In the world of academic writing, one can frequently encounter words or phrases that are commonly misspelled due to similar spellings in other languages or complex phonetics. Avoiding spelling mistakes is crucial to prevent your paper from lacking credibility and validity. “Irregardless” specifically, is often misspelled and also causes confusion regarding its meaning and use. The following article will focus on all the aspects you need to know about it.
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The correct spelling of “irregardless”
The word “irregardless” functions as an adverb and has only one correct way of spelling. It should be noted that it isn’t a standard English word and originated in the United States in the early 20th century. Hence, it is mainly used in informal speech and casual dialogue.
In essence, it is a combination of the words “irrespective” + “regardless.” Since “regardless” is already negated with the suffix “-less,” the prefix “Ir-“ poses a redundant syllable.
Correct spelling
irregardless
Incorrect spelling
iregardless
irregardles
“Irregardless” is spelled with two “r” and two “s”. Due to the multiple double letters it contains, the word is often misspelled by missing an “r” or an “s.” This may be, as many are unaware that the first syllable of “irregardless,” “ir-“ represents a negative prefix and is added to the standard English word “regardless.”
Examples
- Irregardless of the consultant’s opinion, the client invested more money.
- The athlete did not stop pursuing her dream, irregardless of her condition.
- Irregardless of the criticism, she continued to buy the dress and shoes.
In formal writing and speech, “regardless” is the appropriate choice as it is standard English and entails the same connotation as “irregardless.”
Examples
- Regardless of the consultant’s opinion, the client invested more money.
- The athlete did not stop pursuing her dream, regardless of her condition.
- Regardless of the criticism, she continued to buy the dress and shoes.
Mnemonic for spelling “irregardless”
Mnemonics are helpful to remember the correct spelling of a word even if they have a difficult spelling, such as in the case of “irregardless.” The term is double negated and contains several double letters, which makes it more difficult to remember the correct way of spelling. The root word “regardless” is already negated with the suffix “-less.” With this in mind, the double “-s” in the end can be remembered.
Note: “Irregardless” consists of the prefix “ir-“ and the adverb “regardless”:
“ir-“ + “regardless = irregardless
FAQs
“Irregardless” is not considered grammatically correct in standard English, even if it may have been adopted in some dictionaries. In formal writing and speech, it is advised to avoid using “irregardless” and using “regardless.”
“irregardless” poses redundancy, as it contains double negatives. The prefix “ir-“ serves as a negation as well as the suffix “-less.”
Both versions are correct, but “irregardless” is considered nonstandard English and most commonly used in informal speech and writing. It is advised to use “regardless” in formal writing in the realm of academia.
The correct spelling of “irregardless” is with two “r” and two “s.”
The word “irregardless” is another expression for “regardless” and is a synonym for “despite of”.