Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: Alleviate
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This question checks your knowledge of correct English spelling for a common verb that means to lessen or relieve pain, suffering, or difficulty. In competitive exams, you often see several words that look similar but only one matches the standard dictionary spelling. Here, the options are all variations of the same sounding word, and you must identify the correct arrangement of letters.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
The correct word is "alleviate", which means to make suffering, a problem, or pain less severe. It is spelled a l l e v i a t e. When solving such questions, it helps to recall the word in context, such as "medicines that alleviate pain" or "policies that alleviate poverty". Recognising familiar fragments like "levi" in the middle of the word can also confirm the correct choice. The other options try to distract you by changing vowels and the position of letters, but they do not match any standard English word.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Remember the correct spelling of the verb meaning to ease pain or distress: "alleviate".
Step 2: Compare each given option with this known spelling.
Step 3: Option "Alleviate" matches perfectly: A l l e v i a t e.
Step 4: Option "Allaviate" replaces the second e with an a, giving "lava" instead of "levi" in the middle, which is incorrect.
Step 5: Option "Alliveate" uses "livea" rather than "levia", which again does not match the standard spelling.
Step 6: Option "Allaevate" mixes the vowels in an unnatural pattern "aev", which is not how the word is spelled in standard English.
Step 7: Conclude that only "Alleviate" is correctly spelt.
Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify by thinking of related forms, such as "alleviation". This noun form is spelled a l l e v i a t i o n, which again contains "levi" at its core. Neither "allaviation", "alliveation", nor "allaevation" exists as standard forms. This consistency across related words confirms that "Alleviate" is the only correct spelling here. Additionally, spell checkers and dictionaries recognise "alleviate" as valid and mark the other variants as errors.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
"Allaviate" is wrong because it distorts the vowel pattern and does not correspond to any recognised English verb. "Alliveate" wrongly introduces "live" instead of "lev", changing the internal structure in a way that breaks the original word. "Allaevate" uses an unusual cluster of vowels "aev" which is not found in the correct form and looks unnatural. All three are typical distractors designed to confuse candidates who rely only on sound and not on visual memory of spelling.
Common Pitfalls:
A frequent mistake is to over rely on phonetics. Because many English vowels have similar sounds, options that merely shuffle vowels can still sound almost correct when read aloud. Another pitfall is ignoring patterns from word families. Observing related words such as "elevate", "levity", and "alleviation" can reinforce the correct internal pattern "levi". Building a habit of noticing such roots and families makes spelling questions easier over time.
Final Answer:
The correctly spelt word is Alleviate.
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