COMMONLY MISSPELLED WORDS

The following words are frequently misspelled in police reports. The words are listed alphabetically across the
page.
A
abandon
absolutely
accommodate
acquit
affidavit
Alzheimer's
amphetamine
apparatus
arraignment
assailant
attest

abdomen
accelerate
accomplice
acquittal
aggravate
amalgamation
analyse
apparent
arrangement
assassin
attorney

abductor
acceptance
accosted
adjourn
aisle
ambulance
annual
appearance
arrears
assessment
audible

abet
access
accused
admissible
alcohol
amended
anonymous
appellant
arson
assistant
autopsy

abortion
accessory
acetylene
adolescent
alias
ammunition
antiseptic
apprehended
artefact
asthma
auxiliary

absence
accidental
acknowledge
adversary
alibi
among
aorta
appropriate
asphyxiate
attachment

B
bail
barricade
belligerent
brilliant

bailiff
barrister
beneficiary
bruise

balaclava
battalion
bias
bulletin

ballistics
bayonet
bludgeon
burglarise

barbiturate
bazaar
bona fide
business

barrel
beginning
boulevard
bystander

C
cadaver
canine
casualties
circumstantial
coincidence
commitment
conceive
consciousness
contempt
coroner
credibility

caffeine
cannabis sativa
category
citation
collateral
committee
concurrent
consensus
contraband
corpse
cremate

calendar
capable
Caucasian
civilian
colleague
compel
condemn
conspicuous
contraceptive
correspondence
culprit

calibre
cardiac
censor
cocaine
collusion
competent
confidential
conspirator
controversy
corroborate
custody

campaign
cartridge
changeable
coerce
comatose
complainant
confiscate
constitutional
conviction
counterfeit
cylinder

cancel
cassette
chattel
cognisance
commission
complicity
conjugal
contagious
convulsion
courteous

D
data base
delegate
description
deviant
disagreeable
domicile

decapitated
deliberate
detain
deviation
discrepancy
dominant

deceased
delinquent
detention
diabetes
discriminate
drunkenness

decision
dependant
deterrent
diagonal
dispatcher
duress

defendant
dependent
detonator
diarrhoea
disposition
dynamite

deferred
descend
development
dilemma
divulge
dysfunction

E
earnest
embezzle
equestrian
evangelist
exhausted

efficient
eminent
equivalent
evidence
exhibit

electrocution
enforceable
erratic
exaggerate
extenuating

elicit
entirely
escalator
excessive
external

eligible
environment
espionage
excite
extradited

eliminate
epileptic
ethical
execution
extremely

F
facility
flexible
formula

fallacy
forceps
fraudulent

falsify
forcible
fugitive

fatality
forehead

felon
foreign

fictitious
forensic

G
gambling
government
guerilla

gauge
graffiti
gymnasium

genuine
grievance

geriatric
grievous

gonorrhoea
grudge

gouge
guarantee

H
habitual
hazardous
hygiene

hallucinate
heroin
hypodermic

handcuff
homicidal
hysteria

harass
homicide
hysterical

harbour
horizontal
hallucinogen

hazard
hostile

I
identical
immigrant
incapacitate
inconspicuous
inevitable
injunction
interrogate

ideology
imminent
incarcerate
incorrigible
infanticide
inoculate
intoxicate

illegitimate
impediment
incendiary
incriminate
informant
insolent
investigator

illicit
impostor
incessant
indecent
infringement
institute
irrelevant

illustrate
inadmissible
incite
indictment
ingenious
insufficient
irresistible

immediate
incapable
incoherent
indispensable
initiate
interpreter
itinerary

J
jamb

jealous jeopardy

jewellery

judicial jurisdiction

K
khaki

kidnap kidnapper

kleptomania

knife

laceration
liability
litigant

language
liaison
lucid

larceny
libellous

legislate
librarian

legitimate
licentious

M
magazine
mandatory
measurements
mileage
misspelled
mortal
muzzle

magistrate
manila
median
militia
mitigating
mortgage

maintain
manipulate
mediation
minor
moccasin
mortuary

malice
manoeuvre
memorandum
miscarriage
monotonous
mucous

malign
marijuana
menace
miscellaneous
moratorium
municipal

management
massacre
methadone
misdemeanour
morgue
mutilate

N
narcotics
neutral
nullify

necessary
nominal

negative
notary

negligence
notorious

negotiate
nuclear

neighbour
nuisance

L
laboratory
lenient
lien

knowledge

O
obedient
occurrence
orthodox

obligation
official

obscenity
omission

occasion
opponent

occult
ordinance

occupant
orient

P
parachute
pedestrian
pertinent
positive
prescription
projectile
prostitute
punitive

paraffin
penitentiary
phallic
possession
priority
prominent
prostitution
pursue

parallel
permissible
physician
potential
probable
propeller
protester
pyromaniac

paramedic
persistent
plaintiff
precede
procedure
prophylactic
psilocybin

paraphernalia
personal
playwright
preliminary
proceed
prosecute
psychiatrist

pavilion
personnel
polygraph
premises
prohibition
prosecutor
psychopathic

Q
quadrant
quinine

quadriplegic
quotation

quarantine

quarrel

query

questionnaire

R
rabies
recognisance
reinforcement
repeal
respiration

racketeer
recommend
relevant
representative
restaurant

reasonable
reconcile
religious
reprieve
resuscitate

receipt
reconnaissance
relinquish
rescue
ricochet

receding
reformatory
remission
resident
ritual

recidivist
refute
rendezvous
residue
routine

S
sabotage
schizophrenic
sequester
siege
solicitor
subpoena
susceptible
synagogue

sacrifice
seize
sergeant
silhouette
soluble
suffocate
suspect
syphilis

salvage
seniority
serial
simultaneous
specimen
suicide
suspension
syringe

scenario
sentence
severance
skeleton
spectator
suppress
suspicious

schedule
separation
sexual
sociopath
spontaneous
surrogate
symmetrical

scheme
sequence
sheriff
solicit
strenuous
surveillance
symptom

T
tactical
tendency
torture
truancy

tariff
terrorism
tournament
truly

tattoo
testify
trajectory

taut
testimony
tranquillizer

technique
thief
trauma

temperament
toboggan
trespass

U
ultimatum
urinate

umbrella
useful

unanimous
utility

uncooperative
utilize

unlawful

unmistakable

V
vacuum
vein
version
vicinity

vagrancy
velocity
veterinarian
viscous

validate
venereal
vicious
visible

vandal
vengeance
vigilante
volatile

variance
verdict
violation
voluntary

vehicle
verify
violence
voucher

W
waiver
withdrawal

warrant
witness

X
X-ray

Xerox

Y
yacht

yield

youth

Z
zealot

zinc

zircon

weapon
worship

wedge
wound

Source: Jakob, K. (1991). A guide to police writing. Ontario: Carswell.

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