CHICAGO — As the Scripps National Spelling Bee captures headlines this month, a new study highlights a different kind of linguistic challenge: the most frequently misspelled words in each U.S. state — and for Illinois, that word is surprisingly wholesome.
According to an analysis by WordUnscrambler.pro, a popular site for Scrabble and word game fans, Illinois residents are most often searching “How to spell ‘congratulations’” — a term often used in greeting cards, emails, and celebrations, but apparently tricky to get right on the first try.
The study, reported by the Rockford Register Star, is based on Google Trends search data from January through May 2025.
The Top 10 Most Misspelled Words Nationwide
Based on total U.S. searches beginning with “how do you spell…” or “how to spell…”, the most confusing words were:
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Definitely — 33,500 searches
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Separate — 30,000 searches
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Necessary — 29,000 searches
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Believe
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Through
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Gorgeous
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Neighbor
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Business
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Favorite
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Restaurant
Even common and seemingly simple words like “business” and “favorite” tripped up thousands of users.
Illinois Isn’t Alone — Here’s What Other States Struggle With
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New Jersey also had issues with “congratulations”
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Arkansas residents couldn’t spell “quesadilla”
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Colorado tripped over “sergeant”
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Florida misspells “compliment” often
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North Dakota got stumped by “daughter”
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Ohio searched for the spelling of “crochet”
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Vermont took on “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”
Even Google’s own name is a misspelling — originally meant to reference the number “googol,” it was accidentally typed “Google” by its founders and stuck ever since.
Why Are We All Googling Spelling?
The research suggests that Americans regularly use search engines to double-check common but tricky words. The “i-before-e” rule fails us with “believe” and “neighbor,” while double letters and silent characters complicate words like “gorgeous” and “restaurant.”
And while the most misspelled word isn’t “misspell” itself, we’re probably only one typo away from making that list next year.
What’s the one word you always second-guess before typing?
Drop your favorite spelling bloopers or autocorrect fails in the comments at ChicagoSuburbanFamily.com — and let’s celebrate getting it wrong together!
