Skip to main contentA logo with &quat;the muse&quat; in dark blue text.
Advice / Succeeding at Work / Work Relationships

12 Tricky Words That Sneak by Spell-Check and Leave You Looking Kinda Stupid

Spell-check is a blessing and a curse. It saves us time and energy, it stands by us when we’re tired and can’t think straight—and yet, it can still totally leave us in the dust.

For example, how many times have you accidently sent: Hi Jack, just got an email form HR about the meeting Thursday, only to realize too late that one word, just one small “from,” is misspelled.

As a writer, this pains me greatly, but it happens all the time. So lesson learned—I can’t just rely on a red squiggly line to make me look good. The next time you’re about to mass send that email or newsletter, spell check your spell-checker and look out for these tricky buggers:


Infographic courtesy of Science Editing Experts. Photo of typing courtesy of Shutterstock.