The Word Illinois Struggles to Spell the Most? Yep, We Get It

Ever find yourself Googling how to spell "restaurant" for the fourth time this week? You're in good company, especially here in Illinois, where one word in particular has us all reaching for autocorrect.

Wait, How Do You Spell "Definitely" Again?

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Just in time for the National Spelling Bee at the end of May, some heroes at WordUnscrambler.pro decided to remind us we're all just one mistyped "necessary" away from Google panic.

MORE: Meet the Illinois Students Headed to the 2025 Scripps Spelling Bee

They analyzed search data from January 1 to May 19, 2025, looking at how often Americans typed "How do you spell..." and "How to spell..." into Google. Then they used Ahrefs to track how many times those words were searched. The results? Let's just say we could all use a pocket dictionary and a pep talk.

America’s Most Misspelled Words (So Far in 2025)

1. Definitely – 33,500 searches
2. Separate – 30,000
3. Necessary – 29,000
4. Believe – 28,500
5. Through – 28,000
6. Gorgeous – 27,000
7. Neighbor – 25,500
8. Business – 24,200
9. Favorite – 23,000
10. Restaurant – 22,500

Not gonna lie, I still sound out def-i-nite-ly and be-a-u-ti-ful when I type them.

Google Search Reveals Illinois' Most Misspelled Word in 2025

According to WordUnscrambler, the most misspelled word in Illinois so far in 2025 is "Congratulations."

The Rest of the Midwest Struggles, Too

• Wisconsin – Different
• Iowa – Through
• Indiana – Taught
• Minnesota – Successful
• Michigan – Scratch
• Missouri – Temperature

As an Illinoisan who has to slow down and say "con-grat-u-la-tions" while typing it, I feel completely seen.