How to spell idiosyncrasy
idiosyncrasy
Idiosyncrasy is spelled I-D-I-O-S-Y-N-C-R-A-S-Y.
Not idiosyncracy.
Why is idiosyncrasy easy to misspell?
The word idiosyncrasy ends -sy, and the misspelling idiosyncracy gives it the -cy of democracy. The words for kinds of rule end -cracy, and this one is not among them.
That spelling matches the sound exactly, which is why it looked right. English keeps letters long after the sound has moved on, so the conventional spelling is often the one that looks least like it sounds.
Greek spelling: y for the i sound between consonants
What does idiosyncrasy mean?
noun. a peculiar habit or mannerism
Which other words set the same trap?
Where does English spelling come from?
The conventions each language layer left in English spelling, with their sources, are on where English spelling comes from.
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Play today's Daily FiveSpellingIQ is a skill rating for spelling ability, not a clinical or psychometric IQ measure. American English is canonical; common variants are accepted.