Four words are given, and only one of them is correctly spelt in standard English. Carefully read each option and choose the word whose spelling is correct and appropriate in formal writing.

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: Correspondent

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
This question focuses on correct English spelling, an essential skill for accurate communication in exams, professional writing, and everyday use. Learners often confuse similar looking words, especially those that contain repeated consonants or unstressed vowels. Here, the task is to identify the correctly spelt form of a common English word among four very similar alternatives. Such items are designed to sharpen the eye for detail and to reinforce familiar word patterns in English spelling.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • The question provides four similar words: Correspondent, Correspondant, Correspendent, and Corespondent.
  • Only one option reflects the correct standard spelling of a real English word.
  • The intended word is the noun that means a person who writes letters or reports, for example, a news correspondent.
  • We assume standard British or international English spelling conventions.


Concept / Approach:
The key concept is knowledge of the correct spelling of correspondent, which refers to someone who corresponds or reports, especially a journalist reporting for a newspaper, television channel, or other media. The word is formed from the root correspond plus the suffix ent. Spelling questions often test familiarity with standard suffixes such as ant, ent, and related changes in the root word. The approach is to recall the correct spelling from memory, or to use knowledge of word formation and common patterns in English, and then eliminate options that violate these patterns through extra letters, missing letters, or incorrect suffixes.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the common noun for a person who sends reports or letters is correspondent. Step 2: Break the word into parts: correspond + ent. Step 3: Compare each option with this pattern and look for errors in vowels, consonants, or doubled letters. Step 4: Option A, Correspondent, exactly matches the correct pattern correspond + ent. Step 5: Option B, Correspondant, uses the suffix ant instead of ent, which is wrong for this noun. Step 6: Option C, Correspendent, introduces an extra p and changes the vowel pattern, which is incorrect. Step 7: Option D, Corespondent, drops one r after co and does not match the usual spelling of correspond.


Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, we can recall familiar phrases such as foreign correspondent, special correspondent, or war correspondent as they appear in newspapers. In all these cases, the spelling uses ent at the end, not ant. Dictionaries and reliable style guides also confirm the form correspondent. Another simple internal check is to compare the base verb correspond, which always has double r after co. Any spelling that breaks the pattern of correspond at the beginning is likely to be invalid. With these checks, we confirm that Correspondent is the correct spelling.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Correspondant: Uses the suffix ant, which is used in some other words but not in correspondent, so it is incorrect here.
Correspendent: Contains the extra letter p and changes the internal structure of the word, making it nonstandard.
Corespondent: Drops one r and does not maintain the root correspond, so it does not match the correct spelling of the word.


Common Pitfalls:
Many learners confuse ent and ant endings because there is no simple universal rule, and both occur in English words. Relying only on sound can be misleading because different spellings may sound similar. Another pitfall is ignoring doubled consonants; missing or adding a single letter can change a word from correct to incorrect. Building a habit of noticing root words, common suffixes, and checking familiar phrases in reading material helps reduce such spelling errors over time.


Final Answer:
The correctly spelt word is Correspondent.

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