The flag of Massachusetts: That motto means “Learn to spell” (Wikipedia)
Let’s face it, some words are just too goddamn hard to spell. Are there really two Rs and two Ss in embarrassed? And the fact that it’s calendar with an A but cemetery with an E just seems downright sadistic.
But thank duck that these days we’ve got autocorrect to help us out. So long as by “help us out” you mean remind us to pick up the dry cloning when we go shipping after work. And when that fails, there’s always Google.
In fact, so reliant are we nowadays on using the internet to query our patchy spelling that in 2014 Google compiled a state-by-state list of the most frequently misspelled words in the USA.
Niece apparently proved the hardest word to spell for Texans. Hawaiians showed themselves to be a colourful lot, as their most frequently misspelled word was boutineer. Californians, despite being surrounded by it, apparently had the most trouble remembering how to spell desert, while next door in Arizona people were Googling the spelling diarrhea more than any other word. It’ll be all that spicy food.
But over in Massachusetts, the most commonly misspelled word proved to be a bit of a surprise.
Two Ss. Two Ts. And a whole lot of other things going on in between. Yep, people in Massachusetts, Google discovered, misspell the name of their own state more often than any other word.
Oh, the shaaaaaame of it.