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English is not known for being an overly phonetic language. Since modern-day English is essentially a hybrid language, with Germanic roots and heavy Romance (French) influences, its spelling system builds from the spelling systems of both language families, making English spelling a real nightmare to learn. Furthermore, unlike many other languages, English doesn’t tend to modify loanwords to fit spelling conventions, often just using the native spelling. Nonetheless, there are patterns, and people do learn to spell, but these spelling patterns and the “sound it out” approach probably won’t help you spell “autochthonous,” “chiaroscurist,” and other 10-dollar words. Many of the words on the list come from Greek, German, and French (which is also famous for its unconventional spelling and scores of silent letters), with some Italian and Latin words also sprinkled around. Challenge yourself and build your vocabulary with these 25 hard-to-spell English words that will have you reaching for your dictionary.

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