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12 Words That Are Surprisingly Not Recognized by Spell Check

June 11, 2024 By Alyssa Serio Leave a Comment

Closeup of a hands busy typing on a laptop in the parkWith websites like Grammarly, the rise of AI, and new versions of Microsoft Word that are savvier than ever, spell check is a fundamental tool in the digital age. Millions of people rely on this tool to write correctly and confidently, whether it’s for work, school, or just for fun. Even the most sophisticated spell-checking software can sometimes miss certain words from time to time. Here are 12 words that are often not recognized by spell check.

1. Irregardless

Friends discuss drinking coffee in a coffee shop

There’s a hot debate in the world of linguistics as to whether “irregardless” is actually a word. Irregardless, it is often used colloquially to mean “regardless,” despite it being non-standard. Somehow, we’ve adapted this common misspelling into our every writing and speech when we want to sound smarter and more refined. Spell check might not recognize it because it is considered incorrect in formal writing.

2. Heebie-Jeebies

troubled young woman and covers her mouth with her hands, looks at the screen and gets scared, close-up

Did you just watch a scary movie like Hereditary or Terrifier? You may come away from the film saying that it really gave you the “heebie-jeebies.” This phrase, which is a lighthearted way to refer to being scared, will be marked as incorrect if you use it in some versions of Microsoft Word. Go ahead and use it since it is recognized by the Oxford and Merriam-Webster dictionaries as being real.

3. Agastopia

Beautiful young caucasian girl with curly hair outdoors

If you think a man has nice biceps or a woman has attractive legs, you might say that you’re experiencing a feeling of agastopia. This noun, which has unclear origins, is recognized by most dictionaries to mean “admiration of a particular part of one’s body.” Still, online spell checkers won’t recognize the word as actually being real. Ignore those squiggly red lines and keep on writing.

4. Yassify

Portrait of beautiful hipster woman reading message in the park

For the most part, spell check has a tough time recognizing modern slang. The word “yassify,” for instance, is always going to get flagged as an error. Teens use this word to refer to an extreme makeover or the process of applying so many filters to an image that a person becomes unrecognizable in a photo. As modern parlance changes, it will be interesting to see how word processors keep up.

5. Conjubilant

group of people celebrating

Technology isn’t perfect and not nearly as smart as the human mind. When you write the word “conjubilant” online, it’s always going to be marked as wrong. Google this word and you’ll see that it’s real, meaning “shouting together with joy.” We can all feel conjubilant that we learned a new, fun word to use in our celebrations.

6. Gobsmacked

Redhead woman holding a cup of coffee very happy and excited, winner expression celebrating victory screaming with big smile and raised hands

Popular in British English, “gobsmacked” means utterly astonished. It may not be recognized by spell checkers that are calibrated to American English. This shows a fundamental flaw in this technology. Most of the time, they heavily favor American dialect and speech. For that reason, words from other countries aren’t always recognizable.

7. Ain’t

Dominican woman over isolated green background making stop gesture with her hand

Most of us learned in elementary school that “ain’t” isn’t a word. However, that won’t stop us from using it in everyday speech and in creative, informal writing. Just like other words in our everyday language, we borrowed “ain’t” from the Irish and Scottish. The word is a contraction meaning “am” and “not” and is still popularly used in these countries to this day.

8. Yeet

Woman throws a blue disc on the lawn

Here’s another slang word that often befuddles spell check tools. If you hear a teenager say “yeet,” they’re saying that something is being thrown aggressively, usually in anger. The origins of this word are unclear, but it’s snuck into modern speech and digital communications. Time will tell if it becomes an official part of the dictionary.

9. Gonna

Image of beautiful asian woman using smartphone while lying

Just like “ain’t,” most modern spell checkers aren’t going to recognize the word “gonna” as being real. Years ago, people started using “gonna” as shorthand for “going to.” Remember, this isn’t the proper way to write if you’re turning in an essay for school or writing an email at work. In text messages, social media posts, and every conversation, “gonna” is totally fair game!

9. Jollux

Man eats pizza while watching tv

Even back in the late 18th century, they used slang words in their everyday speech. Spell check isn’t going to recognize these words as being spelled correctly. For instance, “jollux” was found in a 1797 poem to refer to a fat person. Perhaps it’s the negative context of the word’s use that made it obsolete in the modern world.

10. Meldrop

diseased african american man with runny nose holding napkin

Some words may be getting marked as wrong by spell check simply because they’re gross. Take the word “meldrop,” for example, which is used to mean “the drop of mucus at the nose.” You’ll get a meldrop if you’re suffering from a cold. Spell check just doesn’t believe this is a real thing.

12. Tittynope

closeup of tomato on fork with food on plate in background

In all reality, you likely read this word and immediately thought of something inappropriate. Surprisingly, you don’t need to turn to Urban Dictionary to find the meaning of this word. A “tittynope” is a noun that means “a small quantity of something left over,” such as food, paper, or cleaning supplies. Don’t be surprised if you get weird looks for using this real word in your writing or speech.

Check Your Spelling

Typing on laptop in front of window on wooden table

Never take spell check as the end all be all when it comes to proper writing. This tool is a fantastic backup to use, but you should always rely on your own brain instead. After all, there are many words that spell check simply won’t recognize. Use your best judgment, double check your work, and look up words the old-fashioned way in the dictionary if needed.

Read More: 

12 Words That Were Added to the Dictionary Because of Social Media

Office Etiquette: 12 Innocent Phrases That Can Get You in Trouble at Work

Alyssa Serio
Alyssa Serio

Alyssa Serio has been a writer and editor since graduating from Aurora University in 2014. In her free time, she loves reading, playing volleyball, and watching any horror movie (even the bad ones) with her husband.

Filed Under: word processing Tagged With: misspelled wordcheck words, spell check, words not recognized by spell check, writing

Confessions of a Professional Blogger – Book Review

January 16, 2015 By Shane Ede 10 Comments

Confessions of a Professional Blogger

By: Miranda Marquit

Confessions of a Professional BloggerDisclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Miranda.  My policy on books I receive free copies of is that I don’t review them unless I like them.

How many of us, myself included, don’t jump at the chance to get a little insight into how someone who does something that we want to do for a living, for a living?  I know that when Miranda asked me back at the end of 2013 if I would read her book that I immediately said yes.  It’s been a little while since she first sent over a copy, but that’s totally on me.  I read a lot of books, and somehow hers got lost in the shuffle and ended up at the bottom of the to-read pile.  I wish it hadn’t, but it did.

On to the book.  It’s a short read at just over 100 pages, but it’s chock full of excellent information on becoming a professional blogger.  Miranda leads the reader through the steps of starting out and gaining fans for your blog, or for gaining customers for your freelance writing.  Throughout the book, Miranda focuses quite a bit on the details on how she manages her freelance clients, the way she’s created the “package” of services that she provides, and how she structures it all to the benefit of all involved.

If you’re looking to test the freelance writer waters, Confessions is a quick read that’s loaded up with information on where to start, what you need to do, and how to keep it rolling.  You’ll find the book to read like a lot of Miranda’s articles, smooth and concise.  And who better to learn from than someone who used her freelance writing to become the primary breadwinner for her household?

You can pick up a copy of Confessions of a Professional Blogger at her site, MirandaMarquit.com.

Shane Ede

I started this blog to share what I know and what I was learning about personal finance. Along the way I’ve met and found many blogging friends. Please feel free to connect with me on the Beating Broke accounts: Twitter and Facebook.

You can also connect with me personally at Novelnaut, Thatedeguy, Shane Ede, and my personal Twitter.

www.beatingbroke.com

Filed Under: Books, ShareMe Tagged With: blogging, freelance, income, writing

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