Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: ANTISEPTIC
Explanation:
Introduction:
Spelling questions test your familiarity with standard English words that are commonly used in everyday life, science, and medicine. Here you must recognise the correct spelling of the word that refers to a substance used to prevent infection by killing or inhibiting micro organisms on living tissue, such as skin.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- Four similar looking options: ANTICEPTIC, ANTECEPTIC, ANTICEPTIQUE, and ANTISEPTIC.
- Only one of them matches the accepted English spelling of the medical term for a germ killing substance applied to living tissue.
- We assume standard British or American English usage, where the word is very common on medicine bottles and in hospital instructions.
Concept / Approach:
The correct English spelling is "antiseptic". It is formed from "anti" meaning against, and "septic" which relates to infection. The key letters in the middle are "se", not "ce" or "ceq". The approach is to recall how the word appears on common products, like antiseptic cream or antiseptic lotion, and to recognise the typical combining form "septic".
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Think of everyday phrases such as "antiseptic liquid" or "antiseptic mouthwash". The spelling you have seen most often is ANTISEPTIC.Step 2: Examine option D: ANTISEPTIC. This matches the known form with "anti" + "septic".Step 3: Check option A: ANTICEPTIC. The letters "ceptic" are incorrect here; they do not form the standard medical combining form.Step 4: Check option B: ANTECEPTIC. The beginning "ante" means "before" in Latin, which changes the meaning and is not the usual prefix for substances fighting infection.Step 5: Check option C: ANTICEPTIQUE. This looks influenced by French spelling, but it is not standard English for the exam context. Therefore, option D is the only correct spelling.
Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify this spelling in any basic English dictionary or on medical packaging. The term is always written as "antiseptic". Additionally, you may recall related words like "sepsis" (a severe infection) and "septic wound", which share the "sept" root. When combined with "anti", it naturally forms "antiseptic". None of the other variants correspond to real English words that fit the described meaning.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A, ANTICEPTIC, uses "ceptic", which relates to "intercept" or "concept" and does not match the infection related stem "septic". Option B, ANTECEPTIC, replaces the prefix "anti" with "ante", changing both spelling and basic structure. Option C, ANTICEPTIQUE, adds "ique" in a way that resembles French but is not standard English spelling. These forms would not appear in an English medical context, so they are all incorrect.
Common Pitfalls:
Because the incorrect options look similar and share many letters, candidates may become confused and choose based on rough visual familiarity rather than precise memory. Another pitfall is to be influenced by words like "antidote" or "antibody" and forget the "septic" part. To avoid such errors, read the word slowly, identify the root "septic", and then attach the prefix "anti" to form "antiseptic".
Final Answer:
The correctly spelt word is ANTISEPTIC.
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