Top 3 Most Misspelled Words

1. Definitely
2. Beginning
3. Woman

These are the three words I see most commonly misspelled in my students' work. This post is not so much a connection as a query: Why? Why are these three words so impossible to spell? Let us consider each one:

Definitely makes sense to misspell because we pronounce the word 'definately' and so it follows that 'definately' is how I see it misspelled most often. Sometimes it is spelled 'defiantly' which always makes me chuckle because defiantly has its own definition and can sometimes cause a normal sentence to suddenly become rather funny.

Now beginning, it seems to me, is a word that students most commonly want to shorten to 'begging.' The second 'n' is also frequently forgotten, 'begining.'

The third most misspelled word is not necessarily a misspelling as an inappropriate pluralization of the word. Woman implies one, while women implies many. I am a woman. My mother, sister and I are women. I can not begin to count the number of times woman/women are misused particularly on in-class essays.

And because no one is a perfect speller...

My own most commonly misspelled words:
1. separate
2. piece
3. Effect/Affect

I often write 'seperate'... I remember this now by saying "there's a rat in separate." Piece - well, I just misspelled it as I was typing this. Finally, the difference between effect/affect still alludes me sometimes.

Question: What are your 3 most commonly misspelled words?