Please, sign up or log in to not lose your learning progress!

Why "seperate" gets it wrong: a spelling insight

Reviewed and edited by

Anwar Kareem 14/10/2024, 08:30

English.me team member

What kind of error is it?

Seperate or separate. What's correct?

Spelling Error

Why do people make this mistake?

The error occurs because the pronunciation of "separate" often makes the second "a" sound less distinct, leading people to mistakenly write "seperate" with an "e" instead of the first "a". Additionally, words with similar endings, like "desperate", may influence this error.

What is correct?

The correct spelling is "separate".

Examples of correct usage

Please separate the documents into two piles.
We need to separate the living area from the dining area.
The art teacher asked us to use separate brushes for each color.

Recommended posts in Grammar

"Aquaint" yourself with the right spelling!

"Aquaint" yourself with the right spelling!

This mistake often occurs because the letter "c" in "acquaint" ... Learn more →

The sound reason: why "mute point" is a common misstep

The sound reason: why "mute point" is a common misstep

People often mishear the phrase "moot point" and mistakenly use ... Learn more →

Why "brocoli" leaves a sour taste in the dictionary

Why "brocoli" leaves a sour taste in the dictionary

This error is often made because of its phonetic similarity ... Learn more →

The grammar crime of "he plead": understanding the past tense mistake

The grammar crime of "he plead": understanding the past tense mistake

People often make this error because they confuse the verb ... Learn more →