Research involving 1,000 adults aged¹ between 16 and 77 found that only 67 per cent would reach Level 4 in Standard Assessment² Tests (SATs), while less than half (44 per cent) would achieve Level 5. 

 

Fifteen per cent of the adults tested failed to even reach Level 3, which is below the level expected of children at age 11. 

 

Experts blamed the poor showing of adults on the prevalence of tools such as spellcheck and auto-correct, which both play a prominent role in modern-day living.

 

The study asked adults to complete Key Stage 2 spelling tests designed to gauge³ the performance of children aged 10 and 11, as they reach the end of primary school. 

 

But the test spelled trouble for many of the adults tested. 

 

'Phenomenon', 'unnecessary' and 'broccoli⁴' were among the words spelled wrong by more than half of those who took part. 

 

Other words which few were able to spell included rhythmic⁵ and jewellery. 

 

Susie Dent⁶, lexicographer⁷ and resident word expert on TV show Countdown, believes the results were partly down to the prevalence of tools such as spellcheck and auto-correct. 

 

'Modern tools like spellcheck and autocorrect encourage us to switch off from learning, leading to complacency or, at worst, indifference⁸.' 

 

THE TOP FIVE MISSPELT WORDS 

 

1. Phenomenon (25% correct) 

2. Unnecessary (32% correct) 

3. Disappearance⁹ (36% correct) 

4. Correspondent (37% correct) 

5. Synchronised (37% correct)

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