June 20, 2007 - Priviledge*

Priviledge is ranked as a "highest probability" typo on the Ballard list simply because it's hard for many people to spell properly. Perhaps that's because ledge is a familiar English word that refers to something above and apart from the rest—privileged. Or because if you're too underprivileged (or overprivileged, or just plain edgy), you might find yourself tempted to jump off of one. Lege, on the other hand, is not a real word. Although the late great Molly Ivins used to frequently skewer the "Texas Lege," with which the word privilege is is fact linguistically and commonly associated. Aids to memory like this can be fun, but they must be carefully derived from the spelling of a word, not whimsically or unconsciously imposed upon it. So devise carefully. Mnemonics are a privilege. (Photograph by P.I. King.)

Carol Reid