Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: Beneficiary
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
Spelling questions in English aim to check whether you can recognise the correct written form of commonly used words. The word beneficiary appears frequently in legal, financial, and everyday contexts, so knowing its spelling is useful for both exams and real life communication.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- Target word: beneficiary.
- Four possible spellings are provided.
- Only one option matches the standard dictionary spelling.
- Pronunciation of all options is assumed to be similar, which can make the choice confusing.
Concept / Approach:
Beneficiary is derived from the base word benefit. To spell such words, it helps to identify the root and then the typical suffix pattern. Here, benefit plus the suffix iary produces beneficiary. Many distractor options introduce extra letters or swap vowels, which are common spelling errors that exam setters use deliberately.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that benefit is spelt b e n e f i t.
Step 2: The word beneficiary means a person who receives benefit, for example money or advantage from a will or policy.
Step 3: Attach the suffix iary to the base, giving b e n e f i c i a r y.
Step 4: Option A spells the word exactly as beneficiary, matching the standard dictionary form.
Step 5: Options B, C, and D introduce wrong vowel combinations such as i c i a r y or rearrange letters incorrectly.
Step 6: Therefore, option A is the only correctly spelt word.
Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify using word structure. Many words that refer to a person receiving something end with iary, such as legatee or beneficiary. Saying the word slowly in syllables, be ne fi cia ry, confirms the position of vowels. The sequence e after b, then ne, then fi, then cia, then ry fits the conventional spelling pattern found in dictionaries and reading materials.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Benificiary in option B wrongly replaces the first e after b with i, breaking the connection with the word benefit.
Beneficeary in option C adds an extra e after c, creating an incorrect and unnatural sequence.
Benefeciary in option D rearranges vowels in the second half of the word, again not matching the standard form.
Common Pitfalls:
Learners often rely only on how a word sounds, which can be misleading in English due to irregular spelling. Another pitfall is focusing on the middle letters and overlooking the root benefit. To avoid these issues, always identify the base word and then check common suffix patterns such as ary, ery, or ory. Knowing that beneficiary is linked to benefit makes the correct spelling much easier to remember.
Final Answer:
The correctly spelt word is Beneficiary.
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