So why have so many of us around the world been taught with a silent ‘n’? God only knows, but if you take a quick Google trip you will see there are actually discussion boards out there on the subject. Seriously! That said, no-one seems to have come up with a rational explanation. The silent ‘n’ alternative is never even offered up as nonstandard spelling in some reputable dictionaries. How can this be? Even trusty Grammar Girl doesn’t offer any explanation though the site does point to another point of reference\u00a0World Wide Words<\/a>\u00a0which goes into detail about the errant spelling. \u00a0What I found most surprising that it’s not just the English or the Americans that have been spelling it wrong. In French it sometimes appears as\u00a0dilemne<\/em>\u00a0instead of\u00a0dilemme<\/em>. Native French speakers say they, too, were taught the wrong form. It is frequent enough that it appears in lists of common spelling mistakes. In French, it\u2019s said to be the consequence of a false comparison with\u00a0indemne<\/em>.<\/p>\n So a veritable word mystery no less. I’d love to know how you spell Dilemna, (yes OK squigly line I meant Dilemma). I’d also love to know your theories as to why so many of us were taught the wrong spelling!<\/p>\n My feathers were ruffled somewhat this afternoon. My husband asked,\u00a0“How do you spell dilemma?” \u00a0Now\u00a0I like to think ‘words’ are something I’m relatively good at. True, sometimes I have to write a word down to be sure, but generally speaking, I can spell. I replied with confidence “D.I.L.E.M.N.A.”. Oh, the glee on his\u00a0face as he … <\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/butterfly.writefromsource.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/send-to-kindle\/media\/white-25.png\")
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