Identifying a single "most misspelled word" for any state is tricky, as different studies yield different results based on the search data and time frame analyzed. Nevertheless, recent analyses of Google search trends have pointed to a few surprising culprits that frequently stump residents of Pennsylvania.
The Culinary Conundrum: Sauerkraut
In several Google Trends analyses, Pennsylvania's most frequent "how to spell" search query has been "sauerkraut."
- The Theory: This struggle highlights a regional disconnect between local culinary appreciation and spelling mastery. Pennsylvania has a rich German heritage, and sauerkraut is a staple often paired with hot dogs or served as a traditional holiday side dish. The combination of German-origin consonants and vowel pairings—S-A-U-E-R-K-R-A-U-T—proves challenging enough to send residents straight to the search bar.
- Interestingly, among all states whose most-searched spelling query was food-related, only Pennsylvania (for sauerkraut) and New Mexico (for bananas) had food items at the top of their lists.
The Tricky Tools: Scissors
More recent data, compiled by sources analyzing Google search inquiries such as "how to spell," from January to May 2025, indicated that the word "scissors" took the crown as the most commonly misspelled word in Pennsylvania.
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The Theory: "Scissors" is a common spelling pitfall in English, primarily because of its silent letters (the 'c'), the double 's', and its pronunciation, which doesn't perfectly align with its written form. These elements violate many phonics rules, leading to persistent confusion among adults.
The Topical Term: Coronavirus
During the height of the global health crisis, a number of analyses identified pandemic-related words as the most-searched spelling queries.
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In 2020 and 2021, one study found that "coronavirus" was the most-searched spelling term in Pennsylvania, along with five other states. The most common misspelling was "Caronavirus," highlighting the difficulty of correctly placing vowels in this newly dominant word.
Why the Discrepancies?
The variations in results—from sauerkraut to scissors—largely depend on the methodology:
- Google Trends (Older Data): Often captures what people are searching for in general over a more extended period.
- Data Analysis Firms (Newer Data): May focus on analyzing the highest percentage of misspellings among certain types of searches, leading to more complex words with silent letters appearing higher.
Regardless of which word takes the top spot in any given year, the data confirms that even in a state with a reputation for sharp intelligence, fundamental spelling challenges—often related to tricky consonant clusters or irregular foreign-language origins—remain a universal experience.