Spelling – Identify the one misspelled word among options A–D, or choose “All correct” if every option is correctly spelled. A) Peaceful B) Skillful C) Beautyful D) Hopeful

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: Beautyful

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
This item targets suffix formation with -ful and the effect of base-word changes when attaching suffixes. English often drops silent letters or adjusts vowels in the base word before adding -ful.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • Options: Peaceful, Skillful (AmE; BrE “skilful”), Beautyful, Hopeful.
  • Standard acceptance: both “skillful” (AmE) and “skilful” (BrE) are correct; “peaceful” and “hopeful” are standard.


Concept / Approach:
Check whether the suffix -ful attaches to the correct base form. The adjective from beauty is beautiful, not “beautyful”. The y changes to i before -ful in this family because the actual base adjective is beautiful (from “beaut” + -iful historically), not “beauty” + -ful.


Step-by-Step Solution:

Step 1: Validate “peaceful”: peace + ful → peaceful (drop the terminal “e” change? Here “peaceful” retains the “e”; conventional spelling is peaceful).Step 2: Validate “skillful/skilful”: both regional variants are accepted; “Skillful” as given is correct American usage.Step 3: Examine “beautyful”: incorrect; the correct adjective is “beautiful”.Step 4: Validate “hopeful”: hope + ful → hopeful; correct.


Verification / Alternative check:
Dictionary check: “beautiful” is the only standard form; “beautyful” is flagged as a misspelling. Morphology note: “beauty” (noun) → “beautiful” (adjective) does not form by direct suffix addition to the noun spelling.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:

  • Peaceful: Correct.
  • Skillful: Correct in AmE (BrE “skilful”).
  • Hopeful: Correct.


Common Pitfalls:
Assuming “add -ful to any noun” preserves the noun spelling. Some adjectives have distinct historical formations (beautiful, dutiful from duty, etc.).


Final Answer:
Beautyful

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