Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: Fluorescent
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
Spelling questions are designed to check whether you can recognise the standard written form of commonly used English words, especially those that appear in science and everyday life. The word fluorescent is used to describe a type of light or substance that emits visible light when it is exposed to radiation or energy. Because of its complex combination of vowels and consonants, it is often misspelt.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- Four spellings are offered: Fluorescent, Floresecent, Floroscent, Flowrascent.
- Only one of these is correct in standard English.
- We assume the meaning is the usual scientific and everyday sense: emitting bright light due to fluorescence.
Concept / Approach:
The correct spelling fluorescent is built from the root fluor, related to fluorescence, and the suffix escent, which means becoming or showing a quality. The letters follow the pattern f l u o r e s c e n t. Incorrect versions often change the order of vowels, introduce extra letters, or replace uo with o or w. By recalling the connection to fluorescence and fluorine, we can identify the correct arrangement of letters.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Verification / Alternative check:
Visual memory can be reinforced by recalling common phrases such as fluorescent lamps, fluorescent lights, or fluorescent markers. In all of these, the word begins with fluor and ends with escent. If you write the word slowly as flu-or-es-cent, you can hear each part and see how it matches the correct option. None of the other spellings appear in textbooks, scientific articles, or product labels.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Floresecent is wrong because it changes the sequence of vowels and consonants and breaks the recognisable base fluor. Floroscent is wrong because it replaces uo with o and does not preserve the original root structure. Flowrascent is wrong because it adds w and a, which do not belong and completely distort the word. These misspellings would confuse readers and are not accepted forms in English.
Common Pitfalls:
Because the word is pronounced with a kind of rush between syllables, learners may guess at the spelling rather than recalling the root. They might also confuse fluorescent with words like florescent or phosphorescent. A useful strategy is to remember the link to the chemical element fluorine and the noun fluorescence, which make the correct initial letters clear.
Final Answer:
The correctly spelt word is Fluorescent.
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