Can You Correctly Spell the New Top 10 Most Misspelled American Cities List?

Travelers beware: more than 50% of surveyed Americans can't spell these U.S. cities

Step aside Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, a new survey commissioned by King Digital Entertainment to mark the launch of its new word game adventure AlphaBetty Saga, has identified an all-new top 10 list of the most difficult American cities to spell and just in time for summer travels. With millions of summer vacations currently being planned around the United States, travelers should pay extra attention to where they are searching to go as, on average, two-thirds of survey respondents misspelled our top 10 list.

Key information:

• On average, nearly two-thirds (64%) of Americans misspelled the new Top 10 list of most difficult U.S. Cities to spell, based on a recent survey
• Meeteetse, WY Ranks #1 on List; Champaign, IL,  Skaneateles, NY, and Worcester, MA, among the Hardest Cities to Spell in America
• People living in the Northeast out-spell those in the Midwest, South and West when it comes to spelling cities in their own region
• Boomers and Millennials equally struggle to spell new Top 10 Most Difficult U.S. Cities List
• AlphaBetty Saga, a new word game adventure from King (the makers of the Candy Crush franchise and Farm Heroes Saga), now available worldwide 

Based on the results of a recent Ipsos survey, where participants were required to select from four spelling choices, the following 10 U.S. cities rose to the top of the list as the most difficult to spell. Below is the final list of U.S. cities ranked by the percentage misspelled:

1. Meeteetse, WY – Misspelled by 70% of respondents
2. Kaumalapau, HI – Misspelled by 69% of respondents
3. Saguache, CO – Misspelled by 68% of respondents
4. Skaneateles, NY – Misspelled by 67% of respondents
5. Champaign, IL – Misspelled by 63% of respondents
6. Pflugerville, TX – Misspelled by 63% of respondents
7. Worcester, MA – Misspelled by 62% of respondents
8. Ketchikan, AK – Misspelled by 61% of respondents
9. Winnemucca, NV – Misspelled by 60% of respondents
10. Aquebogue, NY – Misspelled by 56% of respondents

The survey also revealed that people living in states in the Northeast region out-spelled the South, Midwest and West when it came to correctly spelling the most difficult cities in their own region. For example, the majority of New Yorkers (58%) misspelled Skaneateles, NY. Additionally, cities in the West proved to be hardest to spell across all regions with just three in ten of all those surveyed correctly spelling cities in the West.

Survey results also indicated that growing up in the technology centered 21st century culture has not affected spelling skills as much as initially believed. Both Boomers (50-64 years old) and Millennials (18-34 years old) equally struggled to spell the top 10 most difficult cities. No matter which generation you're from, falling victim to geographical spelling errors is more common than not.

To ensure smooth summer travels this year, King is offering up a few quick and easy spelling tips:

• Double check when booking travel – a flight from New York City to Champaign, IL is roughly $2,400 cheaper to fly to than accidentally booking a trip to the Champagne province in France
• Don't rely on spellcheck – some travel sites do not correct misspellings in searches – when heading to Hawaii, Kaumalapau may need to be typed a few times to be sure
• Read every day – whether a novel, a text book or go full on cartographer and scan some maps
• Practice makes perfect – test your spelling skills with word games like AlphaBetty Saga to improve daily

AlphaBetty Saga is a new word game which requires players to go on a journey around the world to discover lost words and complete the "Encyclopedia of Everything." This vibrant word-based game requires players to connect adjacent letters to spell out words and score points, with more complex words rewarded with higher point scores. AlphaBetty Saga is available to download for free now on iOS and Google Android and on Facebook.

 

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