adults polled said women are generally better at spelling than men.

A spokesperson for OnePoll.com added: "It's clear the role technology is having on our lives is contributing to the downfall of our ability to spell.

"It often comes down to picking up bad habits earlier on in life which are difficult to shrug off.

"Computers and mobile phones which spell words for us have left us with a lazy attitude towards spelling."

The top 10 misspelt words

1. Definitely
2. Sacrilegious
3. Indict
4. Manoeuvre
5. Bureaucracy
6. Broccoli
7. Phlegm
8. Prejudice
9. Consensus
10. Unnecessary