Commonly Misspelled Words in PSLE English
Spelling errors are one of the most preventable ways students lose marks in PSLE English
In Paper 1, spelling falls under Language Accuracy, which carries 15 out of 40 marks in the composition component. In Paper 2, a misspelled answer in the Cloze Passage costs 1 mark per blank (out of 15), while a spelling error in Editing can cost the full 2 marks for that sentence (out of 10). Even in Comprehension Open-Ended responses, misspelling a key term risks losing the mark entirely. This shows how strong ideas and content will only go so far, accurate spelling is what secures the marks.
This guide covers the most commonly misspelled words for PSLE English, organised by category, with the common wrong versions students write and memory tricks to make correct spellings stick. This is a practical reference for tackling commonly misspelled words PSLE students encounter across all components.
By the end, there are grouped word lists, mnemonics for the most commonly misspelled words, and a printable cheat sheet for quick revision.
The Most Commonly Misspelled Words (Master List)
Here is a curated list of 50+ most commonly misspelled words for primary school and PSLE. This commonly misspelled words list is grouped into four categories to make revision focused and manageable.
Everyday Commonly Misspelled Words
These are commonly misspelled words that appear in everyday writing and compositions. It’s a good idea to start memorising them from Primary 1 English tuition onwards, to get the basics down.
| Correct Spelling | Common Error | Memory Trick |
| separate | seperate | There is "a rat" in separate. Spot both A's. |
| receive | recieve | E before I after C — receive follows the "c rule". |
| definitely | definately | Definitely has "finite" inside it, definitely. |
| necessary | neccessary | One collar, two socks. One C, two S's. |
| occurrence | occurence | It occurs twice — double C, double R. |
| beginning | begining | Double the N before -ing — beginning. |
| embarrass | embarass | Double R, double S — it's doubly embarrassing. |
| argument | arguement | Argue loses its E when it becomes argument. |
| accommodation | accomodation | Double C, double M — the hotel has two C's and two M's. |
| until | untill | One L is enough — until has just one. |
| across | accross | One C, one S — a straightforward cross. |
| friend | freind | Fri-end: fri is at the FRI-end of the week. |
| believe | beleive | Never believe a LIE, believe. |
| beautiful | beautifull | Drop the extra L. Beautiful has only one. |
Academic and PSLE Commonly Misspelled Words
These are commonly misspelled words that appear in comprehension passages, formal writing tasks, and structured questions. Getting these right demonstrates strong academic vocabulary.
| Correct Spelling | Common Error | Memory Trick |
| environment | enviroment | There is IRON in the envIRONment. |
| government | goverment | Govern + ment — governments govern. |
| knowledge | knowlegde | Know + ledge — you know the ledge you stand on. |
| library | libary | Lib-R-A-R-Y — say each letter; don't skip the first R. |
| February | Febuary | Feb-RU-ary — say the R clearly every time. |
| diarrhoea | diarrhea / diaroea | DIAbolically Revolting, Really Horrible, Oh Extremely Awful. |
| possession | posession | Four S's in poSSeSsion — it possesses many S's. |
| parliament | parliment | There's a LIA in parliament — don't drop it. |
| conscience | concience | Sci-ENCE is part of conscience. |
| medicine | medicene | Med + i + cine — no E after the C. |
| privilege | priviledge | No D in privilege — priv + i + lege. |
| discipline | dicipline | Dis + C + I + pline — the C comes right after dis. |
| colleague | collegue | Col + league — a colleague is in your league. |
| pronunciation | pronounciation | Pronounce → pronunciation — the O disappears. |
Sound‑Alike Commonly Misspelled Words
These are among the most commonly misspelled words because they sound identical or similar but carry entirely different meanings. Primary 5 English tuition is a good point to start decoupling them, and guidance from a qualified tutor can help with that.
| Pair | Meaning Note | Example Sentence |
| lose / loose | To be defeated / not tight | She did not want to lose her loose bracelet. |
| their / there / they're | Ownership / place / they are | They're going to their school over there. |
| accept / except | To receive / excluding | Everyone could accept the award except him. |
| advice / advise | Noun / verb | She gave good advice and advised him carefully. |
| stationary / stationery | Not moving / writing materials | The stationery stall stood stationary in the hall. |
| affect / effect | Verb / noun (usually) | The rain will affect the match; the effect was a delay. |
| passed / past | Went by / noun or adjective | He passed the past exam papers to his sister. |
| principal / principle | Head of school / rule or belief | The principal upheld the principle of fairness. |
| complement / compliment | To complete / to praise | Her scarf complemented her dress; he gave her a compliment. |
| dessert / desert | Post-meal snack / dry land | She dreamt of dessert while trekking through the desert. |
Tricky Spellings & Silent Letter Words
Silent letters make these words especially easy to misspell.
| Correct Spelling | Common Error | Memory Trick |
| Wednesday | Wednessday / Wendsday | Say "Wed-NES-day" in your head every time. |
| knowledge | knowlege | Know + ledge — you know the ledge. |
| muscle | mussel / muscal | The C is silent but it's always there — muscle. |
| island | iland | An island has an S — island. |
| doubt | dout | There is a B in doubt — don't doubt the B. |
| receipt | reciept | After C, E before I — receipt. |
| knight | nite / kight | The K and GH are both silent — write them anyway. |
| thumb | thum | The B is silent, but it's there — thumb. |
| foreign | foriegn | There is a REIGN in foreign. |
| answer | anser | The W hides quietly inside — answer. |
| scissors | sissors / scizzors | Start with the SC — scissors. |
| whole | hole | W + hole — a whole is more than just a hole. |
Commonly Misspelled Words for PSLE Editing & Cloze
Paper 2 is where spelling errors are most directly penalised. In Editing, each sentence carries 2 marks — a misspelling costs the entire question. In Cloze Comprehension, each blank is worth 1 mark, and a misspelled answer is marked wrong regardless of whether the right word was intended.
The following is a top 20 quick-list to revise before Paper 2. These are high-frequency words where common misspelling errors appear most often:
- separate
- receive
- necessary
- occurrence
- definitely
- environment
- government
- embarrass
- possession
- conscience
- knowledge
- library
- privilege
- beginning
- accommodation
- medicine
- February
- discipline
- argument
- principal
Memory Tricks for Commonly Misspelled Words
Mnemonics are among the most effective tools for locking in tricky spellings. Primary 4 English tuition can help lock them in early.
| Word | Wrong Version | Mnemonic |
| necessary | neccessary | One Collar, Two Sleeves — 1 C, 2 S's |
| separate | seperate | There's a RAT in separate |
| embarrass | embarass | Double R, double S — doubly embarrassing |
| occurrence | occurence | It occurred twice — double C, double R |
| receive | recieve | After C, E before I |
| privilege | priviledge | No D in privilege — it's a right, not a ledge |
| diarrhoea | diarrhea | DIAbolically Revolting, Really Horrible, Oh Extremely Awful |
| conscience | concience | There's SCIENCE in conscience |
| February | Febuary | Say Feb-RU-ary — don't swallow the R |
| Wednesday | Wednessday | Say Wed-NES-day out loud, every time |
Commonly Misspelled Words List (Quick Revision)
Use this commonly misspelled words list as a printable cheat sheet for weekly practice or last-minute revision before the exam.
| Correct Spelling |
| separate |
| receive |
| necessary |
| definitely |
| occurrence |
| embarrass |
| beginning |
| argument |
| accommodation |
| until |
| across |
| friend |
| believe |
| beautiful |
| environment |
| government |
| knowledge |
| library |
| February |
| diarrhoea |
| possession |
| parliament |
| conscience |
| medicine |
| privilege |
| discipline |
| colleague |
| pronunciation |
| Wednesday |
| muscle |
| island |
| doubt |
| receipt |
| foreign |
| answer |
| scissors |
| whole |
| lose / loose |
| affect / effect |
| principal / principle |
How to Practise Spelling for PSLE English
Knowing the list is only the start. Here is how to make that knowledge exam-ready:
Daily Five-Word Quiz:
- Pick five words from the list each day and get tested orally. Write each word, check it, and rewrite any that were wrong three times. Four to six weeks of this will cover the entire list.
- Rewrite Sentences with Target Words: Do not copy the word in isolation. Write a full sentence using each target word correctly, then check both the spelling and the usage. This trains recall of the correct form under real writing conditions.
- Past Paper Editing Practice: PSLE Paper 2 Editing passages are a reliable source of high-frequency errors. Work through past years' papers and identify every spelling-related mistake — both the deliberate errors in the question and any introduced in the answers.
- Use Target Words in Compositions: Actively include two or three words from the weekly spelling list in the next composition. Using a word in context makes it stick far more effectively than passive reading.
At illum.e, the Primary English Tuition programme integrates spelling, vocabulary, and grammar practice into every lesson. Tutors provide personalised feedback, identifying each student's specific spelling blind spots well before exam day.
Master these words, build the habits, and spelling will not hold you back in PSLE — it will be one of your strongest advantages.