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Words that to me just don't look correct

When I was a nipper the spelling that threw me was 'antique'. I couldn't fathom how that combination of letters could make that sound.
 
Yeah plenty of Irish names and words can catch you out. Just ask Liz Truss :D

'Anisotropy' is one that bugs me. It's part of the language of my work but after several years I still look at at and struggle to work out how to get my mouth around it. Most other people are fine with it.
 
I get mad or am just unable to repeat a word I can’t spell in my mind. I see the words as subtitles when someone speaks. Or when I speak for that matter. An annoying phenomenon, this, I can assure you.
English can therefore sometimes be tricky for me.
But the words above pose no problems because I know them and how to spell them.
French is difficult too, for different reasons.
 
Liquefy.

British spelling, trying to retain the 'e' from Latin/French. Fortunately, the Americans don't care, and liquify is now widespread.

I like the American spellings that do away with æ too. Caesarian, paedophile, faeces, etc. Why would anyone use faecal when fecal is available?
 
Yes, as written there it doesn’t look right to me, either!

That's because the correct spelling is 'Siobhan', even if that doesn't look any clearer.

Having said that, the English language has so many inconsistencies with pronunciation and spelling. Other languages such as Spanish are consistent and logical.
 


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