Title: Spelling Facts, History & Quizzes | Mental Floss
Open Graph Title: Spelling Facts, History & Quizzes | Mental Floss
X Title: Spelling Facts, History & Quizzes | Mental Floss
Description: Discover fun spelling facts, trivia, and surprising stories on Mental Floss—content that entertains, educates, and satisfies your curiosity.
Open Graph Description: Discover fun spelling facts, trivia, and surprising stories on Mental Floss—content that entertains, educates, and satisfies your curiosity.
X Description: Discover fun spelling facts, trivia, and surprising stories on Mental Floss—content that entertains, educates, and satisfies your curiosity.
Opengraph URL: https://www.mentalfloss.com/language/spelling
Domain: www.mentalfloss.com
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{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/language/spelling/most-misspelled-word-every-state","headline":"The Most Misspelled Word in Every U.S. State","description":"Google search trends reveal the one word residents in each state just can’t seem to spell correctly.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Unknown"},"datePublished":"2026-05-29T21:00:01Z","dateModified":"2026-05-29T23:10:44Z","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/language/spelling/most-misspelled-word-every-state"}}
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/quizzes/name-nato-phonetic-alphabet-words-under-5-minutes","headline":"Quiz: Can You Name All 26 Words in the NATO Phonetic Alphabet in Under 5 Minutes?","description":"How fast can you name all 26 words in the NATO Phonetic Alphabet? This quiz will put your knowledge and speed to the test.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Natalie Zamora"},"datePublished":"2026-01-24T21:00:00Z","dateModified":"2026-01-24T21:00:00Z","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/quizzes/name-nato-phonetic-alphabet-words-under-5-minutes"}}
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{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/language/spelling/11-rules-and-their-exceptions-help-conquer-your-spelling-woes","headline":"11 Rules (And Their Exceptions) to Help Conquer Your Spelling Woes","description":"English spelling can be frustrating and confusing, but there are things you can do to help make the task of getting it right more manageable.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Editorial Staff"},"datePublished":"2016-01-03T14:00:00Z","dateModified":"2016-01-03T14:00:00Z","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/language/spelling/11-rules-and-their-exceptions-help-conquer-your-spelling-woes"}}
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/language/spelling/11-historical-figures-who-were-really-bad-spelling","headline":"11 Historical Figures Who Were Really Bad At Spelling","description":"Would you recoil in terror if spell-check ever stopped working? Fear not: You're in good company.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Mark Mancini"},"datePublished":"2018-08-30T18:00:00Z","dateModified":"2018-08-30T18:00:00Z","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/language/spelling/11-historical-figures-who-were-really-bad-spelling"}}
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/language/spelling/early-20th-century-society-tried-make-english-spelling-more-intuitive","headline":"The Early 20th Century Society That Tried to Make English Spelling More Intuitive","description":"These British reformers wanted to ditch \"i before e\" for something a little simpler. Who could blame them?","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Shaunacy Ferro"},"datePublished":"2018-02-03T06:00:00Z","dateModified":"2018-02-03T06:00:00Z","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/language/spelling/early-20th-century-society-tried-make-english-spelling-more-intuitive"}}
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/language/spelling/26-noah-websters-spelling-changes-didnt-catch-on","headline":"26 of Noah Webster’s Spelling Changes That Didn’t Catch On","description":"Some of Webster's suggested reforms caught on and still mark a difference between American and British writing. But you won't beleev how many of his reforms went nowhere.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Arika Okrent"},"datePublished":"2018-10-16T16:00:00Z","dateModified":"2022-10-11T17:26:00Z","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/language/spelling/26-noah-websters-spelling-changes-didnt-catch-on"}}
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{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/language/words/9-words-created-spelling-other-words-backwards","headline":"9 Words Created by Spelling Other Words Backwards","description":"A semordnilap (itself a semordnilap of “palindromes”) makes a completely different word when spelled backwards.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Arika Okrent"},"datePublished":"2014-04-22T13:46:00Z","dateModified":"2021-08-26T12:00:00Z","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/language/words/9-words-created-spelling-other-words-backwards"}}
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/language/words/everyday-words-came-from-ancient-egypt","headline":"9 Everyday Words That Came From Ancient Egypt","description":"The ancient language of the pharaohs died out centuries ago, but bits of it remain.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Matt Hoffman"},"datePublished":"2026-11-12T19:00:02Z","dateModified":"2026-11-12T19:00:02Z","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/language/words/everyday-words-came-from-ancient-egypt"}}
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{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/geography/maps/most-popular-baby-names-by-state-2026-map","headline":"The Most Popular Baby Name in Every State in 2026, Mapped","description":"Curious what parents in your state are naming their newborns? Check out BabyCenter’s map of the most popular baby names across America in 2026.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Nitya Rao"},"datePublished":"2026-11-04T21:00:02Z","dateModified":"2026-11-04T21:00:02Z","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/geography/maps/most-popular-baby-names-by-state-2026-map"}}
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/language/words/terribly-tricky-tongue-twisters-test-talking","headline":"75 Terribly Tricky Tongue Twisters to Test Your Talking","description":"Can you say these totally tricky tongue twisters without stumbling, stuttering, or twisting your words?","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Logan DeLoye"},"datePublished":"2026-11-02T00:00:00Z","dateModified":"2026-11-02T00:00:00Z","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/language/words/terribly-tricky-tongue-twisters-test-talking"}}
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/language/slang/words-1970s-still-use-today","headline":"15 Slang Words From the 1970s We Still Use Today","description":"Did you realize the term “eye-candy” originated back in 1978? All 15 of these slang words date back to the ‘70s.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Paul Anthony Jones"},"datePublished":"2026-11-01T17:00:03Z","dateModified":"2026-11-01T17:00:03Z","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/language/slang/words-1970s-still-use-today"}}
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/language/slang/see-you-later-alligator-phrase-origin","headline":"Where Did the Phrase \"See You Later, Alligator\" Come From?","description":"The phrase \"See you later, alligator\" predates rock 'n' roll. Here's how 19th-century rhyming slang created a permanent piece of American pop culture.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Paul Anthony Jones"},"datePublished":"2026-10-31T16:00:02Z","dateModified":"2026-10-31T16:00:02Z","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/language/slang/see-you-later-alligator-phrase-origin"}}
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/language/words/old-west-slang-words-deserve-cowboy-comeback","headline":"8 Old West Slang Words That Deserve a Cowboy Comeback ","description":"These frontier expressions are fixin’ to ride their way back into your vocabulary!","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Logan DeLoye"},"datePublished":"2026-10-30T20:00:00Z","dateModified":"2026-10-30T20:00:00Z","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/language/words/old-west-slang-words-deserve-cowboy-comeback"}}
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