Naphtha

Naphtha is spelled thus, despite a common mis-pronunciation realizing it as 'NAP-tha. Academics recognize it as properly pronounced when it is realized as 'NAFF-thə^r', IPA: /ˈnæf θə/.

Etymological note: naphtha is derived from the Greek νάφθα, via Latin which was the first to transliterate the word. The Greek used the letter φ (phi), which was that language's representation of the sound conveyed in English by '-f-'. The combination of the sounds '-f-' and '-th-' does not come naturally to native speakers of English. Derivations such as 'naphthalic' have been shortened to phthalic, and even further to napalm (jellied petrol, as a weapon of war).

This page was suggested by the list of "25 of the most commonly misspelled words in the English language", in the article on "spelling" in Garner, Bryan A., The Oxford Dictionary of American Usage and Style, Oxford University Press, 2000; on line at Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press, under licence to Hull University. 18 July 2006. <http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t26.e2017>. Although the list claims "25 of the most commonly misspelled words in the English language", it may reflect the American language of the book rather than AWE's experience of English teaching in Britain. Users of AWE may find more use in our categories spelling and spelling common errors.

AWE shares the confidence of the original article: "Naturally, [the commonly misspelled words] are spelled correctly here".