Here are the 100 words most commonly misspelled (‘misspell’ is one of them). Dr. Language has provided a one-stop cure for all your spelling ills. Each word has a mnemonic pill with it and, if you swallow it, it will help you to remember how to spell the word.

Daiquiri
Don’t make yourself another daiquiri until you learn how to spell this funny word – the name of a Cuban village.
Definite(ly)
This word definitely sounds as though it ends only on -it, but it carries a silent “e” everywhere it goes.
Discipline
A little discipline, spelled with the [s] and the [c] will get you to the correct spelling of this one.
Drunkenness
You would be surprised how many sober people omit one of the [n]s in this one.
Dumbbell
Even smart people forget one of the [b]s in this one. (So be careful who you call one when you write.)
Embarrass(ment)
This one won’t embarrass you if you remember it is large enough for a double [r] AND a double [s].
Equipment
This word is misspelled “equiptment” 22,932 times on the web right now.
Exhilarate
Remembering that [h] when you spell this word will lift your spirits and if you remember both [a]s, it will be exhilarating!
Exceed
Remember that this one is -ceed, not -cede. (To exceed all expectations, master the spellings of this word, “precede” and “supersede” below.)
Existence
No word like this one spelled with an [a] is in existence. This word is a menage a quatre of one [i] with three [e]s.
Experience
Don’t experience the same problem many have with “existence” above in this word: -ence!
Fiery
The silent “e” on “fire” is also cowardly: it retreats inside the word rather than face the suffix -y.
Foreign
Here is one of several words that violate the i-before-e rule. (See “believe” above.)
Gauge
You must learn to gauge the positioning of the [a] and [u] in this word. Remember, they are in alphabetical order (though not the [e]).
Grateful
You should be grateful to know that keeping “great” out of “grateful” is great.
Guarantee
I guarantee you that this word is not spelled like “warranty” even though they are synonyms.
Harass
This word is too small for two double letters but don’t let it harass you, just keep the [r]s down to one.
Height
English reaches the height (not heighth!) of absurdity when it spells “height” and “width” so differently.
Hierarchy
The i-before-e rule works here, so what is the problem?
Humorous
Humor us and spell this word “humorous”: the [r] is so weak, it needs an [o] on both sides to hold it up.
Ignorance
Don’t show your ignorance by spelling this word -ence!
Immediate
The immediate thing to remember is that this word has a prefix, in- “not” which becomes [m] before [m] (or [b] or [p]). “Not mediate” means direct which is why “immediately” means “directly.”
Independent
Please be independent but not in your spelling of this word. It ends on -ent.
Indispensable
Knowing that this word ends on -able is indispensable to good writing.
Inoculate
This one sounds like a shot in the eye. One [n] the eye is enough.
Intelligence
Using two [l]s in this word and ending it on -ence rather than -ance are marks of…you guessed it.
ITS/IT’S
The apostrophe marks a contraction of “it is.” Something that belongs to it is “its.”
Jewelry
Sure, sure, it is made by a jeweler but the last [e] in this case flees the scene like a jewel thief. However, if you prefer British spelling, remember to double the [l]: “jeweller,” “jewellery.” (See also pronunciation)
Judgment
Traditionally, the word has been spelled judgment in all forms of the English language. However, the spelling judgement (with e added) largely replaced judgment in the United Kingdom in a non-legal context. In the context of the law, however, judgment is preferred. This spelling change contrasts with other similar spelling changes made in American English, which were rejected in the UK. In the US at least, judgment is still preferred and judgement is considered incorrect by many American style guides.
Kernel/Colonel
There is more than a kernel of truth in the claim that all the vowels in this word are [e]s. So why is the military rank (colonel) pronounced identically? English spelling can be chaotic
Leisure
Yet another violator of the i-before-e rule. You can be sure of the spelling of the last syllable but not of the pronunciation.
Liaison
Another French word throwing us an orthographic curve: a spare [i], just in case. That’s an [s], too, that sounds like a [z].
Library
It may be as enjoyable as a berry patch but that isn’t the way it is spelled. That first [r] should be pronounced, too.
License
Where does English get the license to use both its letters for the sound [s] in one word?
Lightning
Learning how to omit the [e] in this word should lighten the load of English orthography a little bit.
Maintenance
The main tenants of this word are “main” and “tenance” even though it comes from the verb “maintain.” English orthography at its most spiteful.
Maneuver
Man, the price you pay for borrowing from French is high. This one goes back to French main + oeuvre “hand-work,” a spelling better retained in the British spelling, “manoeuvre.”
Medieval
The medieval orthography of English even lays traps for you: everything about the MIDdle Ages is MEDieval or, as the British would write, mediaeval.
Memento
Why would something to remind of you of a moment be spelled “memento?” Well, it is.
Millennium
Here is another big word, large enough to hold two double consonants, double [l] and double [n].
Miniature
Since that [a] is seldom pronounced, it is seldom included in the spelling. This one is a “mini ature;” remember that.
minuscule
Since something minuscule is smaller than a miniature, shouldn’t they be spelled similarly? Less than cool, or “minus cule.”
Mischievous
This mischievous word holds two traps: [i] before [e] and [o] before [u]. Four of the five vowels in English reside here.
Misspell
What is more embarrassing than to misspell the name of the problem? Just remember that it is mis + spell and that will spell you the worry about spelling “misspell.”
Neighbor
The word “neighbor” invokes the silent “gh” as well as “ei” sounded as “a” rule. This is fraught with error potential. If you use British spelling, it will cost you
another [u]: “neighbour.”
noticeable
The [e] is noticeably retained in this word to indicate the [c] is “soft,” pronounced like [s]. Without the [e], it would be pronounced “hard,” like [k], as in “applicable.”.
Occasionally
Writers occasionally tire of doubling so many consonants and omit one, usually one of the [l]s. Don’t you ever do it.
Occurrence
Remember not only the occurrence of double double consonants in this word, but that the suffix is -ence, not -ance. No reason, just the English language keeping us on our toes.
Pastime
Since a pastime is something you do to pass the time, you would expect a double [s] here. Well, there is only one. The second [s] was slipped through the cracks in English orthography long ago.
persverance
All it takes is perseverance and you, too, can be a (near-)perfect speller. The suffix is
-ance for no reason at all.
personnel
Funny Story: The assistant Vice-President of Personnel notices that his superior, the VP himself, upon arriving at his desk in the morning opens a small, locked box, smiles, and locks it back again. Some years later when he advanced to that position (inheriting the key), he came to work early one morning to be assured of privacy. Expectantly, he opened the box. In it was a single piece of paper which said: “Two Ns, one L.”
Playwright
Those who play right are right-players, not playwrights. Well, since they write plays, they should be “play-writes,” wright, right? Rong. Wrong. Remember that a play writer in Old English was called a “play worker” and “wright” is from an old form of “work” (wrought iron, etc.)
Possession
Possession possesses more [s]s than a snake.
precede
What follows, succeeds, so what goes before should, what? No, no, no, you are using logic. Nothing confuses English spelling more than common sense. “Succeed” but “precede.” Precede combines the Latin words “pre” and “cedere” which means to go before.
principal/principle
The spelling principle to remember here is that the school principal is a prince and a pal (despite appearances) and the same applies to anything of foremost importance, such as a principal principle. A “principle” is a rule. (Thank you, Meghan Cope, for help on this one.)
privilege
According to the pronunciation (not “pronounciation”!) of this word, that middle vowel could be anything. Remember: two [i]s + two [e]s in that order.
pronunciation
Nouns often differ from the verbs they are derived from. This is one of those. In this case, the pronunciation is different, too, an important clue.
publicly
Let me publicly declare the rule (again): if the adverb comes from an adjective ending on -al, you include that ending in the adverb; if not, as here, you don’t.
questionnaire
The French doing it to us again. Double up on the [n]s in this word and don’t forget the silent [e]. Maybe someday we will spell it the English way.
receive/receipt
I hope you have received the message by now: [i] before [e] except after…
recommend
I would recommend you think of this word as the equivalent of commending all over again: re+commend. That would be recommendable.
referred
Final consonants are often doubled before suffixes (remit: remitted, remitting). However, this rule applies only to accented syllables ending on [l] and [r], e.g. “rebelled,” “referred” but “traveled,” “buffered” and not containing a diphthong, e.g. “prevailed,” “coiled.”
reference
Refer to the last mentioned word and also remember to add -ence to the end for the noun.