Double trouble! Can you select the correct spellings for each pair of words in these sentences?

1. We spotted a (gray, grey) squirrel being chased by a (grayhound, greyhound).

2. The (grandad, granddad) played chess with his (grandaughter, granddaughter).

3. We stopped at the (newstand, newsstand) at (nightime, nighttime).

4. The (sheriff, sherriff) tried to impose a (tariff, tarriff).

5. The (changable, changeable) situation proved to be (unmanagable, unmanageable).

6. George's (idiosyncracies, idiosyncrasies) sometimes (embarassed, embarrassed) his friends.

7. The temptation to order (separate, seperate) tables was (irresistable, irresistible).

8. Vandals also covered a wall (paralell, parallel) to the hedge with (grafitti, graffiti).

9. The teacher was (disatisfied, dissatisfied) with the students' (mispellings, misspellings).

10. When asked to (procede, proceed), the attorney said she would (concede, conceed) her client's guilt.

11. The (impresario, impressario) was a Frank Sinatra (afficionado, aficionado).

12. The (ophthalmologist, opthalmologist) diagnosed a case of (diphtheria, diptheria).

Answers:

1. "Gray" is the preferred spelling in the United States; Brits favor "grey." It's "greyhound."

2. Both words have a double consonant in the middle: granddad, granddaughter.

3. Both words have a double consonant in the middle: newsstand, nighttime.

4. Both have a single "r": sheriff, tariff .

5. Remember that "change" and "manage" appear in "changeable" and "manageable," respectively.

6. There's only one "c" in "idiosyncrasies" but a double "r" in "embarrassed."

7. Remember that "separate" things are "apart" and that you're NOT "able" to resist the "irresistible."

8. Both "parallel" and "graffiti" have their double consonants first. 9. Both "satisfied" and "spelling" retain the initial "s" when adding a prefix ending in "s."

10. It's "proceed," but "concede."

11. There's only one "s" in "impresario" and only one "f" in "aficionado."

12. Remembering the "ph" in "ophthalmologist" and "diphtheria" requires a Ph.D.

Rob Kyff, a teacher and writer in West Hartford, Conn., invites your language sightings. Send your reports of misuse and abuse, as well as examples of good writing, via e-mail to Wordguy@aol.com or by regular mail to Rob Kyff, Creators Syndicate, 5777 W. Century Blvd., Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA 90045. To find out more about Rob Kyff and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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