SSC Spelling Correction Questions with Answers and Common Mistakes

Spelling Correction (also called Misspelt Words) questions appear in the English section of SSC CGL, CHSL, MTS and GD. You are given four spellings of a word and must pick the correct one, or pick the wrongly spelt word in a group. One or two such questions come in most shifts, and the same words repeat often. This practice paper gives you a list of 36 commonly misspelt words and 30 practice questions with answers.

Practice Paper at a Glance

What Are Spelling Correction Questions? Basic Concept in Simple Words

In a spelling question, only one spelling of a word is correct and the others have a small mistake, such as a missing double letter, a swapped "ie" and "ei" or a wrong vowel. You have to spot the correct spelling by remembering patterns.

• Most mistakes are in double letters (accommodation, occurrence), vowel pairs (receive, believe) and silent letters (knowledge, rhythm).
• The exam usually uses words from daily English, so learning the common list gives quick marks.
• Reading regularly improves your sense of the correct spelling.

Commonly Misspelt Words and Spelling Rules

• i before e, except after c: believe, achieve, but receive, ceiling, deceive. Exceptions include weird, foreign, height and seize.
• Double letters: accommodation (double c and double m), committee (double m and double t), occurrence (double c and double r), embarrass (double r and double s), necessary (one c and double s).
• Silent letters: knowledge (k and d), rhythm (h), twelfth (f), government (n), library (r).
• -ance and -ence: maintenance, existence, independence, but acceptance and performance.
• -ible and -able: possible, responsible, flexible, but acceptable and comfortable.
• Learn by chunks: Sep-a-rate (there is "a rat" in separate), Nec-es-sary (one collar and two sleeves: one c and two s).

Set 1: Common Misspelt Words (Basic) (Q1–Q10)

Q1. Find the correctly spelt word: Recieve, Receive, Receve, Reciave.
Answer: Receive
Solution: Remember "i before e, except after c".

Q2. Find the correctly spelt word: Seperate, Separate, Separete, Seprate.
Answer: Separate
Trick: There is "a rat" in separate.

Q3. Find the correctly spelt word: Neccessary, Necesary, Necessary, Necassary.
Answer: Necessary
Solution: One c and two s.

Q4. Find the correctly spelt word: Accomodation, Acommodation, Accommodation, Acomodation.
Answer: Accommodation
Solution: Double c and double m.

Q5. Find the correctly spelt word: Definately, Definitely, Defenitely, Definitly.
Answer: Definitely
Solution: The word comes from "finite", so it has "ite" in the middle.

Q6. Find the correctly spelt word: Goverment, Govarnment, Government, Governmant.
Answer: Government
Solution: Do not forget the n before ment.

Q7. Find the correctly spelt word: Enviroment, Environment, Envirnoment, Enviornment.
Answer: Environment
Solution: The word is made of "environ" + "ment".

Q8. Find the correctly spelt word: Begining, Beginning, Beginnning, Beggining.
Answer: Beginning
Solution: The n is doubled when adding -ing to "begin".

Q9. Find the correctly spelt word: Beleive, Believe, Belive, Beleve.
Answer: Believe
Solution: The "ie" comes after l.

Q10. Find the correctly spelt word: Calender, Calandar, Calendar, Calendre.
Answer: Calendar
Solution: Ends with -ar.

Set 2: Double Letters and Silent Letters (Q11–Q20)

Q11. Find the correctly spelt word: Commitee, Comittee, Committee, Committe.
Answer: Committee
Solution: Double m, double t and double e.

Q12. Find the correctly spelt word: Ocasion, Occassion, Occasion, Occacion.
Answer: Occasion
Solution: Double c and one s.

Q13. Find the correctly spelt word: Embarass, Embarrass, Embarras, Embaras.
Answer: Embarrass
Solution: Double r and double s.

Q14. Find the correctly spelt word: Libary, Library, Librery, Liberary.
Answer: Library
Solution: Do not skip the first r.

Q15. Find the correctly spelt word: Hieght, Height, Heigth, Hight.
Answer: Height
Solution: Ends with -ght (an exception to the "ie" rule).

Q16. Find the correctly spelt word: Priviledge, Privilege, Privelege, Privilage.
Answer: Privilege
Solution: No d in the middle.

Q17. Find the correctly spelt word: Pronounciation, Pronunciation, Pronunciasion, Pronuncation.
Answer: Pronunciation
Trick: It is not spelt like the verb "pronounce" (no "ou").

Q18. Find the correctly spelt word: Restaurant, Restarant, Resturant, Restraunt.
Answer: Restaurant
Solution: The word has "aur" in the middle.

Q19. Find the correctly spelt word: Rythm, Rhythm, Rhythem, Rhythim.
Answer: Rhythm
Solution: Two h letters and no vowels except y.

Q20. Find the correctly spelt word: Maintainance, Maintenence, Maintenance, Maintanence.
Answer: Maintenance
Solution: The noun is "maintenance" (from maintain, with -ten-).

Set 3: Exam-Level Misspelt Words (Q21–Q30)

Q21. Find the correctly spelt word: Independant, Indepandent, Independent, Indipendent.
Answer: Independent
Solution: Ends with -ent.

Q22. Find the correctly spelt word: Mischievious, Mischievous, Mischivous, Mischeivous.
Answer: Mischievous
Trick: Only three syllables: mis-chie-vous.

Q23. Find the correctly spelt word: Questionaire, Questionnare, Questionnaire, Quesionnaire.
Answer: Questionnaire
Solution: Double n.

Q24. Find the correctly spelt word: Wierd, Weird, Wired, Weerd.
Answer: Weird
Solution: "Weird" is an exception to the "i before e" rule.

Q25. Find the correctly spelt word: Vaccum, Vacum, Vacuum, Vaccuum.
Answer: Vacuum
Solution: One c and double u.

Q26. Find the correctly spelt word: Foriegn, Foreign, Foreing, Forein.
Answer: Foreign
Solution: "Foreign" is an exception to the "i before e" rule.

Q27. Find the correctly spelt word: Garantee, Guarantee, Gaurantee, Guarentee.
Answer: Guarantee
Solution: Starts with gua- and ends with -antee.

Q28. Find the correctly spelt word: Occurence, Ocurrence, Occurrence, Occurance.
Answer: Occurrence
Solution: Double c and double r.

Q29. Find the correctly spelt word: Twelth, Twelfth, Twelvth, Tweflth.
Answer: Twelfth
Solution: Do not drop the f.

Q30. Find the correctly spelt word: Millenium, Milennium, Millennium, Millenniem.
Answer: Millennium
Solution: Double l and double n.

Common Mistakes in Spelling Questions

• Writing "ei" instead of "ie" (or the opposite) without checking the rule.
• Missing double letters in words like accommodation, committee and occurrence.
• Adding extra letters, such as writing "mischievious" instead of "mischievous".
• Dropping silent letters (the f in twelfth, the h in rhythm).
• Confusing -ance and -ence endings (maintenance, independence).
• Spelling a word as it sounds, which does not work for English.

How to Practice These 30 Questions

1. Learn five words a day from the table and write each of them three times.
2. Use memory tricks (a rat in separate, one collar and two sleeves in necessary).
3. Cover the right column of the table and test yourself.
4. Solve each set in 5 minutes and mark the words you missed.
5. Revise the missed words after one day, one week and one month.

Related Topics to Study Next

• SSC Synonyms and Antonyms Questions
• One Word Substitution
• Idioms and Phrases
• SSC Error Detection Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

What are spelling correction questions in SSC exams?

They are questions in which you pick the correctly spelt word from four options, or find the wrongly spelt word in a group of words.

How many spelling questions come in SSC exams?

Usually one or two spelling or misspelt word questions come in the English section of SSC CGL, CHSL and MTS.

What is the "i before e" rule?

The rule says "i before e, except after c", as in believe and receive. There are exceptions such as weird, foreign, height and seize.

How can I remember the spelling of "separate"?

Remember that there is "a rat" in separate (sep-a-rate), so the second vowel is "a" and not "e".

How can I remember the spelling of "necessary"?

Think of a shirt with one collar (c) and two sleeves (s s): necessary has one c and two s.

Which words are most often misspelt in exams?

Accommodation, committee, occurrence, embarrass, necessary, separate, definitely, receive, environment, government and privilege are among the most repeated.

What is the difference between -ance and -ence?

There is no fixed rule, so learn the common words: maintenance, existence and independence end with -ence, while acceptance and performance end with -ance.

How can I improve my spelling quickly?

Read daily, keep a notebook of misspelt words, use memory tricks and test yourself regularly.

Does British or American spelling matter in SSC exams?

SSC exams generally use British spellings (colour, honour, programme), but a question will not ask you to choose between them. Stay consistent with the standard form.

How should I prepare spelling for SSC exams?

Learn the list of commonly misspelt words, understand the rules and exceptions, and solve spelling questions from previous year papers regularly.