Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: Advurtise
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
Questions on spelling test your ability to recognize standard dictionary forms and to avoid phonetic traps. Here you must select the only misspelled item from four near-commonsense words while ignoring the distractor “All correct”.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
English spelling often resists pure phonetics. The word “advertise” retains the vowel sequence “er” after “adv”, not “ur”. Validate spellings against common roots and suffixes (-ous, -ite, -ise/-ize).
Step-by-Step Solution:
1) Check A: “periphery” ends with “-ery”, formed from “peripher-” + “y”; correct.2) Check C: “courteous” derives from “courte-” + “-ous”; correct.3) Check D: “indefinite” uses “in-” (not) + “definite”; correct.4) Check B: phonetic miscue “Advurtise” should be “Advertise”. Thus B is the single error.
Verification / Alternative check:
Break “advertise” into ad + vert (turn) + ise; many Romance-origin words keep “er” after “adv/vert”. A quick dictionary check would confirm the canonical form “advertise”.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Common Pitfalls:
Choosing “All correct” when one option merely “sounds” acceptable; relying on sound (“ur”) rather than established spelling patterns; overcorrecting to British “-ise/-ize” variants (irrelevant here).
Final Answer:
Advurtise
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