MARYLAND - In the land of Old Bay and blue crabs, Marylanders pride themselves on their unique traditions and local flair. But when it comes to the digital keyboard, even the most savvy residents of the Free State hit a snag. According to recent Google Trends data, the word Marylanders struggle to spell most is "character."
While other states are battling "beautiful" or "pneumonia," Maryland finds itself in a peculiar fight over a word that seems straightforward. Here is a deep dive into why this word—and a few other local favorites—give Maryland such a hard time.
The "Character" Crisis
The most frequent error in Maryland involves the placement and necessity of the silent letters, often resulting in misspellings like "charicter" or "charecter."
Why the confusion?
- The Schwa Sound: In Maryland, like much of the Mid-Atlantic, the middle syllable of "character" is often spoken as a "schwa"—a lazy, neutral vowel sound. Because the "a" doesn't sound clearly like an "a," writers often substitute it with an "i" or an "e" based on how they hear it in conversation.
- The Silent "H" Trap: The Greek roots of the word (kharaktēr) mean the "h" is non-negotiable, yet many people second-guess whether it belongs there at all or if the "ch" should just be a "k."
The Runners-Up: Favorite and Ninety
Maryland's spelling history is actually quite famous in the world of data. In years past, the state has been flagged for struggling with two very common words:
1. Favorite
Maryland has frequently topped the list for searching "how to spell favorite."
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The Culprit: The British influence. Because Maryland has deep colonial roots (and a fair share of residents who enjoy British media), many people default to the UK spelling: "favorite." While not technically "wrong" in a global sense, it triggers the American spell-checker, leading many Marylanders to Google the "correct" version.
2. Ninety
A few years back, Maryland went viral when Google Trends revealed that "ninety" was the state's most misspelled word.
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The Culprit: The "e" at the end of "nine." People often think that when you add "ty" to the end of a word, you should drop the silent "e" (like in forty, which notably drops the "u" from four). This leads to the common, but incorrect, "ninty."
Is Maryland alone?
The Mid-Atlantic is a minefield for spelling errors:
- Delaware often struggles with the word "beautiful."
- Virginia frequently searches for the correct spelling of "people."
- Pennsylvania has a notorious history of tripping over "coronavirus" and "scissors."
How to Remember "Character"
If you want to keep your "character" intact, remember this simple trick:
"A Character has an Act."
If you look closely at the word CHAR-ACT-ER, the word "act" is hidden right in the middle. If you remember that every good character needs an act, you'll never misplace that middle vowel again.
While Maryland might have a little trouble with the word "character" on paper, there's no doubt the state has plenty of it in real life. From the mountains of Western Maryland to the shores of the Chesapeake, a few extra vowels won't stop the locals from telling their stories—even if they have to use autocorrect to do it.
