Connecticut Named One Of America’s Hardest States to Spell

According to Mental Floss, people across America are apparently having a surprisingly difficult time spelling the name of one particular New England state, and honestly, nobody in Connecticut should be shocked by this news.

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A study that analyzed Google search data found that Connecticut ranked as the third hardest state name to spell in the entire country. Only Hawaii and Pennsylvania caused more spelling-related panic for Americans sitting behind keyboards wondering where all those extra letters are supposed to go.

And if we’re being fair, Connecticut is kind of a spelling disaster if you didn’t grow up here. There are silent letters, random combinations of consonants and absolutely no reason the word should sound the way it’s spelled. You can practically hear people giving up halfway through and typing “Connecticutt” or “Conneticut” into Google.

The full list of hardest states to spell had Hawaii at number one, followed by Pennsylvania, Connecticut, then Georgia and Tennessee tied together, with Massachusetts rounding out the top five. Honestly, New England showing up twice in the Top 5 feels very on-brand. We love unnecessary letters up here.

What’s funny is that Connecticut residents are probably immune to this at this point. If you’ve lived here long enough, you’ve already survived trying to spell places like Farmington, Southington, Wolcott, Moosup and Mashantucket without having a nervous breakdown. Connecticut town names alone should qualify residents for some kind of regional spelling bee advantage.

The study also looked at which state names Americans struggle to pronounce, and Arkansas took the top spot. Apparently people still can’t figure out why it’s pronounced “Ar-kan-saw” instead of sounding like Kansas. Nevada also made the list because people keep arguing over whether it’s “Ne-VAH-duh” or “Ne-VAD-uh.”

Meanwhile, Connecticut residents are sitting here knowing full well that outsiders still can’t pronounce places like Quinebaug, Norwichtown or New Britain correctly either.

At this point, struggling to spell Connecticut might just be part of the authentic out-of-state experience.

The toughest states to spell are:

1.  Hawaii

2.  Pennsylvania

3.  Connecticut

4.  Georgia and Tennessee were tied for fourth.

5.  Massachusetts