Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: Refrendum
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This spelling question aims to test familiarity with everyday English words that often occur in news reports and editorials. Three of the given options are correctly spelt, while one has an internal error. Recognising the correct form is essential for accurate writing as well as for understanding texts about politics, law, and public decision making, where terms like “referendum” frequently appear.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
The key word in this set is “Refrendum”, which is intended to be “referendum”. A referendum is a direct vote by the public on a specific political question or decision. The correct spelling is r e f e r e n d u m. The option “Refrendum” omits a vowel and rearranges letters, making it incorrect. The other words are standard: “Treachery” means betrayal, “Suppression” means the act of stopping or controlling something, and “Resemblance” means similarity. Recognising the correct spelling of “referendum” allows us to confidently mark “Refrendum” as the wrong form.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, we can recall how news headlines appear when a country votes on an issue: “The government has announced a national referendum on the new constitution.” This consistent spelling, with “refer” in the first part, makes sense because it is related to referring a question to the people. No reputable source uses “refrendum”. If we look at the other options in example sentences, such as “His treachery shocked his allies”, “The suppression of free speech is a serious concern”, and “There is a striking resemblance between the two paintings”, all appear correct and natural. This contrast confirms that “Refrendum” is the only incorrect form.
Why Other Options Are Wrong (they are correct spellings):
Common Pitfalls:
Candidates may be misled by words that look unfamiliar or by silent letters in English. Sometimes, learners mark a correctly spelt word as wrong simply because they have not encountered it often. Another pitfall is the tendency to skim rather than read each letter. Spelling questions require slow, careful reading and comparison with known patterns. A good habit is to pay attention to political terms like “referendum”, “parliament”, and “sovereignty” when reading newspapers, because they are favourite targets in competitive exams.
Final Answer:
The incorrectly spelt word is “Refrendum”, which should be correctly written as “referendum”.
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