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Even talented writers occasionally fall into the traps of difficult German spelling.
Even if you were always attentive in German class, spelling mistakes occasionally creep in when writing texts. As is well known, German spelling is anything but easy. Fortunately, there are spelling programs that make our lives easier. But when autocorrect isn’t available, the same mistakes often happen over and over again. You can find out what these are here.
Error 1: death/dead
Death is a noun, so it is always capitalized. The word dead, on the other hand, is an adjective derived from the verb to kill.
Error 2: Standard/Default
A word that always makes you ponder is standard. It is often pronounced with a hard T at the end, leading to the misconception that Standart is the correct spelling. However, standard is only correctly written when speaking of the way something is written. When we talk about a standard, we are talking about a norm. Accordingly, simply separate the word in your head if you are unsure.
Mistake 3: accidentally/accidentally
“Accidentally” sounds right, but it’s wrong. Here, too, the typical trigger of this stumbling block is the pronunciation, because the two words are usually combined when speaking. This creates the wrong impression. The correct form is by mistake.
Error 4: since/are
Since and are often confused with each other and therefore used incorrectly. Both spellings exist, but the meaning is different. Since is actually only used when referring to time. A sentence with since should always be related to something temporal. The word are, on the other hand, is the conjugated verb to be in the second person plural, i.e. «you are».
Mistake 5: still/still
An error that often creeps into passages of text is “still”. Many people think that the two words are spelled together. Luckily, there is only one correct way of writing: In all cases, it is still written separately.
Mistake 6: Loser/Loser
Nowadays, the English term for losers is also often used in German-speaking countries. However, an incorrect spelling often creeps in. The noun is derived from the English verb to lose, which means to lose. Accordingly, the correct spelling is Loser – i.e. only with an O.
Mistake 7: rhythm/rhythm/rhythm
The word rhythm often causes confusion. There are two silent H’s hidden inside. That’s why it’s difficult to find out the correct spelling by pronouncing it. Only rhythm is correct.
Mistake 8: Hobbies/Hobbies
The English word for leisure activities is also on everyone’s lips in German-speaking countries. The majority of words ending in Y in English are formed with -ies. Hobbies is therefore also spelled correctly in English-speaking countries. However, since the word hobby was Germanized, the ending is formed according to the German rules: Therefore, hobbies is the appropriate spelling in German-speaking countries.
Mistake 9: brilliant/brilliant
The adjective brilliant is not written the way it is pronounced. The word comes from the French verb briller, which means to shine. According to the French pronunciation, the two Ls are followed by a slight I. Therefore, it is often wrongly assumed that “brilliant” is correct.
Mistake 10: aggressive/aggressive
Last but not least, “aggressive” should not be missing from our list, because it is also a common spelling mistake. Although the verb is derived from the French word agressif, its actual origin is in the Latin verb aggredi. This means something like attack. Because of this, the correct spelling is aggressive.
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