Terms that are Commonly Misspelled in Technical Writing

A

abrasive
absorption
aggregate
Aleutian
algae
algorithm
alkali
alkyl
analogous
angular
anomalous
anomaly
aperture
aquatic
aqueous
aquifer
asbestos
asymmetry

B

bandwidth
base line
blackbody
brackish
buoyancy
buoyant

C

capacitance
Celsius
cetacean
chromatography
clear-cut
climatology
coaxial
combustible
condensation
conductivity
configuration
corollary
corrosion
crustacean
crustal
crystalline
crystallography

D

deposition
desiccant
diffraction
diffusion
discrete
dissymmetry
divisible
Doppler effect
Doppler radar
drainage

E

ebullient
ebullition
eigenfunction
eigenvalue
emission
emissivity
end point
equilibrium
equinox
evaporation
eyepiece

F

facies change
Fahrenheit
feedback
ferromagnetism
ferrous
filterable
flow chart
fluorescence
fluorescent
Fourier series
Fresnel equations

G

geyser
glacial
gradient

H

half-life
halogen
hatchable
heat-treat
histogram
histology
horsepower
hybridization
hydraulic
hysteresis

I

in situ
incandescent
infinitesimal
inflection
infrared
interference
isotropic
isotropism

L

least squares
logarithm
luminance
luminescence
luminescent
luminosity
luminous

M

manganese
mean life
measurable
metallurgical
metallurgy
midpoint
monetar

N

Newton’s law
nucleation
nucle

O

opaque
operable
optical
orogeny
oscillation

P

parameter
peninsula
permeability
Petri dish
phosphorus
photo-ionization
photocell
piezoelectric
Planck’s constant
plateau
polarization
polygon
polymerization
porosity
precipitation
predominant

R

radiant
radio frequency
radioactive
radiocarbon
refractive
resistant
resistivity
retardance
reversible
rock salt

S

salinity
seismic
side band
sinusoidal
solenoid
solid state
soluble
space-time
spectrometer
spectroscopy
steam-distilled
stochastic
strata
stratigraphic
stratigraphy
subsidence

T

terranes
test tube
tidal
tonnage
tornadoes
transit time
transmissible
transmissivity
transmittance
troposphere
trough
typhoon

U

unionized

V

valence
viscometer
viscosimeter
viscosity
viscous
visible

W

wave front
wave packet
wave system
wave theory
wavelength
wettability

X

xenolith

Self-Study

Word lists of additional commonly misspelled technical terms appear at these sites:

Extensive list of commonly misspelled technical terms

“A Short Guide to Technical Writing” page from the University of Utah