Which word is spelled correctly?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
Correct Answer
Lieutenant
Explanation
The question asks you to identify the correct spelling of the military rank. The correct spelling is Lieutenant.
This word is famously difficult to spell because its pronunciation varies drastically from its written form. In British and Indian English, it is pronounced as 'Lef-tenant', while in American English, it is pronounced as 'Loo-tenant'. Despite the 'f' sound in the British/Indian pronunciation, there is absolutely no letter 'f' in the spelling.
The word comes from Old French, where lieu means 'place' and tenant means 'holding'. Literally, a lieutenant is a 'place-holder' or someone who acts as a deputy in the absence of a superior officer.
The other options like 'Leutenant' and 'Luitenant' are incorrect phonetic traps designed to confuse students based on how the word sounds when spoken.
Key Points
To remember the tricky spelling of this word for competitive exams, you can break it down into a simple three-word memory trick: Lie + U + Tenant.
If you remember the phrase 'Never tell a lie to u (you), the tenant,' you will always get the letter sequence right: LIEU-TENANT.