33 Times the English Language Was Unnecessarily Confusing

This person meant to point out a word that they think should be spelled differently, but they actually pointed out a common spelling mistake. They were wondering out loud why “grateful” isn’t spelled as “greatful” since “grate” by itself isn’t a word. Why make up a fake word when there’s already a real word out there, ready and waiting?

There’s a good reason for this spelling, though. “Grateful” comes from the word “gratitude,” which means feeling or showing thankfulness. When you are grateful, you’re full of gratitude. Sure, you probably also feel great, but that’s not what the word means. It’s a common mix-up, so it’s understandable why this person shared a similar thought.