Nigerians are a ‘clever’ bunch when it comes to the use of English words. A lot of us, possibly out of negligence, do not spell English words out right. As an avid reader, and a troller of Nairaland, I feel ridiculed when I see adulteratedly- written words. It makes me just break up!
Common words, simple words that come out of our mouths all the time, we are clever at misspelling them. Naija, I hail thee! But I know we are smart people. Hmnnnnn.
Here, I compile some of the top 10 words that are commonly misspelled among not just ordinary Nigerians but also among the ‘elites’.

1. PRONOUNCIATION: Lo, there is no such word as PRONOUNCIATION! It is ‘PRO-NUN-CIA-TION. Say /pro-NON-siay-shen/. Obviously, the verb form is ‘pronounce’.
2. DEFINATELY: Behold, this poo word does not exist! It is actually ‘DEFINITELY’. A lot of us are also guilty of mispronouncing it.
3. CONVENANT: My friend, rid your head of this poo word. It is ‘COVENANT’. Say/ KUHVUNANT/ or you want to sound very ‘educated’, then say/kuhvnuhnt/, discreetly and subtly. You know, the other night, I was chatting with a recently- graduated cousin of mine over whatsapp. And these conversations ensued between us:
Me: congrats, bro. u look so cool and macho in that NYSC gear. Can’t wait to get out of UI too.
Cousin: oh Raji. Wassup wif u. ows skool?
Me: m gud bro. so, which school you got out of coz I dnt remember.
Cousin: Convenant University, my man.
Me: what? Wat is that? (I wasn’t actually playing him or being derisive)
Cousin: convenant na!
Me: (pauses.Pulling the little tuft of hair in my chin) half a minute later, “oh, ok. Oyedepo’s COVENANT?
Cousin: what?! I dint no that o. na wa for me o. I spent a lill more than 4 years there and I cant even spell the skool right, shekkenah.
Lol.lol.lol.lol. now, look at that real life scenario. I am pretty sure he was ok it was with me and not with a potential employer or somebody.
4. OKRO: This word hardly exists in Merriem-Webster’s. Not even Oxford Dic. It is actually ‘OKRA. Say/OHKRA/
5. ALUMINIUM: Nah! It is ‘ALUMINUM’.
6. SEPERATE: Wrong! It is actually ‘SEPARATE’.
7. ARGUEMENT : This one is arguably so misused that one who usually spells it right starts to get confused about its actual spelling! Hey, dnt reformat a already- formatted brain, abeg! Well, it is ‘ARGUMENT’ Say/ ARGYUMENT/. In a rapid speech, like Americans and Brits often incorporate, you may well say/orgyimint/. It must be fast but subtle. U get?
8. HARRASSMENT: Not, ever! It is HARASSMENT, which is not at all synonymous to EMBARRASSMENT.
9. DINNING: Naija youths and teens are especially guilty of this bastardized word. It is correctly, ‘DINING’. The noun form, which is dinner, has a dual ‘n’
10. MISCHEVIOUS: Yay! Ki le le yi? It is ‘MISCHEVOUS’. Say/MISCHEVUS/ not ‘VIORS’.
Hey, my hands. Oya, come and add yours coz this list is endless. Make I siddon, observe and learn.

Educating, but you can still research more. thanks all the way.

.

11.) CONTINUOUS, this is actually spelt CONTINOUS even by teachers and some lecturers eg CONTINOUS ASSESSMENT

Thanks, its very educative but ALUMINIUM IS CORRECT , ALSO ALUMINUM.

raj2014:
Nigerians are a ‘clever’ bunch when it comes to the use of English words. A lot of us, possibly out of negligence, do not spell English words out right. As an avid reader, and a troller of Nairaland, I feel ridiculed when I see adulteratedly- written words. It makes me just break up!
Common words, simple words that come out of our mouths all the time, we are clever at misspelling them. Naija, I hail thee! But I know we are smart people. Hmnnnnn.
Here, I compile some of the top 10 words that are commonly misspelled among not just ordinary Nigerians but also among the ‘elites’.

1. PRONOUNCIATION: Lo, there is no such word as PRONOUNCIATION! It is ‘PRO-NUN-CIA-TION. Say /pro-NON-siay-shen/. Obviously, the verb form is ‘pronounce’.
2. DEFINATELY: Behold, this poo word does not exist! It is actually ‘DEFINITELY’. A lot of us are also guilty of mispronouncing it.
3. CONVENANT: My friend, rid your head of this poo word. It is ‘COVENANT’. Say/ KUHVUNANT/ or you want to sound very ‘educated’, then say/kuhvnuhnt/, discreetly and subtly. You know, the other night, I was chatting with a recently- graduated cousin of mine over whatsapp. And these conversations ensued between us:
Me: congrats, bro. u look so cool and macho in that NYSC gear. Can’t wait to get out of UI too.
Cousin: oh Raji. Wassup wif u. ows skool?
Me: m gud bro. so, which school you got out of coz I dnt remember.
Cousin: Convenant University, my man.
Me: what? Wat is that? (I wasn’t actually playing him or being derisive)
Cousin: convenant na!
Me: (pauses.Pulling the little tuft of hair in my chin) half a minute later, “oh, ok. Oyedepo’s COVENANT?
Cousin: what?! I dint no that o. na wa for me o. I spent a lill more than 4 years there and I cant even spell the skool right, shekkenah.
Lol.lol.lol.lol. now, look at that real life scenario. I am pretty sure he was ok it was with me and not with a potential employer or somebody.
4. OKRO: This word hardly exists in Merriem-Webster’s. Not even Oxford Dic. It is actually ‘OKRA. Say/OHKRA/
5. ALUMINIUM: Nah! It is ‘ALUMINUM’.
6. SEPERATE: Wrong! It is actually ‘SEPARATE’.
7. ARGUEMENT : This one is arguably so misused that one who usually spells it right starts to get confused about its actual spelling! Hey, dnt reformat a already- formatted brain, abeg! Well, it is ‘ARGUMENT’ Say/ ARGYUMENT/. In a rapid speech, like Americans and Brits often incorporate, you may well say/orgyimint/. It must be fast but subtle. U get?
8. HARRASSMENT: Not, ever! It is HARASSMENT, which is not at all synonymous to EMBARRASSMENT.
9. DINNING: Naija youths and teens are especially guilty of this bastardized word. It is correctly, ‘DINING’. The noun form, which is dinner, has a dual ‘n’
10. MISCHEVIOUS: Yay! Ki le le yi? It is ‘MISCHEVOUS’. Say/MISCHEVUS/ not ‘VIORS’.
Hey, my hands. Oya, come and add yours coz this list is endless. Make I siddon, observe and learn.

I don't think you get that Aluminum and Aluminium correctly because the both are similar and perhaps, Aluminium is vastly used in chemistry over Aluminum, so which of the both should be more appropriate to use?

issokay

I was once a victim but I thank Amandioha for Keyboard spellcheck.

Actually, its mischievous nt mischevous... ND aluminium nd aluminum is d same

Even d OP No sabi spelling well. Do u think nairaland is a place where u cn cum and form ITK? We av so many elites here. If u r nt careful, they will lambast u and openly disgrace u. Some r already doing it though.

bukie26:
Actually, its mischievous nt mischevous... ND aluminium nd aluminum is d same

ok, thats fine

Emodeee:
Even d OP No sabi spelling well. Do u think nairaland is a place where u cn cum and form ITK? We av so many elites here. If u r nt careful, they will lambast u and openly disgrace u. Some r already doing it though.

this is not a forum for unhealthy competition. well, what does one do in naija and one doesn't get 'lambasted and disgraced openly for? so, it don't (sic) matter!

icecalm:
I don't think you get that Aluminum and Aluminium correctly because the both are similar and perhaps, Aluminium is vastly used in chemistry over Aluminum, so which of the both should be more appropriate to use?

u may be right about that! i dnt know. but i do see 'aluminum' as more standard. i looked up the word in every major dics, it is!

raj2014:


u may be right about that! i dnt know. but i do see 'aluminum' as more standard. i looked up the word in every major dics, it is!

okay,

funny op, some of your words are also misspelled

op another thing u should know, when it comes to spellings in English, there are two ways of spelling words. You either spell the American way or the British way. No ideas if there's a Portuguese or Chinese way of spelling but I do know Nigerians either spell like the Americans or British.

bukie26:
Actually, its mischievous nt mischevous... ND aluminium nd aluminum is d same

Hi,u stay in Akure,right?