In the following question, four English verbs are given, out of which one word is spelt incorrectly. Select the incorrectly spelt word from the given options.

Introduction / Context:
This item checks the learner's ability to recognise correct spellings of commonly used English verbs. Such questions are popular in competitive examinations because they quickly identify whether a candidate reads widely and pays attention to written forms. The four options here are related in meaning and sound, but only one is spelt in a way that does not match standard English usage. The task is to identify the incorrect spelling among the four.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- Four verbs are given: Preceed, Proceed, Recede and Succeed. - Exactly one of these spellings is incorrect. - Standard British English spellings are assumed. - The objective is to mark the wrongly spelt word, not to provide the corrected form in the answer box.

Concept / Approach:
The question is based on knowledge of word families and common Latin roots in English verbs. Proceed, recede and succeed all come from Latin roots meaning to go forward, to go back and to go under or follow in order. The related verb precede, meaning to go before, is often misspelt because of confusion between pre and pro. The method to solve such questions is to recall the standard spelling of each word, paying special attention to the arrangement of vowels and the doubling of consonants. If you know one member of a word family, you can usually infer the correct spelling of others from that pattern.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Look at option Proceed. You may recall the common phrase proceed further, and you know it is spelt p r o c e e d with double e in the centre. This matches the standard spelling, so option B is correct. Step 2: Look at option Recede. The root here is c e d e, which also appears in words like concede and precede. Recede is correctly spelt r e c e d e, so option C is correct. Step 3: Look at option Succeed. This verb is often seen in phrases like to succeed in life. It is correctly spelt s u c c e e d, with double c and double e, so option D is also correct. Step 4: Look at option Preceed. The intended word is precede, meaning to go before. The correct spelling is p r e c e d e, not p r e c e e d. Therefore the form Preceed is wrong because it uses double e instead of the correct d e ending. Step 5: Since Preceed is the only option whose spelling does not match the standard word, it is the incorrectly spelt word and should be chosen.

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, compare the noun forms. From proceed we get procedure and process, from recede we get recession and receding, and from succeed we get success and succession. All of these retain the root c e e d or c e s s. For the sense of going before, we have precedence and precedent, where the root is p r e c e d. This shows that the correct verb must be precede, not preceed. A quick check with a good English dictionary will confirm that preceed does not appear as a valid entry, while precede does.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B: Proceed is correctly spelt and widely used in formal and informal English. Option C: Recede follows the correct root pattern and is the accepted spelling, so it is not incorrect. Option D: Succeed is also correctly spelt with double c and double e and is therefore not the misspelt word.

Common Pitfalls:
Candidates often confuse precede and proceed because they sound similar. Some memorise only one pattern and then wrongly copy it to all related words, which leads to errors like preceed. Another pitfall is to assume that the presence of double letters always indicates a mistake. Here, proceed and succeed both legitimately contain double letters. The best way to avoid such mistakes is to learn families of words together and to read regularly so that you repeatedly see correct spellings in context.

Final Answer:
The incorrectly spelt verb in this list is Preceed, which should in standard English be spelt precede.